Pilot Youth Mentorship Program
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Learning goals:
Program Structure:
The program takes place on a weekly module adapted to age group learning levels. The module has three components designed to introduce, apply, and synthesize the curriculum.
Students are divided into two learning groups: Compass (age 7-9) and Lantern (age 10-13). The Compass and Lantern groups explore the same concepts found in nature with the older Lantern students being asked to draw deeper comparisons to their own lives. The curriculum also differs between the Compass and Lantern Groups in the storytelling outcomes. The Compass learners engage with each storytelling element every week and are asked to create a story surrounding only one concept found in nature (animals, plants, or humans). The Lanterns will learn all three storytelling elements as they build on each other week to week, and are asked to use all the concepts found in nature (animals, plants, and humans) in their final stories. Mentors are encouraged to tailor and expand on the curriculum based on their individual student.
All Story Guides, Mentees, and their parents are invited to a final celebration where the Mentees are welcomed to share their gathered stories and all are invited to share their experiences and findings from their explorations in their local ecologies.
- Encourage storytelling skills in youth
- Engage young people with their local environment
- Create opportunities for students to feel a part of their ecosystem
- Inspire learning and discussion within families
- Create a positive association with virtual learning
- Develop on-screen communication skills
Program Structure:
The program takes place on a weekly module adapted to age group learning levels. The module has three components designed to introduce, apply, and synthesize the curriculum.
- Mentor Session: The Story Guide meets with their assigned mentee through a structured virtual session. During the conversation, the Story Guide will introduce the curriculum concepts and encourage explorations through talk, writing, and on-your-feet exercises. Each week the Story Guide will review the previous material, provide explicit instruction on a concept found in nature, introduce scaffolding storytelling strategies, and assign the week's self-guided exploration.
- Out & About: The young learners will be offered a weekly expedition to fuel curiosity towards their local ecosystems and wildlife. Parents and caregivers also receive their own weekly assignment that compliments their child's learning goals. They may be asked to examine the same concepts in nature or investigate the role of storytelling in their own lives.
- Dinner Table Talks: Parents and caregivers are provided with questions to ask their children "around the dinner table." Of course, this discussion can happen at any time, but is designed to open conversations about our planet and the challenges it faces. This is a time for the Mentees and their families to describe their experiences on their Out and About's, and for all to practice active listening as stories are shared.
Students are divided into two learning groups: Compass (age 7-9) and Lantern (age 10-13). The Compass and Lantern groups explore the same concepts found in nature with the older Lantern students being asked to draw deeper comparisons to their own lives. The curriculum also differs between the Compass and Lantern Groups in the storytelling outcomes. The Compass learners engage with each storytelling element every week and are asked to create a story surrounding only one concept found in nature (animals, plants, or humans). The Lanterns will learn all three storytelling elements as they build on each other week to week, and are asked to use all the concepts found in nature (animals, plants, and humans) in their final stories. Mentors are encouraged to tailor and expand on the curriculum based on their individual student.
All Story Guides, Mentees, and their parents are invited to a final celebration where the Mentees are welcomed to share their gathered stories and all are invited to share their experiences and findings from their explorations in their local ecologies.
Sample Curriculum:
Week 2: Plants as and in nature. During this week we will be focusing on the life cycle of a flower. While learning about flowers, your young one will learn about using characters in storytelling and explore incorporating embodiment in the creation of their own stories!
Mentee Out & About: Collecting Family Stories.
Sit outside with an older family member or friend and ask them to share either: a time they had a close-up interaction with wildlife OR a meaningful moment/memory they had in the outdoors. Listen to identify the 5 W's (who, what, where, when, and why) discussed in Week 1 in the story you are being told. Identify characters you can embody in the story, and let yourself imagine details about them.
Parent/Caregiver’s Out & About: Consider: How do you listen to stories told by family? How do you tell stories to your family? What have you learned from your children’s stories? What is your favorite family story to retell?
Week 2 Dinner Table Talk: If your child asks you to share a story, please share! They may be curious to keep hearing stories from family or friends. Feel free to ask them what story they heard from their family member or friend. If they share any stories, listen and consider asking questions about characters in their story, such as “What did that person look like? How did they walk? How did they talk?” Leading your child to details about characters in their story will continue to encourage what they explored with their mentor this week.
Week 2: Plants as and in nature. During this week we will be focusing on the life cycle of a flower. While learning about flowers, your young one will learn about using characters in storytelling and explore incorporating embodiment in the creation of their own stories!
Mentee Out & About: Collecting Family Stories.
Sit outside with an older family member or friend and ask them to share either: a time they had a close-up interaction with wildlife OR a meaningful moment/memory they had in the outdoors. Listen to identify the 5 W's (who, what, where, when, and why) discussed in Week 1 in the story you are being told. Identify characters you can embody in the story, and let yourself imagine details about them.
Parent/Caregiver’s Out & About: Consider: How do you listen to stories told by family? How do you tell stories to your family? What have you learned from your children’s stories? What is your favorite family story to retell?
Week 2 Dinner Table Talk: If your child asks you to share a story, please share! They may be curious to keep hearing stories from family or friends. Feel free to ask them what story they heard from their family member or friend. If they share any stories, listen and consider asking questions about characters in their story, such as “What did that person look like? How did they walk? How did they talk?” Leading your child to details about characters in their story will continue to encourage what they explored with their mentor this week.
August 2020 Pilot:
The Pilot program runs August 3rd-August 28th, and is offered free of charge for families to remove barriers to participation amidst the backdrop of COVID-19. Our program has got off the ground with a team of eleven Story Guides supporting fifteen young Mentees. Every step of the way, both Mentors and Parents are asked for feedback after each weekly session. Many of our Story Guides and staff are also bilingual, and we are able to offer the Parent Guide and options for feedback in Spanish. In the future, we intend to expand our program to be fully available in English and Spanish.
Future Programming:
After the completion of our Pilot Program, our staff will be taking all feedback under careful consideration and amending program structure, curriculum content, and communication methods.
Story Guides will be available as sustainable program offered to families and educators virtually or in person when it becomes safe to do so. Please contact emilie@thekaleidoscapes.org to learn more about bringing Story Guides from The Kaleidoscapes to your classroom.
The Pilot program runs August 3rd-August 28th, and is offered free of charge for families to remove barriers to participation amidst the backdrop of COVID-19. Our program has got off the ground with a team of eleven Story Guides supporting fifteen young Mentees. Every step of the way, both Mentors and Parents are asked for feedback after each weekly session. Many of our Story Guides and staff are also bilingual, and we are able to offer the Parent Guide and options for feedback in Spanish. In the future, we intend to expand our program to be fully available in English and Spanish.
Future Programming:
After the completion of our Pilot Program, our staff will be taking all feedback under careful consideration and amending program structure, curriculum content, and communication methods.
Story Guides will be available as sustainable program offered to families and educators virtually or in person when it becomes safe to do so. Please contact emilie@thekaleidoscapes.org to learn more about bringing Story Guides from The Kaleidoscapes to your classroom.
