Igniting Sparks Out of School Kit Instructor guide

How do you spark young people’s interests and passions?

Some young people love playing soccer, while some love painting. Other young people are most engaged while quietly reading—or solving math problems. As a youth leader, you know how motivating it can be for young people to discover their “sparks,” those activities and interests that truly engage them to be their best. Discovering these sparks can help students express their personalities and make unique contributions to the world.

b Have better school attendance and higher grades b Are more socially competent and physically healthy b Have a greater sense of purpose and are more like to help others

Search Institute

Igniting Sparks was developed by a team of researchers and writers at Search Institute® and based on the work of the late Dr. Peter L. Benson.

Dr. Benson, former president and CEO of Minneapolis-based Search Institute, was one of the world’s leading authorities on positive human development. He was the author or editor of more than a dozen books on child and adolescent development and social change.

IGNITING

Sparks Turning Young People’s Interests and Talents into Improved Life Outcomes

Youth Leader Guide IGNITING SPARKS

This guide will help you work with students to explore their sparks, find adult support for developing their interests, and ultimately create a vision of who they want to be in the future. As a result of this spark work, research shows that young people:

This guide includes the following information: b Instructions that guide students to create Spark.A.Vision videos about who they hope to be in the world b Fifteen sessions that are easily adaptable for young people from grade 3 through grade 12 b Each session includes a variety of activities intended to be easily adaptable for the format of your program b Ten bonus activities and handouts if you wish to further expand your sparks work b Reproducible materials, available as downloads, so students can explore their interests b Numerous resources including recommendations for best practices, a video discussion guide, and sample letters to send home with students b Research articles related to sparks, the Developmental Assets®, and Tel.A.Vision (the parent software for Spark.A.Vision)

Youth Leader Guide, Grades 3–12

E D U C AT I O N / C u r r i c u l a

Out of School Time Grades 3 through 12

Igniting Sparks Turning Young People’s Interests and Talents into Improved Life Outcomes Se a rch I n s tit u t e

Youth Leader Guide Out of School Time Grades Three through Twelve

Igniting Sparks Turning Young People’s Interests and Talents into Improved Life Outcomes Youth Leader Guide, Out of School Time, Grades Three through Twelve The following are registered trademarks of Search Institute: Search Institute®, Healthy Communities • Healthy Youth®, and Developmental Assets®.

Search Institute Press, Minneapolis, MN Copyright © 2009, 2012 by Search Institute All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced in any manner, mechanical or electronic, without prior permission from the publisher except in brief quotations or summaries in articles or reviews, or as individual activity sheets for educational non-commercial use only.

For additional permission, visit Search Institute’s website at www.search-institute .org/permissions and submit a Permissions Request Form.

At the time of publication, all facts and figures cited herein are the most current available; all telephone numbers, addresses, and website URLs are accurate and active; all publications, organizations, websites, and other resources exist as described in this book; and all efforts have been made to verify them. The authors and Search Institute make no warranty or guarantee concerning the information and materials given out by organizations or content found at websites that are cited herein, and we are not responsible for any changes that occur after this book’s publication. If you find an error or believe that a resource listed herein is not as described, please contact Client Services at Search Institute.

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Search Institute 615 First Avenue Northeast, Suite 125 Minneapolis, MN 55413 www.search-institute.org 612-376-8955 • 877-240-7251, ext. 1 ISBN-13: 978-1-57482-536-7

Credits Editing: Rebecca Post Book Design: Mighty Media Production Supervisor:

Mary Ellen Buscher Library of Congress Cataloging-inPublication Data <CIP copy to come from production coordinator> The educational activity sheets in Igniting Sparks may be copied as needed. For each copy, please respect the following guidelines: • Do not remove, alter, or obscure the Search Institute credit and copyright information on any activity sheet.

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Contents Introduction

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Sessions for Grades Three through Twelve Session One:

What Is a Spark?

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Session Two:

Exploring Sparks

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Session Three:

Exploring Sparks through Music

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Session Four:

Exploring Sparks through Visual Arts

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Session Five:

Exploring Sparks through Nature

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Session Six:

Exploring Sparks through Animals

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Session Seven:

Exploring Sparks through Sports

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Session Eight:

Exploring Sparks through Comedy and Drama 25

Session Nine:

Exploring Sparks through Computers

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Session Ten: Exploring Sparks through Creative Reading and Writing

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Session Eleven: Exploring Sparks through Leadership and Voice

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Session Twelve: Using Sparks to Help the World

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Session Thirteen: Spark.A.Vision Video, Part One

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Session Fourteen: Spark.A.Vision Video, Part Two

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Session Fifteen: Identifying Sparks Champions

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Bonus Activities and Handouts

Spark Champions Activity

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What Sparks Champions Do

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Peer Spark Interviews

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Sparks Interview, Going Deeper

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Sparks Exploration Activity

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Student-to-Student Spark Interview

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All About Me: What I Know So Far

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Sparks Champions: Look Around You!

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Websites for Exploring Popular Spark Categories

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All Kinds of Sparks in Many Categories!

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Resources

Best Practices Tips for Developing Sparks in Young People

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Links to Inspirational Videos and Websites

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Igniting Sparks: Video Discussion Guide

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Parent Communication Templates

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Research

Insights & Evidence: Finding the Student Spark

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What Are the Developmental Assets?

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Telâ&#x20AC;˘Aâ&#x20AC;˘Vision

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Introduction With all the new technology—the Internet, smart phones, texting, e-mail, social media—you would think modern relationships would be closer, that we’d all know more about each other’s unique personalities, interests, and passions. Youth workers and educators, of course, know that technology cannot replace a student’s need for genuine concern and understanding.

Search Institute research shows that only 35 percent of young people say they feel connected with caring adults at school who know them and their interests well.

Students report that adults in their schools, congregations, and youth organizations don’t know them either. Unfortunately, in this age of more “connection,” our young people can feel more disconnected than ever, especially from caring adults.

You can find more about this research on pages 93–? of this manual.

Fortunately, young people’s sense of connection can be improved. As a youth worker or program director, you already know the value of building positive relationships with your students. This relationship-building effort also applies to parents, teachers, mentors, and neighbors. By initiating meaningful conversations with young people, we can help them discover their “sparks”—the activities and interests that truly engage their passion to be their best.

Search Institute has long pioneered research and programming directed at improving the relationships between children and adults. The late Peter Benson wrote that “relationships are the oxygen for human development.” He and his research colleagues identified the building blocks that help children succeed. Those building blocks were named the Developmental Assets®, and researchers have found that the more assets students have, the more likely they are to act in positive ways—like helping others, succeeding in school, and showing leadership skills. More information about the Development Assets can also be found in the research section of this manual on page 99.

Finding a Spark A student’s spark is what he or she is passionate about—an activity that unleashes his or her energy and joy. Discovering that spark can help a student express his or her personality and make a unique contribution to the world.

Each of us has at least one spark. For most of us, our spark is revealed or discovered over time, through many opportunities and experiences, and we often need caring adults to help us see and develop it. Take a look at the following list of the top ten spark categories named by American teenagers ages 12–17. The percentages add up to more than 100 percent because teens, on average, report 1.4 sparks.

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• Creative arts (painting, writing, dance, music, acting), 54 percent • Athletics, 25 percent • Learning a subject matter (like science or history), 18 percent • Reading, 11 percent • Helping, serving, volunteering, 10 percent • Being a leader, 10 percent • Caring or advocating for animals, or protecting endangered species, 8 percent • Living in a specific way (with joy, caring, tolerance, compassion), 7 percent • Nature, ecology, environment, 6 percent • Spirituality or religion, 2 percent

Why Do Sparks Matter?

When young people know and develop a spark, with the support of several adults, they present a strong picture of health and well-being. Research shows that students who have opportunities to identify and nurture their sparks: • Have higher grades in school • Have better school attendance • Are more likely to be socially competent • Are more likely to be physically healthy • Are more likely to volunteer to help other people • Are more likely to care about the environment • Are more likely to have a sense of purpose • Are less likely to experience depression • Are less likely to engage in acts of violence National surveys found that 48 percent of young people knew their spark, but only 37 percent could both name a spark and claim the adult support they need to develop it.

Getting Started Three simple steps can help you start your spark work with a young person. First, spend time discreetly looking for your young people’s sparks. Because you work closely with young people, you already have a sense of what they enjoy. Nevertheless, try looking at your students with fresh eyes. As you look at each student, ask yourself: When does this student seem the happiest? While doing independent work or while doing group work? When is this student most absorbed in an activity? Which subjects seem to most engage this student?

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After you have observed and begun to notice more about your students’ interests, passions, and how they spend their time, you can start a spark conversation. What you are after is having talks that help them discover their own abilities and possibilities, talks that empower them to try new things and take next steps.

Finally, find a way to follow through with what you find out. If you have students who love motorcycles, maybe you know a colleague who has been riding motorcycles for years and can somehow bring that interest into your program. If you have students who love music, bring a musician to your program to engage students in whatever you happen to be studying. As a teacher, you are likely already doing these things; the point is to take your efforts another step.

Working with students to discover and develop their sparks can result in numerous benefits for young people. When caring adults put their energy into young people’s sparks, they make a great contribution to their development.

Author Peter Benson wrote in his book, Sparks: How Parents Can Help Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Teens, “When young people find their spark and their center, their lives become generous, committed, passionate, purposeful, and responsible.”

Surely that is what all educators want for each student.

This curriculum includes information on how to use Spark.A.Vision, an innovative Internet-based tool that allows students to create videos about who they hope to be as they grow and develop into young adults. This curriculum also includes posters that can be displayed when you begin to introduce students to the concepts of sparks. The stickers are for younger students as they work through the activities.

Likewise, the wristbands can be handed out to students to remind them to think about their sparks.

Each Igniting Sparks kit also includes a copy of Spark Student Motivation by Jolene L. Roehlkepartain. This guide includes 101 activities that help students build relationships with one another, tap into their unique learning style, and recognize their sparks. Most of these activities can be adapted to fit students of any age. After you have completed all the lesson plans, you can bring activities from Spark Student Motivation into you classroom to reinforce students’ unique interests and means of staying motivated.

There are many possibilities for continuing, expanding, or deepening your students’ understanding of sparks. Here are just a few ideas: • Consider joining with your students in doing each of the activities; you’ll be modeling that people can explore, name, and develop sparks at any time during their lives.

• Have students repeat an activity when they discover or explore different sparks.

• Work with a school librarian to create a display of biographies and auto­ biographies that highlight a person’s spark; be sure to cover both common and unusual spark clusters.

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• Offer students the option of bringing home to their parents or guardians a Sparks Interview that you or they create, then look for connections between students’ and guardians’ sparks. One student’s parent or guardian could become another student’s spark supporter.

• Help students bring their positive visions down to earth by guiding them in creating a set of goals to reach and steps on the way.

• Remind students to frequently watch the Spark.A.Vision videos that they create. Research shows that repetition can “train the brain” and keep students motivated in reaching their goals.

This manual includes the following information: • Fifteen sessions plus ten bonus activities and handouts that are easily adaptable for a variety of ages and program formats • Reproducible sheets so each student can begin to document his or her interests, including instructions so students can develop their Spark.A.Vision videos. These handouts are available as downloads at www.search-institute .org/oc/ispark.

• A resource section that includes recommendations for best practices, a video discussion guide, and parent communication pieces (see pages 73–89) • A research section about sparks, the Developmental Assets, and Tel.A.Vision (the “parent” software that Spark.A.Vision is based on) In addition, visit www.search-institute.org/sparks to find resources that include online videos for students and parents, reproducible student materials, parent communication templates, and information about Spark.A.Vision.

The lessons and activities in this manual were developed to provide youth and outof-school programs with flexible activities to help young people: • Learn about sparks • Explore and identify sparks • Learn about and find “spark champions” • Realize that developing one’s sparks can be useful throughout one’s life We suggest that you take time to scan all the sessions first, so that you can get a sense of how the lessons build on each other. The sessions are arranged in the following manner: • Session One introduces the concept of sparks • Sessions Two through Eleven focus on helping your young people explore their sparks • Session Twelve explores how young people can use their sparks to improve their world • Sessions Thirteen and Fourteen focus on students developing their personalized Spark.A.Vision videos

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• Session Fifteen discusses the importance of finding spark supporters among peers and safe, caring adults • Numerous bonus activities and handouts are included so you can revisit sparks concepts with your students In addition, review the book Spark Student Motivation and choose activities that you can incorporate into your program. These activities are short, flexible, and fun.

Tips on Teaching and Talking about Sparks In order for many people to talk about their innermost selves, their dreams, and their passions, they need to feel safe. Keep a close watch for teasing, put-downs, or other negative behaviors that could affect students’ feelings of safety.

Remind students that sparks are not limited to things that come easily to them or that they already know how to do. People discover their sparks at all different times in their lives, and their sparks can change over time. Students can look now at current sparks and potential sparks that they might become passionate about. And they can practice and work hard at learning about the new sparks they try out.

Help them understand that they can become smarter and more talented as they try new things and practice new skills. Praise them more for perseverance, willingness to try, discipline, and hard work than for their natural talents.

It’s not enough for a young person to have talent or passion and a supportive adult or two. Two matters of character are vital as well: 1) building the motivation, optimism, confidence, and discipline to practice and develop a spark, and 2) using that spark to give back to or contribute to the world.

Be flexible! You may want to substitute a new activity for the ones suggested here as you learn about the sparks of your young people.

If you are working with middle school students, keep in mind that they often feel vulnerable and may find it difficult to clarify or express what they think and feel.

They are easily embarrassed in front of their peers. Explore ways to allow students time and safety for personal reflection and do not pressure them to share in a group. Be sure to create a safe environment that is free of judgment or criticism.

For middle school students, the concepts of empowerment, fairness, and friendship can be important. In the context of sparks, you can think of these concepts in the following ways: • Empowerment: Each of us, no matter what our skills, talents, interests, or backgrounds may be, can honor our uniqueness and take steps to turn our dreams into dreams-come-true—if we start small and start today.

• Fairness: The Golden Rule reminds us to treat others the way we would like to be treated. Fairness requires that we apply this to all—in particular, we would all like to be who we are and choose our interests and activities without having to worry about being teased or made fun of.

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• Friendship: It’s important to our own success and happiness to surround ourselves with people—both adults and peers—who are supportive of our efforts and who encourage us in exploring and developing our sparks. People who discourage us, put us down, or make fun of our sparks are not being good friends.

Importance of Relationships

The core foundation for success for young people—especially for troubled or disadvantaged young people—is the development of strong, caring adult-student relationships.

The concept of sparks provides a concrete, focused way to begin or deepen those necessary relationships that are grounded in the strengths, interests, and em­powerment of the students themselves. When students have those relationships and they know their sparks, they are more likely to thrive.

Thriving young people are those who are not just surviving, not just getting by, but truly doing well—aware of and using their interests, talents, and abilities; achieving their goals; living up to and even beyond their potential.

Search Institute researchers have discovered three things that, when they are all present in a young person’s life, greatly increase the likelihood that they will thrive: • The young person knows his or her sparks—the special interests and activities that he or she is passionate about • He or she pursues those sparks and uses them to contribute to a better world • The young person’s teachers, parents, and other caring adults support, encourage, and help her or him to explore, name, and develop the sparks

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Session One

What Is7a7Spark?

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Young people ponder the metaphor of a spark

You will need the following: Pens/pencils

Art materials such as paper, markers, crayons, colored pencils, glitter, glue, and scissors

A projector to show the student spark video and sample Spark.A.Vision video Sparks posters

Sparks wristbands Sparks stickers

Review the student sparks video and the sample Spark.A.Vision video. Have these cued up before class begins. Also display the sparks posters before students arrive.

You may hand out the sparks wristbands and stickers at the beginning of the class.

Show the student sparks video and the sample Spark.A.Vision video.

After the videos, explain to the class: When people have a special talent or interest, we sometimes say they have a “spark” in their life. A spark is something

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they’re passionate about; it really fires them up, gives them joy and energy, and is an important part of who they are. A spark is more than just a passing interest or a talent. It’s what you’re passionate about.

It’s what gives your life purpose and focus and allows you to make your own unique contribution to the world. It doesn’t really matter what the spark is, just as long as it gives your life purpose, direction, meaning, or focus.

Everyone has, or can have, a spark, or two or three. Whether you know any of your sparks now or not, it’s definitely worthwhile to explore, identify, and develop one, or more. Why? Because studies show that young people who know and develop

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at least one spark and have three or more caring adults who help them with their spark are likely to have some great advantages and benefits: • Higher grades in school • Better social skills • Better physical health • Better school attendance rates • More likely to volunteer to help others • More likely to care for the earth and its resources • More likely to have a sense of purpose • More likely to say they are “on the road to a hopeful future” Those are all good things to have, and things that can lead you to success in school and in the future. But that’s not all. Teenagers who have a spark and the “spark supporters” who help them develop it also are • Less likely to experience depression • Less likely to engage in acts of violence toward others

Activity 2 Ask the young people if they know what a metaphor is.

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word that literally means something

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physical is used to describe something else to show a likeness or similarity. For example, a caterpillar turning into a butterfly is used as a metaphor for a person’s positive growth. Other metaphors include a white dove symbolizing peace or a large oak tree symbolizing maturity.

Ask why a spark is a good metaphor or symbol for what really interests us. Examples may include the fact that doing what we love energizes us, lights us up, lights our fire, makes us think of a sparkler on Independence Day, or starts small but can become a strong flame.

Have the young people use paper, pens, markers, and other art materials to create a small poster of the spark metaphor, including an illustration of the feeling of spark and some words to define it. If you can, hang up the posters in a public area.

Encourage creativity; if a young person wants to choose a different metaphor for his or her strongest, most passionate interests, that’s fine, too.

As the young people are working, consider asking them to think about and give their own ideas about these questions: Can everyone have a spark? What might happen to people who don’t explore and find their sparks? Do you think people who have identified their sparks are happier than people who haven’t? Why?

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Session Two

Exploring 7777 77777Sparks 7 7777777777 777777777777 7777777777 77777 77 O b j7 ec t7 i v e s77777 7777777777 7777777777 7777bb777777 777777777777 7777777777 77777 77 M a7 t e r7 i a l7 s 7777777 7777777 7777777777 7777b777777 777777777777 7777bb777777 777777777777 7777777777 777777777777 7777777777 7777Activity 77 7777777777 77777777 7777777777 7777777777 777777777777 7777777777 777777777777 7777777777 777777777777 7777777777 777777777777 7777777777 77 7777777777 7 7777777777 7777777777 7 7777777777 7777777777 7 7777777777 7777777777 7 7777777777 7777777777 7 7777777777 7777777777 7 7777777777 7777777777 7 7777777777 7777777777 777777777 This session has the following objectives:

To help students begin to see the many varieties of sparks

To help students begin to consider their own sparks or potential sparks

You will need the following:

Copies of the Sparks Categories Handout, pens, pencils Paper, flipchart, or chalkboard (Optional: art materials)

Say to students: There are many, many kinds of sparks. Some of you may already know one or more of your sparks. Others may just be beginning to imagine what one of your sparks might be. Either way is okay.

People can explore, find, and develop sparks at any age! But there are good reasons for you to be exploring your sparks now. For one thing, finding and developing a spark is really fun and can make your life a lot more interesting! For another thing, you can meet great friends, both your own age and adults, through your sparks. And when you have and work on a spark with the help of caring adults, you can gain all kinds of benefits, like doing better in school and feeling that your life has a purpose. So let’s start exploring some possible sparks.

Give each young person a copy of the Sparks Categories Handout and a pen

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or pencil. Ask the young people to read through the spark categories on the handout, and help them with any unfamiliar words or concepts as needed. Then have them choose three spark categories and name three specific sparks that they are interested in or doing already or that they would like to try or find out more about. Say: Remember, you don’t have to be already good at it to be interested in it! If you’re interested in it, you can learn it!

To process the activity, ask for volunteers to name their sparks. Record those volunteers’ responses on paper, flipchart, or chalkboard. (Don’t force anyone who feels shy to reveal their sparks; young people sometimes are reluctant to share unless they really feel safe and comfortable in the group. One strategy that can help is to have youth first discuss their spark choices in pairs.) Notice what a variety of sparks there are in your group. Talk together

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about any patterns you see. (For instance, do the young people all have different sparks? Are there many young people with the same or similar sparks?)

Ask: Are you surprised at any of these spark categories? Did anyone have a spark category for himself or herself that isn’t in the list? How many of you chose a category or a spark that you’re not good at yet but that you want to explore?

Remind students that there are many kinds of sparks and they are all valid; all people deserve respect around their sparks. (There is a large list of sparks in many categories beginning on page 63, if you’d like more examples.) Tell the young people that you’ll talk more about sparks and they will be able to help each other find, identify, and develop sparks in the next sessions. Collect the handouts for use again in the next session.

Challenge students to find out one interesting thing about their spark by the next session. For example, ask if there is a club related to their spark at their school. Is anyone in their family good at that spark?

Who has become famous from working on that spark? Be sure to explore these questions yourself, too, about one of your sparks!

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Art Idea If you have the time and the students are interested, you could have your young people work together to create a sparks display (on a classroom wall or in a hallway) using the spark metaphor or another image of growth and change.

They could choose an image such as a fire with multiple sparks rising from it or a tree with many different kinds and shapes of leaves. Create the image from colored paper on a poster board or bulletin board or with some other media; give each young person a paper spark or leaf on which to write his or her spark, if he or she is comfortable doing that. After writing their sparks, the young people can staple or glue their spark or leaf to the main image. This can be an ongoing process; young people who aren’t yet sure of a spark can save their paper and add it later on, and young people who come up with more than one spark or a different spark from their first one can also add to the image during later group gatherings.

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Tell the young people that next time you’ll be exploring music sparks. If it fits with your plans, invite them to bring in musical instruments, CDs of favorite music, or other music-related materials.

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Spark Categories Handout Put a star next to the spark categories that interest you.

1. Music: Instrumental Guitar, piano, tuba . . .

13. Learning

Math, science, history . . .

2. Music: Conducting/Directing Leading an orchestra . . .

14. Teaching/Coaching

A sport, a language . . .

3. Music: Composition Writing song lyrics . . .

15. Relationships

Being supportive . . .

4. Music: Performance Choir, playing in band . . .

16. Serving, Helping, Volunteering

Tutoring, counseling . . .

5. Visual Art Painting, drawing . . .

17. Nature, Ecology, Environment

Protecting wildlife . . .

6. Writing Poetry, stories, plays . . .

18. Animals

Raising, training . . .

7. Dance/Movement Ballet, modern, karate . . .

19. Computers

Web page design . . .

8. Other Creative Arts Cooking, fashion . . .

20. Comedy

Telling jokes, improv . . .

9. Building and Design

Architecture, drafting . . .

21. Speech

Debate, news anchor . . .

10. Leadership

Student government . . .

22. Spirituality

Studying sacred books . . .

11. Entrepreneurship

Starting a business . . .

23. Drama, Theater

Acting, directing . . .

12. Sports/Athletics

Soccer, swimming . . .

24. Photography/Film

Video, animation . . .

This handout may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial uses only (with this copyright line). From Igniting Sparks: Turning Young People’s Interests and Talents into Improved Life Outcomes, Youth Leader Guide, Out of School Time, Grades Three through Twelve. Copyright © 2009, 2012 by Search Institute®, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 800-888-7828, www.search-institute.org. All rights reserved.

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25. Living in a Specific Way

With joy, caring . . .

29. Outdoor Life

Fishing, camping . . .

26. Reading

Novels, biographies . . .

30. Journalism

Radio and TV production . . .

27. Advocacy

For children, justice . . .

31. Mechanical, Engineering

Electronics, repair . . .

28. Family

Ancestors, being together . . .

32. Solving Social Problems

Poverty, homelessness . . .

My Choices Spark Category

Specific Spark

Example: Leadership

Example: Motivating a group of people

Example: Other Creative Arts

Example: Designing my own clothes

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This handout may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial uses only (with this copyright line). From Igniting Sparks: Turning Young People’s Interests and Talents into Improved Life Outcomes, Youth Leader Guide, Out of School Time, Grades Three through Twelve. Copyright © 2009, 2012 by Search Institute®, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 800-888-7828, www.search-institute.org. All rights reserved.