Our Methods

Our methods are based on an action learning format that is both simple and effective.  It harnesses the best of what is known about motivating young people toward positive change.   It involves three things: Action Teams, the Unity Council and Transformation Exercises.

Action Teams:  The center piece of the Unity Project is to engage kids “where they are.”  By that we mean that we ask kids what “one thing” they would most like to see changed that would make their life better.  They are then grouped into “Action Teams” to work on changing that “one thing.”  Some examples of themes kids have used to create an Action Team include:

• Changing the menu in the cafeteria
• Fixing broken locks in the girls bathrooms
• Changing the “late to class” policy
• Working with the Vice-Principal to stop a group of bullies

Since the themes come from the students themselves, they are already motivated to participate.  This approach by-passes the problem of motivation which is the biggest problem of programs working with youth.  In fact, 80% of at risk youth have never been involved in an after school activity.  The exciting fact is that over 90% of our participants have never participated in after-school programming before.   That means the Unity Project reaches the youth most likely to be at risk and provides them engaging ways to make a difference in their world and learn new life skills in the process.

The Unity Council: All the Action teams together compose the Unity Council.  In the Unity Council general coordination and support can be provided by the faculty, administration, involved parents and community members.  Most importantly, it is while the participants are in the Unity Council that they can engage together in the Transformation Exercises.

Transformation Exercises: Resilience is all about making positive decisions even when under stress.  The Transformation Exercises are fun, interactive and very effective group activities that bring participants through 5 stages of good decision making.   These exercises teach the basic skills needed to turn challenges into opportunities for growth.  This fun, thorough and well thought out series is unique to the Unity Project and has been a major reason we have been sought out by large networks of after school programs.  Some examples of the skills developed in the Transformation Exercises include:

• How to build safety and trust in a group
• Creative and open minded problem solving
• Recognizing bias
• Finding the strengths in yourself and others
• Weighing consequences of decisions
• The steps in making a positive decision
• Carrying a decision into action