1. Informal Education and Facilitation
Lesson 8b Included in GLTI Combined Training Resources
Length: 60 minutes • Ice breakers
• Facilitation and Teaching Tools
Materials Prepare before Session
• Manuals n/a
Established Outcomes
• GLs can use new teaching/facilitation methods in formal learning session on service-learning programs to:
! Engage different kinds of learners;
! Encourage participation from ALL participants;
! Maintain group focus;
! Transfer participant understanding from the lesson to the immersion context and their lives at home.
Flow
1. Ice Breaker (Speed Dating)
2. Introduction
3. Brainstorm
4. Creative Openers
5. Debriefing Methods
6. Practicing Openers and Closers
7. Closing
This material was developed by American Jewish World Service, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice and BBYO Panim
Institute with support from Repair the World.

2. Informal Education and Facilitation
Lesson/Activity Plan
Time/Materials Content
Ice Breaker 1. Arrange the group in two standing lines facing each other about one foot apart.
(Speed
Dating) 2. Ask each GL to describe their favorite ice breaker to the person facing them.
3. Have everyone shift one partner to the right (people on the end switch sides) and share again.
10 min.
4. Repeat as time allows.
Introduction 1. Ask: “What methods are included under the rubric of ‘informal education’?” If not listed, mention:
10 min. a. Reflection;
b. Sharing;
c. Teachable moments;
d. Perspective taking/role play;
e. Games;
f. Unscientific experimentation;
g. Service;
h. Art/expression;
i. Group work.
2. Ask: “How is informal education different from formal education?” If not listed, mention:
a. Can engage a wider range of “personal risk”;
b. Engages more multiple intelligences (aural, kinesthetic, etc.);
c. Text and teacher are not the main source of information/learning (acts as a trigger);
d. Values emotional responses of learners;
e. Values subjectivity;
f. Embraces learning that does not require a right answer;
g. Prioritizes long-term impacts on emotions and thinking (not just retention).
3. Ask: “How are informal education and formal education similar?” If not listed, mention:
a. Both engage learners;
b. Can be used in a variety of settings;
This material was developed by American Jewish World Service, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice and BBYO Panim
Institute with support from Repair the World.

3. Informal Education and Facilitation
c. Range of participation forms is acceptable;
d. Able to evaluate what was learned;
e. Necessary to plan your timing, pace, order;
f. Important to create transitions between activities and ideas;
g. Framing is important (openings and closings);
h. Materials (what to use, when to present);
i. Offering limited acceptable choices (to create sense of choice/control in learners).
6. Say: “There are some false assumptions about informal education:
a. Less structured;
b. No evaluation;
c. Anything goes.
d. Better with youth;
e. Learners teach each other.
4. Ask if anyone disagrees, has questions, or would add to the lists.
5. Debrief the methodology of Speed Dating as an example:
a. Everyone is a teacher;
b. Using knowledge within the group;
c. Fast pace;
d. Social interaction;
e. Talking in pairs.
Brainstorm 1. In this workshop, we will focus on being more intentional, creative and effective with how we open and close
learning sessions.
2. Ask the group to offer practical questions about this focused topic that they want answers to or things they would
like to accomplish in the next 30 minutes. Record these questions and objectives on a poster (to be used again
at debrief).
Creative 1. Tell GLs to open their manuals to “Facilitation and Teaching Tools: Session/Activity Openers.”
Openers
2. Say: “An opener to an activity or session is used to do one or more of the following:
5 min. a. Gain attention;
This material was developed by American Jewish World Service, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice and BBYO Panim
Institute with support from Repair the World.

4. Informal Education and Facilitation
Manuals b. Build curiosity about the new session;
c. Set the tone;
d. Transition energy from the previous session/activity;
e. Test existing knowledge on the session topic.
3. Briefly discuss when you might emphasize different objectives (based on session topic, group characteristics,
time of day, etc.).
Debriefing 1. Tell GLs to open their manuals to “Facilitation and Teaching Tools: Session Closers and Debriefing Tools.”
Methods
2. Say: “Session Closers are used to:
5 min. a. Review what was learned in order to concretize and solidify knowledge, as well as identify remaining gaps
in learning.
Manuals
b. Express feelings and respond to others.
c. Transfer and apply learning to other contexts and environments.”
3. Briefly discuss when you might emphasize each objective (session topic, group character, where in timeline of
overall program you are, etc.).
4. Say: “Reflection is a crucial element of all education and this it is imperative to do in moments of informal
education as well.”
Practicing 1. Ask GLs to break into three groups.
Openers and
Closers 2. Say: “Now we are going to practice using some of the methods listed in the manual. Your challenge is to consider
your objective and then choose a method that is new to you.”
30 min. 3. Assign each group one of these scenarios. Ask them to plan a 3-4 minute opening or closing considering the
activity or session topic, the group character, and the timing of the activity. Allow groups approximately eight
minutes to complete their planning.
Activity Group Timing
Session on privilege and poverty Immature and antsy After dinner
Morning service project Gung ho, chatting, focused on each other First days of program
Community encounter (i.e. guided Quiet but thoughtful, focused on facts and After a two hour rest on
tour) the report/story they will write when they get Shabbat
home
4. Ask each group to present their scenario and then to facilitate their activity with one of the other small groups.
Ask the full group to debrief the activity by answering the following questions:
This material was developed by American Jewish World Service, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice and BBYO Panim
Institute with support from Repair the World.

5. Informal Education and Facilitation
a. What worked in that opener/closer?
b. What objectives were reached?
c. What methods were used?
d. What could they have done differently? What else should they have considered?
Closing 1. Say: “Remember that one of the three guiding principles of leading service-learning programs is: Everything I say
and do is part of the curriculum. Every opening and closing, whether serious or fun, should support the learning
5 min. process.”
2. Say: “In this lesson, we gave you very little time to plan your opening and closing. Being able to facilitate an
intentional learning experience requires advance preparation so that you can plan your activity and collect your
materials. It’s important to be thoughtful about this.”
This material was developed by American Jewish World Service, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice and BBYO Panim
Institute with support from Repair the World.

6. UbD, Lesson 8b: Informal Education and Facilitation
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Established Outcomes
• GLs can use new teaching/facilitation methods in formal learning session on service-learning programs
to:
! Engage different kinds of learners.
! Encourage participation from ALL participants.
! Maintain group focus.
! Transfer participant understanding from the lesson to the immersion context and their lives at
home.
Concepts to be Covered During the Session Key Questions to Ask Learners
Big ideas presented: 1. What are the differences and similarities
1. Formal and informal education between formal and informal education?
2. Advantages/disadvantages of each 2. What are examples of informal education?
Specific ideas/concepts to learn/remember: 3. What are some techniques to effectively open or
1. Examples of creative session openers debrief a lesson?
2. Methods for creative debriefing
Predictable misunderstandings:
1. Formal and informal education are opposites.
2. Informal education is best when improvised and
unstructured.
Stage 2 – Assessment
How Will We Check for Understanding at GLTI Field Work/Performance Assessment Methods
Demonstrate: 1. GL Post-program report
1. GLs will teach each other using informal 2. Program debrief with supervisor
education techniques 3. GL log book or in-field tracking
Discuss: 4. Co-leader debrief
5. Cohen Center report
1. Implementation of informal education on your 6. Field Partner Organization debrief
program 7. Participant survey
Stage 3 – Lesson Plan Checklist
• Materials and pre-session prep list. • Use 2-3 different modalities (not just
• Each part of lesson has an assigned time limit. talk/listen/discuss; reflection/writing, small group
presentations/poster making, theater games,
• The presentation is significantly different from partners/smaller groups, art).
past versions in order to maintain returning GL’s
interest. • Check for understanding (e.g., ask direct
questions, use group discussion to gauge, have
• Taps into learners’ previous learners practice/demonstrate.
knowledge/experience
• Provides new content/information.
This material was developed by American Jewish World Service, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for
Justice and BBYO Panim Institute with support from Repair the World.