1. Tips and Tools for Engaging Youth
Presented by Michele Martin
The Bamboo Project, Inc.

2. Michele Martin
• Career Development
Facilitator Instructor
• 15+ years in career and
workforce development
• Work with PYN, PA
Regional Career
Education Partnerships,
Job Corps.

3. Agenda
• DRIVE: What motivates people?
• The Body/Mind/Heart Connection
• Structures that Engage
• Events & Activities that Engage

4. When we ask. . .
“How do I engage my students?”

5. Often, we’re REALLY asking. . .
“How can I get students to do what I want
them to do when and how I want them to do
it?”

6. So we start thinking. . .

7. DRIVE—Dan Pink

8. 20th
Century Motivation

9. Rewards/Punishments lead to. . .
• Diminished intrinsic
motivation
• Lower performance
• Less creativity
• “Crowding out” of good
behavior
• Narrowed focus
• Restricted possibilities
• Unethical behavior
• Addictions
• Short-term thinking

10. 21st
Century Motivation
• AutonomyUrge to direct our own lives
• MasteryDesire to get better at something
that matters
• PurposeYearning to do what we do in the
service of something larger than ourselves

11. Autonomy
• Time—when they do something
• Technique—how they do something
• Team—who they work with
• Task—what they do

12. For more autonomy. . .
• “These are the goals I have for us today—what goals
do you want to include?”
• “These are some things that are fixed in our schedule
today, but we also have flexibility for other things—
how do we want to organize our time?
• “These are the ideas I have for how to accomplish
this goal—what ideas do you have? Maybe we
should experiment with some different ways to do
it?”

13. Mastery
• Find “Goldilocks Tasks”—not too simple and not too
difficult
• Create the right environment
– Autonomy
– Clear goals
– Immediate feedback—
• This is working—let’s keep going
• This isn’t working—how do we need to change it up?

14. Purpose
• Help people discover and connect to a larger
purpose for their activities.
• How can they use their talents/gifts to
connect to something bigger than
themselves?

15. For more purpose. . .
• How can youth connect to giving to others in a
way that feels important and relevant?
• How can we help them discover and
consistently use and develop their gifts
through the classroom experience?

16. Other Ideas
• Include students in creating rules, norms,
routines and consequences
– Social contracts—What are the things you need to
feel comfortable, creative, safe and happy?
– How can we give each other feedback to work
effectively?
– What environment helps me do my best work?
• Project plans
• What do I want to master in our time together?

17. Engaging
Body/Mind/Heart

18. Body
• Visual
• Verbal
• Auditory
• Touch
• Smell
• How do we use physical
space to engage?
• How do we tap into the
5 senses for expression,
reflection, learning?
• How do we work WITH
physical energy?

20. Mind
• Neural Plasticity—
“What we focus on
grows”
• Mindfulness
• How do we create more
positive pathways?
• How do we calm our
minds to focus?
• How do we stimulate
our minds to create?

22. Heart
• Identity and Values
• Emotions as the fuel
• How do we help young
people recognize and
express their
emotions?
• How do we soothe,
validate and inspire?
• How do we make it safe
to express emotions?

24. Structures that Engage

25. Rituals

26. What Rituals Do You Use?
• Great Beginnings
• Impactful Endings
• Reflection
• Daily, weekly

27. Some Ideas
• 1-Sentence Journals
• 2-Minute Meditation
• 3-Minute Free Write
• 15-Minute Weekly Assessment:
– What is working well that I want to build on next week?
– What changes could we make, no matter how small, to make this
experience more effective, enjoyable?
– What did I handle particularly well this week? What made it successful
and how can I apply going forward?

28. Experiments

29. The Experimental Approach
• Start with a compelling idea/question
• Take action to test the idea/question.
• Observe what happens.
• Reflect on what happens
• Refine
• Start again

30. Some Experiments
• Tracking emotions
• Trying out a new habit
• Values implementation
• 106 Tips for Master Connectors

31. Conversations

32. Compelling Conversations
• Authentic, important questions
• “Knee to Knee” and Circles
• Listen to understand
• Speak from the heart
• Connect to multiple perspectives

33. Design Thinking

34. How can you incorporate?
• Into individual interactions?
• Into classroom?
• Into program?
• Into organization?

35. Technology/Social Media
• Work WITH tech, not against it!
• Use it to:
– Have conversations
– Collect feedback
– Tell stories
– Share/model

36. Hangouts/Hangouts on Air
• Virtual interviewing and panel discussions
• Virtual tours
• Broadcast events/activities

37. NearPod

38. ClassPager

39. Events & Activities that Engage

40. FailFaire

41. Running a FailFaire
• 7-minute explanation
• First names only
• No recording
• No blame
• Single question for audience response
• Audience participation

42. IGNITE

43. Running an IGNITE Session
• Compelling question/idea/story:
– What are you passionate about?
– What great story do you have to tell?
• Be visual!
• Slides auto-advance
• Rehearse
• Have fun!

44. Walls

45. Making a Wall
• Work with students to identify themes.
• Use sticky notes, colored markers.
• Encourage quotes, drawings, etc. related to
the theme.
• Take pictures and post on social media.
• Change weekly or bi-weekly.

46. Hidden Fortunes

47. Unconferencing

48. Unconference Agenda
• Collaboratively developed agenda at
beginning.
• 3-4 rounds of sessions
• Closing—what was learned? What next steps
will we take?

49. Unconference Session Formats
• “How to do X. . .”
• My Big (or Little)
Question
• Let’s talk about. . .
• “Un-panels” (Fishbowl)
• Speed Demos
• World Café
• Appreciative Inquiry—
what’s working?
• Open Awards

50. What’s Next?

51. Resources
• Website: http://engagepyn.blogspot.com/
• Try it Tuesdays
– Try with your students
– Provide feedback
– Share your own adaptations, resources, etc.