About the School Unity Project
The School Unity Project is a one-day retreat for 60-200 students and it is designed to be a follow-up to The YOGOWYPI Experience All School Assembly. Some schools like to do it as a class retreat, or some prefer to select a group of students to participate in the program. The purpose of the program is to allow students to understand each other, build empathy, and learn better ways to treat each other as they walk the hallways of your school. Participants will participate in several experiences designed to support them in understanding the power of relationships and how relationships work. It is a powerful three hour experience that will pay big dividends in creating a positive school climate for students and teachers.
An In-depth Study of Human Relationships
We spend so much time studying a lot of things in your lives, we learn a lot of content in school, we learn to play, we get deeply involved in sports, but we spend very little time studying and learning about the thing that has the most affect on the quality of our lives – RELATIONSHIPS. Think about it, most of the challenges we face in our schools are relationship based. When we don’t understand how they work, everyone suffers. When we understand the power of relationships, and how much our lives improve when we understand them every environment we enter into is simply better. The School Unity Project gives students an opportunity to really discover how relationships work and how we can use that understanding to build a better school.
What Topics are Covered in this Retreat/Leadership Workshop
1. We like to do the “School Unity Project” as a follow-up to the assembly. It is really good to allow the concepts from the assembly ‘sink-in” for a couple of weeks before we come back and do the program. Since the students have already participated in the assembly, there will be a feeling of anticipation about the day to come. Your students will be excited about the journey they are about to take.
2. We will review the key concepts from the assembly, and then begin the journey.
3. It starts with “Play” we will spend a small portion of the day being playful and engaging in a few activities designed to get them to think about the day and the power of human relationships. They will begin to understand that a big part of their success in life is really determined by the quality of relationships they develop and foster.
4. Study of relationships, and how we got to where we are in our current relationships. “Study” is a heavy word, but think of it as a playful discussion about: “What people do that drives us crazy?” The end of this discussion is capped with a powerful discussion about what we really want to get out of our relationships as we go through our lives. A key piece of learning they will take away from this discussion is…”we really can’t get what we are not willing to give.”
5. In our next experience students gain a solid understanding that different people deal with the world in different ways and that by learning to understand “everyone is unique” we learn to appreciate differences rather than judge them.
6. Students learn strategies for dealing with conflict and how to deal with those challenges when they arise.
7. The challenges of social-networking and how what we post says more about us-than what it says about others. Students also learn about the potential long term dangers of social-networking and how to post only what is “Clean Powerful and Positive”.
8. A solid sense of mutual respect and appreciation.
9. How to communicate feelings and emotions so that we are not igniting fires but creating understanding.
10. The power of personal responsibility. Yep, bad stuff is going to happen, but the difference that makes the difference is not, “what happens” but “How we respond to what happens.” Remember, this workshop is based upon the concept that it is our decisions that determine our direction.
11. Oh yeah…what about Bullying? I don’t ever use the word in my program! Is this an anti-bullying program? Yes, probably one of the best in the country! Bullying is a symptom, of people not understanding one another and relationships. If you need to do an anti-bullying program, this certainly qualifies!!
It’s Really All About Experiences
You students will get several powerful experiences during the program. There is very little “facilitator talking” but rather a collection of communication experiences that allow students to understand each other in a profound and powerful way.
Click the School Unity Project logo below to learn more:
(The link below is a “Prezi” presentation. When the new window comes up, you will hear some music just simply click through the presentation at your own pace)
School Unity Project Resources