Manual Training Activities - H.R.Y.O

0

H.R.Y.O Human Rights Youth Organization

Via Saladino 5, Palermo

[email protected]

+39 3485644084

http://www.hryo.eu

Manual- Training Activities

2015 Inge Arends| Human Rights Youth Organisation - H.R.Y.0

Introduction

In the world of Non- Formal education and Projects in the framework of European programs we are

confronted with several manuals that will describe good activities for the right purpose.

I started my internship with the Human Rights Youth Organization- H.R.Y.O as a trainer in the project: No

Gender- No rights. This was an exciting experience because I could use all the Non-formal education tools I

gained studying Cultural and Social Education, at the University of Applied Science in Rotterdam.

During the project I found myself missing a tangible tool such as an activity manual. I would have loved to

use an easy and inspiring manual from which I could have picked some last minute activities.

This manual is created to provide the trainer with a collection of the best activities that are implemented

and tested to be successful by other trainers.

It will be a helpful tool when you choose your activities in the preparation phase, as a last minute solution

when changes need to be made, or when you need an extra energizer.

In this manual will also be room to describe tips, tricks and the elements that made the activity so successful.

Because the activities provided in this manual has been implemented before, the trainer will have a clear

idea on which goal it serves in the process of the training.

The manual is easy and simple to use, in How to use the manual you will find all the steps you need to take

to add a new activity to the collection. The other chapters are divided according to the following type of

activities: Group Building, Energizers, Non-Formal education and Evaluation activities. The final chapter is

dedicated to Materials, here we collect materials that are needed during the implementation of an activity.

The manual will not be fully equipped at the beginning. We need your input, time and dedication to make

the manual successful and fully functional. I highly encourage you to add activities after every project that

has been implemented.

May all these activities contribute in the movement towards Peace, Non-violence and the fulfillment of the

Human Rights!

Inge Arends


Content :

How to use the manual? .......................................................................................................................................

Chapters:

1. Group building activities ....................................................................................................................................

2. Energizers: .........................................................................................................................................................

3. Educational activities: ........................................................................................................................................

4.Evaluation actvities:............................................................................................................................................

5. Materials: ...........................................................................................................................................................


How to use the manual?

To make this manual a successful tool, it is important to understand how to use it correctly.

Answering the questions in the template will help you to describe your successful activity. It is important to

describe the activity short and clear so that the reader can understand the activity quickly. Adding a

representative photo of the activity can help the reader to understand it better.

Non-Formal Training Activities

Name: What is the name of the activity?

Training: In which training/project was this activity used?

Trainer: Who was executing the activity?

Theme: What was the theme of the project?

Type of Activity: Group Building /Energizer/Training activity/

Evaluation

Objectives: What are the goals and objectives with regards to this

activity?

Focus: What aspects of the activity need the focus of the

trainer?

Time: How much time is needed to complete the activity?

Material needed: What materials are needed to be able to execute

the activity?


Description: Direct each step in the process of executing the

activity.

Tips and Tricks: Are there tips and tricks towards making this

activity extra successful?

Variations: Are there any variations (additions/adjustments)

for this activity?

Photo: If available, add a photo of the activity that is

representative of its essence.

Source: Is there a source (book, website, article etc.) where

the trainer can find more information on this

activity?


1. Group building activities

Team building: the process of turning a group of individuals into a cohesive team, a group of people organized to work together interdependently and cooperatively to meet the needs of their customers by ac complishing a purpose and goals.



Name: Welcome space

Training: Women in Europe

Trainer: Senem Kalafat

Theme: Women rights

Type of Activity: Group Building

Objectives: The aim is to develop a fruitful work atmosphere.

The objectives are:

To set the framework for the training

To make the specific aspects of the training

clear right at the beginning

To reflect on the work program, objectives,

expectations & fears towards the training

To create an environment that supports the

participants to feel comfortable with each

other

To build positive group dynamics

Focus: Members of the training team needs to be present

at each zone to facilitate the activity. Zone1

(aims&objectives), Zone3 (expectations&fears),

Zone7 (learning space/youthpass) are especially

important to be facilitated by a trainer as they are

about specific aspects of the training.


Time: 45-60 min

Material needed: Tables and chairs

Titles and instructions for each zone

Colorful post-its and pens

A3 papers, entitled with the key words of the

project.

A5 papers, written I will contribute this

week... on them.

Printed aims and objectives of the TC

Program to present (if possible drawn)

Description: The Welcome Space is divided into a number of zones, each zone

represents an aspect of the training course.

Participants are asked to explore the Welcome Space, while visiting

every zone. It is possible to re-visit the zones as many times as they

like, there is also no time limit during the visitation of the zones.

Zone 1 Aims and objectives of the training:

This zone is a facilitated discussion zone, a copy of the aims and

objectives are prepared for each participant. This zone should be

set up with a few chairs placed in a circle to facilitate a face to

face discussion.

Zone 2 Program:

This zone pictures the whole program as a journey, there has to

be a copy of the time and activity table available.

Zone 3 Expectations & Fears:

Participants can communicate their Expectations and Fears

regarding the program by writing them on a post it and placing

them in spot relevant to the program (presented on a

wall/zone2).

Color code: expectations blue, fears yellow


Zone 5 Contribution:

Pieces of paper with I will contribute this week... are placed on

a table. Participants write down what their expected contribution

to the TC will be.

Zone 4 Get to Know Me (self-organized):

A table and chairs are set up with a sign saying ask me

something! Participants arrive, sit and ask each other questions.

Zone 6 Opinions (self-organized):

Papers are placed around the room with key words of the TC,

participants write the first thing that comes to their mind when

they see the word (e.g. Human Rights, Women Rights, Gender

Based Discrimination, Violence Against Women, Harassment)

Zone 7 Learning Space:

Short discussion on the following questions to reflect on the

conditions needed to create a safe learning space around the

(sensitive) topics of the TC:

What does the group need for an efficient working

environment?

What conditions will insure a safe learning space?

What do I need to do to contribute to have a safe learning

space?

When was the last time you spoke openly, freely and

honestly?

What conditions are needed to speak openly, freely and

honestly again?


Tips and

Tricks:

It is good to have this activity right after the official opening,

name game(s) and program presentation of the day. It would be

best to have the welcome space setup in another room so that

the participants can immediately start the activity.

Variations: - The Zone7 can be dedicated to the introduction of

Youthpass Certificate instead of the learning space if

necessary.

- This activity can also be used as an evaluation activity. So, our

Welcome space can be turned into an Evaluation space with

some small changes reflecting on all the separate aspects of the

TC.

Photo:

Source: -



Name: Ankle Walk


Trainer: Inge Arends

Theme: Position of Women

Objectives: To deepen skills in teamwork and communication


Time: 45-75 min

Material needed: -

Tips and Tricks: With a big group it is important to execute this

activity outside!

Source: This tool originates from the field of adventure-based

learning activities. For more, see Project Adventure's

material in Quicksilver: Adventure Games, Initiative

Problems, Trust Activities and a Guide to Effective

Leadership, by Karl Rohnke and Steve Butter

(Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, reprint 1996).

Comments/Suggestions: -


Description: In this adventure-based learning activity the challenge is

fairly simple: to walk as a group from one place to

another. The twist: the group must walk all in one line

together with their feet touching their neighbours feet

the whole time.

- Explain the set-up for participants, where people

need to start and where people need to end up.

Also tell them that if their feet do not stay together

the whole time, they need to return to the start -

then have them go for it!

- During the running of the exercise, you may

choose to be very strict in implementing the rule

about returning to the beginning or you may be

very relaxed: it depends on the state of the group

and how much challenge it can handle.

- You can debrief this activity for problem-solving,

communication and group decision-making. (For

example, there is no rule that participants cannot

get in a circle to discuss strategy, but participants

may instead stay in a line. How did participants

handle that challenge?)

- It is great to connect their current experience with

past experiences. What patterns are developing?

What lessons that were learned are working?

What additional lessons does the group need to

learn?

Focus: Stimulate the group to work together during the activity

by encouraging communication!

Variations: -


Photo:



Name: The interview



Theme: Oppression of Women

Objectives: Getting to know each other


Time: 45 min

Material needed: -

Tips and Tricks: -

Source: -

Comments/Suggestions: Before to get to the part of presenting, give the

group the opportunity to communicate with

different people.


Description: 1. Ask all the participants to put chairs and

tables aside.

2. Ask the participants to walk across the room.

When you shout stop! they turn to closest

person and introduce themselves with their

name, then you tell them to walk again .

3. After a few times you ask them to stop and

turn to the closest person in the room.

4. Give the participants 5/10 min to interview

each other and get as much information as

possible about the other person.

5. Then ask the group to gather in a circle again.

Each individual will present the person they

interviewed before the group, after introducing

the name and country, participants will present

the 3 most interesting aspects of the other

person.

Focus: - Participants can be shy presenting the other,

sometimes it is good to quickly repeat what

has been said.

- As activity leader it is good to give an

example with the explanation of the

presenting part. You could do this by

presenting a colleague in a funny way to

break the ice.

Variations: You could ask the participants to ask specific

information if it is important for the project!




2. Energizers

Energizer :an activity that can be run to warm up the team and promote group interaction



Name: Never have I ever

Training: No Gender No Rights in Europe


Theme: Gender differences

Objectives: Ice Breaking regaining and maintain energy in

the group

Type of Activity: Energizer

Time: 20/ 30 min

Material needed: Chairs

Tips and Tricks: Introduce the activity with an example!

Source: Theatre of the Oppressed ( Augusto Boal)



Description: 1. ask all the participants to sit down in a circle

with their chairs.

2. Pick one person to be the first to go. ( If the

game has not been played before, the activity

leader could use this opportunity to present the

activity.)

3. Have that person stand in the middle of the

circle and have the rest of the players sit in

the seats.

4. The person in the middle will now say "I've

never" and will then say something that

he/she has never done.

5. Everyone who HAS done what the person in

the middle has not done must get up and find

a new seat. The person in the middle will also

take a seat. One person will be left without a

seat, and that person will now say what they

have never done.

6. Repeat the previous steps until the group

found their energy again.

Focus: -

Variations: You could change the focus towards different

statements and topics.

Photo: -



Name: Back to Back

Training: No Gender No Rights



Objectives: Back to back is a fun energetic activity with a

strong and simple message about collaborative

work.

Type of Activity: Energizer

Time: 10-20 min

Material needed: -

Tips and Tricks: Introduce the activity with an example.

Source: -

Comments/Suggestions: This activity is really fun. People will laugh.

Typically a few pairs will be able to stand up fast

while others have a hard time. Consider not

running this activity if you feel some participant is

not capable of standing up, or they will feel bad by

sitting on the floor.


Description: 1. Instruct the participants to find a pair of

similar size and weight

2. Ask everyone to sit on the floor, back to back

with their partner.

3. Ask the pairs to hold their arms while

keeping their backs together

4. Tell everyone their goal is to stand up, while

keeping the arms and backs together

Focus: -

Variations: -

Photo: -

.


3. Training Activity (Non- Formal Education)

Non- formal education: any organized educational activity outside the established formal system whether operating separately or as an

important feature of some broader activity that is intended to serve identifiable

learning clienteles and learning objectives.



Name: Image Theatre

Training: No Gender- No Rights


Theme: LGTB Gender difference and equality

Type of Activity: Training activity

Objectives: Opening a dialogue through our bodies.

In Image Theatre the participants explore issues of

oppression by using nonverbal expression and

sculpting their own and other participants bodies

into static physical images that can depict anything

concrete or abstract, such as a feeling, issue, or

moment or realistic situation. Spectators/other

participants are asked to observe these images and

reflect on what they witness.

Focus: As a Joker/activity leader you are guiding the

process. The audience should never be confronted

with the jokers own personal interpretations of

events. The Joker is the midwife, assisting in the

birth of all ideas of all actions.

Time: +/- 1.5 hour

Material needed: There are no extra materials needed


Description: 1. Form a Circle: Invite your group (whether students or

adults) to form a circle in the centre of the gallery, standing

around the space that will become their theatre.

2. Identify Actors: Ask for 2 volunteers to become actors

enter the theatre space in the centre.

3. Construct an Image: Quickly work with these actors to

move into a pose that you construct (something as simple

as a handshake works well, or you can ask the actors to

quickly create a pose). Ask the actors to freeze their pose,

creating an image or snapshot.

4. Describe & Imagine: The group participants standing

around the outside of the circle can now take some time to

look closely at the image in front of them, and the facilitator

invites group members to begin describing what they see,

using their imagination to construct stories, narratives, and

relationships based on the visual and physical evidence

they have before them (body pose, gestures, facial

expression, clothing, etc.). Begin to delve into questions of

power who has it? who doesnt? what evidence indicates

that?

5. Thought Bubble: After you interview the groups

imagination and develop several stories about the image

created by the 2 actors bodies, you can also use a paper or

cardboard thought bubble to ask participants what they

think the characters might be thinking, probing their

internal thoughts and emotions.

6. Shift & Re-Examine: Now, have the actors make a simple

change to their pose that will flip the dynamic between

their characters sometimes as simple as having one of

the actors kneel down, sit, or take a different physical

position. Re-interview the group participants about the

new image, and what is different. Has the power

relationship changed? Why? What else might be going on

here? You can use the thought bubble again to probe the


internal thoughts of the characters.

7. Reflect: Wrap-up the exercise by inviting the entire group

(including the actors) to reflect on what just happened?

What did they notice about this exercise? Emphasize how

this exercise may have heightened their observation skills

and brought out complexity from a series of simple body

poses.

8. Move to an Artwork:

- Divide the group in subgroups of 6-8 people.

- An oppression is agreed on by the group.

- An individual creates an image of the oppression,

sculpting spect-actors into a group image. This may

then be discussed with the audience to agree upon

the Real Image of this oppression.

- The joker/activity leader then askes the spect-actors

within the image to change in order to represent an

Ideal Image whereby the oppression is no longer

there (try not to be too magical in this presentation)

- Re-showing the original Real Image the joker then

asks the spect-actors to move in a slow motion from

the Real Image to the Ideal Image- this is the

Image of possible transition. This may be modified

by audience members to make the transition as

realistic as possible.


Tips and

Tricks:

- Before dividing the group to create an image, it is a good idea

to start the exercise by asking participants to walk across the

room while you ask them to express an emotion in a

countdown. This will warm up the group and get them familiar

with expressing emotions true their body postures.

- Before presenting the group Image, I often ask them to

work in complete silence, this will help to address the

exercise more serious.

Variations: When you interview the group, you can ask them what

contribution they (in real life) can make towards creating the

Ideal Image. In this way the group starts discussing new

possible solutions and approaches towards the situation.

Photo:

Source: Book: Theatre of the Oppressed Augusto Boal



Name: Mime Game



Theme: Non formal Education

Objectives: To explore the concept of education and learning

and the different methodologies that will be used

during the week

Type of Activity: Training Activity: Interactive exploration of the

different forms of education and learning

Time: 30 min

Material needed: 1 notebook, 1 pen/pencil, 2 glasses, some water

Tips and Tricks:

Source: This tool has been created by Nik Paddison, from

the Salto Trainers Pool. As far as I know, it has not

been published yet.



Description: In this exercise, there need to be three facilitators: two of

them (A and B) will be miming and the other one will be

facilitating the activity.

Series of mimes:

Sharing A and B sharing and talking (miming!)

Inputs A explains about a glass of water, B listens and

takes notes

Experiential A drinks the water, explains how good it is, B

tries it for himself

Creativity Use the glass to do something else, B sits on the

glass

Reflection A and B sit and look at the glass of water

contemplatively

Self-Directed A holds glass away from B, B cant reach so

goes and gets his own and drinks

Evaluation Glass of water on the floor, A and B hold up a

score card each

Focus: Stimulate the brainstorming on formal, informal, non formal

learning!

Variations: -

Photo:



Name: Gender in a box



Theme: Gender roles

Objectives: To help participants gain insight into:

the socially-constructed nature of gender

roles

the mechanisms and agents of gender

socialization

their personal history of gender

socialization

the connections between gender

socialization and gender-based violence

Type of Activity: Training Activity


Time: 60-90 min

Material needed: Youth magazines

Advertising clippings

Flipchart with paper

Scissors

Glue sticks

Red, blue, green and black markers for the flipchart

Tips and Tricks: The strength of this activity is that it brings the issue of

gender roles and gender socialization close to participants.

Usually these issues are dealt with only in theoretical

discussions. Therefore, it is important to introduce this

exercise with some sort of real-life experience participants

have. If you are working with a heterogeneous group

coming together for a one-off training activity, it is best to

create the experience right there in the room in the

form of a role-play (e.g. boy and girl playing in a kindergarten

or playground, and an adult instructing them to act like a boy

and a girl), or a video showing boys and girls or women and

men in typical or atypical gender roles, such as interviews with

people having jobs that usually people of the other sex do. If the

group meets often over a longer period of time, you can think of

some recent or typical common experience, for example, that in

camp, boys are usually called upon to look for wood and build

the fire, whereas girls do the kitchen duties.

Source: Council of Europe publication Gender Matters Manual on

gender based violence affecting young people (pages 100-

105). The manual can be downloaded on:

http://eycb.coe.int/gendermatters/

Comments/

Suggestions:

-


Description: - Form sub-groups. Present the magazines or clippings

and the flipchart papers with MEN and WOMEN as

headings.

- Introduce the exercise by asking the whole group to

give a few examples about messages that young people

receive about how real men and real women are

supposed to be like from the video / role-play /

experience they have in common.

- After receiving a few answers, explain that the group

will now work in two sub-groups, one brainstorming

on men, the other on women. If you have decided to

use single-sex sub-groups, the male group works on

the male roles and the female group should work on

the female roles. They should look through the

magazines and clippings and use them as illustrations

wherever possible. Also tell participants that they

should not limit themselves to what they have found in

the magazines, but think of their own childhood,

school years or adolescence and contribute with the

messages they have received about what men and

women should be like.

- Sub-groups should preferably work in separate

locations. The facilitator should monitor the process.

- When the sub-groups are ready, bring them back into

one group, review the results and ask members of the

other sub-group to add (some of) their own thoughts.

- Debriefing: Explain to the group that despite some

possible arguments on one word or another, very

different groups of people usually manage to put

together lists of these characteristics in a short period

of time. Explain that the reason for this is that we all

learn about how women and men should be from

common sources. The collective name for these lists is

gender roles. These roles are presented to us as


boxes into which women and men are expected to fit.

As you say this, draw a blue and a red rectangle

around the words on the flipcharts. Explain that what

differentiates gender from sex is that, whereas the list

of sexual characteristics is very short and has not

changed in the last hundred thousand years, lists of

gender roles are long, and vary both geographically

and historically, often within a short distance or

period of time.

- Begin a discussion around the main issues raised by

the exercise.

- Summary and conclusion: The existence of gender roles is

often denied, with gender roles being considered natural.

How can something be natural and part of our biological

set-up if it changes within ten years or a hundred

kilometers? Here you can refer to cultural and

geographical differences raised by participants during the

brainstorming. Many individual boys and girls, women

and men, suffer from the demands put on them to conform

to specific gender roles. A rigid definition of gender roles

contributes significantly to the inequality between women

and men and to gender-based violence.


Focus: This exercise demonstrates that inherited gender roles and

socialization are partly responsible for the fact that men are

encouraged to participate in the public sphere and in the

political and economic life of the country. It is not surprising,

therefore, that these systems are more representative of

mens realities and needs. Women, on the other hand, are

often encouraged to stay in the family sphere and to engage

in care-taking, resulting in their disproportionate under-

representation in decision making and their financial

dependence on men. These severely limit the life options,

choices and freedom of women.

Variations: -

Photo:


4. Evaluation activities

Evaluation activities: a systematic way of reflecting on and assessing the value of what is being done (i.e. a project, a program, an event). Evaluation is commonly interpreted as an end product or an activity taking place at the end of a project. However evaluation should be considered as a process, taking place across all phases of a project, used to determine what has happened and whether the initial aims of the project have been carried out and achieved.



Name: Wiki Blog

Training: No Gender No Rights

Trainer: Inge Arends / Piera DArrigo


Objectives: The wiki-blog activity ensures daily reflection and

communication about the progress of the project

within the group and towards the outside world.

Type of Activity: Evaluation

Time: 30/ 45 min

Material needed: Pen/Paper / Computer and internet

Tips and Tricks: To increase the level of communication between

participants and stimulate a flowing process the

choice can be made to include a secretary who will

write during the discussion.

Source: https://nogendernorights.wordpress.com/2014/11/20/our-last-day-in-marineo/

Comments/Suggestions: By posting the Blog on a daily basis you ensure

dissemination of the process and outcome during the

project.


Description: 1. Divide the group of participants trough the

number of activity days during the first day of

activity.

2. Each group will be appointed to a specific day

during the activity week.

3. On the appointed day the group will gather to

discuss the progress of the project goal and

activities during that day.

4. After the discussion a blog will be written

about the discussed topics in step 3.

5. When they have written the blog it will be

posted on the previous created Blog website

(Wordpress).

6. To increase the level of dissemination the link

to the blog can be send to collaborating

organizations and other partners.

Focus: Make sure the blog will communicate all the key

aspects of that day.

Variations: -

Photo:



Name: The River of Learning



Theme: Gender equality

Objectives: The river is a very versatile evaluation method. It

can be used on the last day of the programme, for

mid-term evaluation and for daily evaluation. It

offers participants the possibility to express, in a

creative way, how they see their development

during the programme.

Type of Activity: Evaluation

Time: 60 / 90 min

Material needed: paper, scissors, glue, pencils and markers

Tips and Tricks: Create some other obstacles and objects that

participants can place in the river to express their

progress.

Source: -



Description: 1. Participants are divided into small groups (5

to 7 participants).

2. Each group is provided with the picture of a

River drawn on a large piece of paper.

3. The beginning and the end of the river should be

marked on the paper. Each group receives paper

(different colors), scissors, glue, pencils and

markers. Participants are asked to work

individually on giving creative expression,

using the material provided, to their personal

development during the program and to place

the results of their creative efforts onto

whichever part of the river they consider

appropriate.

4. When everybody has finished participants

are asked to explain their creations.

Focus: It is important to repeat a conclusion when

participants have shared their experience.

Variations: -

Photo: -


5. Materials

Materials: Make sure the material placed in this section is numbered, and the connected number is added in the materials needed section in the template describing the activity. The first form in this section can be used to add an activity to the manual, the second form can be used for the purpose of formal evaluation at the end of the project .



Name: What is the name of the activity?

Training: In which training/project was this activity used?

Trainer: Who was the executing the activity?

Theme: What was the theme of the project?

Type of Activity: Group Building /Energizer/Training activity/

Evaluation

Objectives: What are the goals and objectives connected to

this activity?

Focus: What aspects of the activity need the focus of the

trainer?

Time: How much time is needed to complete the activity?

Material needed: What materials are needed to be able to execute

the activity? (If you add any materials please

number it according to the order in the materials

section.)

Description: Direct each step in the process of executing the

activity.

Tips and Tricks: Are there tips and tricks towards making this

activity extra successful?

Variations: Are there any variations (additions/adjustments)

for this activity?



Source: Is there a source (book, website, article etc.) where

the trainer can find more information on this

activity?


course title & date

a lot some a little none specific highlights and/or suggested improvements?

Enjoyment: Did I enjoy the activity? o o o o

New knowledge and ideas: Did I learn

what I needed to, and did I get some new

ideas? o o o o

Applying the learning: Will I use the

information and ideas? o o o o

Effect on results: Do I think that the

ideas and information will improve my

effectiveness and my results?o o o o

Groupdinamics: Do you experience the

intercultural group as beneficial to this

project?o o o o

Staff/Trainers: Do I think that the

approach and imput of the trainer(s) is/are

contributing to the activiy?o o o o

Any other comments? (Venue,food,

logistics etc.)

Training Evaluation & Feedback

Documents

Manual Training Activities - H.R.Y.O