High School Student Activities at Home

Directions: 

• • Invite your teen to think of people, places, or things they care about. 

• FamilyTip! Share your own example! 
• Invite your teen to pick one person or place they thought up earlier. Once they’ve chosen, ask them the following discussion questions. 

Discussion Questions: 

• Who or what is the person/place/thing you chose? (Ex: my aunt, the skatepark, Ghana) 
• Why do you care about that person/place/thing? (Ex: my aunt has always supported me, I feel like I can be myself at the skatepark, and my entire family is from Ghana)  
• Because You Care, how do you act toward this person/place/thing? (Ex: I am kind to my aunt, I always clean up the skatepark, I closely pay attention to when Ghana is in the news andwearGhanaianflag earrings) 
• What Difference does caring make to that person/place/thing? (Ex: My aunt knows how I feel about her, the skatepark is a better place for everybody, I can build awareness of a place I care about whenI talk to others) 
• What Difference does caring about that person/place/thing make to you? (Ex: I have an even stronger relationship with my aunt, I’m proud to make the skatepark a nice place to be, I feel more connected to my family history even though I’ve never been to Ghana) 

Debrief:

• After seven to eight minutes, debrief the activity using these discussion questions. Discussion Questions
  • What did you learn from that? 
  • What thoughts did those questions prompt? 
  • What was it like to talk about something you care about?

Teens complete a guided interview with a friend or family at home

Talking Points:

• Say to your teen, “Each one of us has strengths that make us unique.
• In this activity, you will dig deep and identify these strengths through a partner interview. You will be having a conversation guided by questions
• Understanding what we’re good at not only helps us pursue goals that are aligned with our strengths but also helps us identify where we have room to learn and grow”

Directions:

• Who to interview-
• Your teen should interview someone who has known them a long time: a parent, grandparent, guardian, older sibling, aunt, or uncle who knows them well. 
• This could also be done on the phone if it cannot be done in person, but in person is preferable
• Setting up the interview:
  • Your teen should ask their interviewee the questions beforehand and explain a bit about the goal of this activity
  • This should feel like a “special time”, not something to do over dinner or on a drive, but more like a real interview
• Asking the Questions:
  • Are there any ways I’ve changed significantly in the past few years?
  • What are some key experiences I have had? How might they have shaped me?
  • What do you think I value in friendships and relationships with others?
  • Can you think of a time I confronted a fear I had? What happened?
  • What kind of environment helps you be your best self?
  • Think of a time you recently supported someone. What strengths or skills did you use?
  • Think about the last time you followed through on something that mattered to you. What strengths or skills did you use to accomplish it?

Teens complete an experiential activity with a hidden message about using our experiences to support others. 

TalkingPoints: 

• This Activity aims to help your teen draw something by describing what it looks like. 

Directions:

• Give your teen a piece of paper and something to write with. 
• They are not allowed to speak. You may only use descriptions (and cannot name the object) to guide your teen to draw an object. 
• Your teen should close their eyes, while you silently choose an object to be drawn. It can be anything you have to hand (ex: keys, board eraser, water bottle). 
• Your teen must then draw the object with only you providing guidance. They should keep their eyes closed for the duration of the activity. 
• After three to four minutes, pause the activity. 
• Take a few moments to reflect and share tips with your teen before switching roles. 
• Switchover and repeat the activity. 

Discussion Questions: 

• Which Of You do you Think Found It easier? Why?
• What Did It Feel like to pass on tips to your partner?
• What Did You Learn About Yourself through this process?
• How Might This Relate to life?

Discussion Question:

• What obstacles, realities, and responsibilities feel like they hold you back from achieving success?
  • Example: English isn’t my first language, so it’s sometimes difficult to express my ideas
  • Example: I have a lot of energy, so sitting still is hard

Directions:

• Invite your teen to draw a table with two columns. In one column, they should list three obstacles (big or small) that they face/have faced in their lives so far.
• In column two, invite them to reframe those challenges as assets.
• Say, “Even though sometimes obstacles or challenges hold you back in the moment, you’re building skills and strengths that you’ll need throughout your life.”
  • Example: I am bilingual and can express my ideas in multiple languages
  • Example: I am energetic and thrive in spaces where my body is engaged
• Invite your teen to write down the strengths they’ve acquired throughout their lives to create an “Assets Resume”

Discussion Questions:

• What is it like to reframe challenges in this way?
• What questions does it raise for you?
• How is this different from other messages you receive about personal strengths and finding success?

Directions:

• Use this practice to bridge back into connection after there has been a conflict in your family or between a couple of people. We strongly recommend that such conflicts are processed or resolved in a positive and effective way before the group moves on to start this activity. Here is a conflict resolution idea/suggestion.
• After your conflict resolution efforts and everyone has had adequate time to cool off, invite your teen to join you and discuss each question for a few minutes, making sure each person gets a chance to answer.

Discussion Questions:

• What do you need? What support do you need or what do you need to do to take care of yourself in this moment?
• What might others need? How can we support others?
• Is there anything you learned about yourself and your response to that experience that can help you in a similar situation next time?

Closing:

• Once you have been through this process, ask your teen if there is any other action we need to take as a family before we move on.
• Acknowledge the skills and thought it takes to navigate relationships and community in this way.