Anti-Bullying in Action
Workshops and School Presentations
Practicing ways to behave and react to others is an amazing way to increase self confidence, self knowledge, and relationship skills. Sometimes young people just need the space and time in which to grow and develop in a more mindful and compassionate way. It is through this deep, thoughtful work that bullying can be thwarted. Our goal is to positively change lives, and to possibly save lives through these pro-active and fun workshops. Nobody wants to be a bully, nor do they want to be bullied. Let us help!
Option One
CHARACTER EDUCATION – ANTI-BULLYING WORKSHOPS
You choose which classes our facilitator meets with, as well as the amount of days you would like us to work with the classes. We customize our workshops according to your school’s needs, issues, and desired outcomes.
Our professional educator/facilitator will guide your students through a variety of fun, interactive exercises. Using role-play and dynamic exercises, students reflect upon and become more aware of how they think, speak, behave, and react. They will look at ways in which their thoughts and reactions may be affecting their lives and their relationships. Our goal is for students to develop a compassionate consciousness. Shutting down self-deprecating thoughts, practicing non-reaction strategies to defuse bullying, and choosing kindness to build community will be tackled.
Option Two
ANTI-BULLYING LEADERSHIP CREW WORKSHOPS & SCHOOL PRESENTATION
This option has our facilitator working with your school leadership students (volunteers) to determine what areas of character need further development within your school community. In a safe, and open environment the students will have fun creating a presentation for their school.
Day 1: DISCOVERY.
Leadership students (students who volunteer to play a lead role in the workshops and subsequent presentation) participate in activities and group discussions to identify the problem areas in which they would most like to see positive change at their school. Students are then left with some reflective homework and are asked to email the Imperative Education facilitator with five true to life scenarios that repeatedly occur in their school. (The name of the person submitting each scenario remains confidential).
Day 2: EXPLORATION.
The student leadership team chooses the scenarios that will form the basis of a presentation to the school. Under the guidance of the Imperative Education facilitator, scenes are developed through improvisation and the principles of Forum Theatre. The group runs through the presentation day’s order of events.
Day 3: PRESENTATION.
Following a verbal introduction by the Imperative Education facilitator, students present the dramatized scenes that reflect their school’s interpersonal dynamics and challenges. The scenes are open ended – it is up to the audience (the spect-actors) to join the crew on stage to enact possible solutions – methods of intervening safely to defuse bullying behaviour or mistreatment.
Build Your Own Workshop
We use techniques adapted from Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed to bring students to a more honest place, where they can dissect their young relationships without fear or judgment. Introspection is encouraged through journal writing where their words need not be seen or evaluated by any adults and where they can examine their own identity safely and with a focus on self-improvement.
By the last session we have created our own anti-bullying mandate, rules to enforce the new initiative and repercussions if the rules are broken. In addition, we’ve come up with, and practiced ‘snappy comebacks’ that they can use when confronted with someone being bullied. We end on a positive note with students feeling inspired to positively influence their peers and feeling safer because of the agreed upon mandate.
This program works and 4 weeks is all it takes!
Mindfulness For Teens
THIS IS YOUR BRAIN…THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON TEEN
Mindful Self Workshop
1.5 hours
Most teenagers do not understand what they are up against. Their brains are not fully developed and their neural pathways are reeking havoc on their nervous systems. Teens react with rage, fear, or intense grief and they don’t know why. Losing control of their reactions is negatively affecting their relationships.
When we know what we are up against – we have a better chance of dealing with it. This mindfulness training workshop is designed to educate adolescents about the parts of their brain, and how their development is causing them to feel, react, and act the way they do. Knowledge is power and this workshop is designed to empower teens to gain some much needed control over their brains and consequently, their lives.
We can control our minds – we just need to learn how. Following a neuroscience lecture is a guided meditation. Meditation is the simplest way to calmly gain control of our monkey minds. It is a proven method which improves mental and emotional health.
Mindful Relationships
1.5 hours
This dynamic workshop has students meditating, playing, discussing, and observing modern relationship practices by analyzing the manner in which we interact (or not) within our communities. A focus is placed on how missing live connections can negatively influence us in ways that we never imagined.
A guided meditation aims to build their appreciation for those whom they connect with in life. The games and discussions are fueled with facts about human connection and how integral building mindful communities are to good health and leading a happy, fulfilling life.
Let’s warm our social climate, and reduce bullying by fostering mindfulness!
Studies on meditation are flooded with facts about how they improve neural development, increase focus and academic scores, and calm the emotions. Naturally, when people develop a daily practice their anxiety levels decrease and their overall sense of well being increases. It is essential that we offer this kind of curriculum to our school communities. In a world that is consistently looking outside itself for fulfillment, offering people a chance to look inside can be a game changer. We owe this kind of education to our kids, parents and educators.
Check out our blog post about about meditation drastically reducing bullying at an inner-city school by The David Lynch Foundation.
The Rules of !mprovisation
Are The Rules of Life!
All ages. Duration: 1.5-2 hours
What is !mprovisation? Acting without a script… just like LIFE!
The workshop will have participants moving, creating, and laughing while practicing The Rules of Improvisation: Yes-and! Listen. No blocking. Be in the moment. Give and Take. Have fun! to foster mindfulness, as well as healthy collaboration. Stepping outside their comfort zones, participants will be guided to consciously delve deeply into their own strengths and challenges, while working towards common goals in a group. The workshop leaves participants with more clarity regarding their own nature, interpersonal communication and habits of collaboration.
This workshop is perfect for any group wishing to find its creative flow and is facilitated in a safe and compassionate manner. Confronting ourselves in each given moment, as we navigate our way through life, is both daunting and challenging but it can be easier than we think when we learn to let go, listen and trust in ourselves and the group with whom we share some common goals.
Mindfully engaging with others can teach us more about ourselves than we ever dreamed!
How to be a Leader!
Ages 12-18
While we all must appreciate who we are, and recognize our positive characteristics, we also have to set game plans for ourselves to become even better versions of ourselves. This kind of mindset is a lifelong practice and takes us to another level when it comes to self-knowledge and socialization with the communities which we are immersed in.
This interactive workshop includes:
- Compassion & empathy building.
- Honing our listening skills.
- Empowering others to succeed.
- Effective collaboration.
- Organizing and planning.
Note: this workshop can involve collaboratively creating a school presentation on a topic of choice.
ME • YOU • US
Healthy Relationship Workshop for Girls
Four 90 minute sessions. Ages 8-18
The girls will gain:
- A stronger sense of self (as in: who am I? What am I really about? What are my strengths? Weaknesses? How can I love myself no matter what?)
- Self-leadership and establishment of personal and social goals (as in: how can I maintain my authentic self within all of my relationships? How can I develop authentic friendships with girls who have different interests than I have? How can I really go for my goals without compromising my friendships?)
- Friendship building strategies (as in: how can I better read non-verbal cues to practice more effective social engagement? What does compassion and empathy really look like? How will understanding what others are going through help me develop better friendships?)
We will attain these goals through fun and interactive workshops. Each week will focus on a particular theme for the girls to be learning about, role-playing, and developing goals and strategies around. Each workshop will offer a high spirited variety of cooperative games, movement, mindfulness meditation, journaling, acting, and honest discussion to promote well being and social growth.
- Healthy communication – practicing the art of conversation (a life enhancing skill!)
- Our feelings – labeling them and figuring out what they are trying to tell us
- Mind control – controlling and choosing our thoughts…it can be done!
- Reactions – where they come from and how they can be tamed
- Life and its stories – to better understand others (and ourselves)
- Compassion building – through perspective development
- Social conflicts – practicing strategies for positively working through social challenges
- Anxiety and why we feel it – a closer look at fear: fact or fiction?
- Self-image – what the media tells us about how we should look and behave
- True friendship – what it looks and feels like and how to get more of it
- Standing up for ourselves – without alienating ourselves from others
- Upstander – standing up for others because it’s the right thing to do, and because it makes us feel good