Tapestry of Faith: Heeding the Call: A Program on Justicemaking for Junior High School Youth

Alternate Activity 2: Youth Leadership

Activity time: 15 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • One three-foot sheet of paper for every small group
  • Handout 1, A Youth Leader Is...
  • Markers
  • Masking tape or thumbtacks

Description of Activity

Youth explore what it means to be a youth leader.

Divide participants into small groups and distribute Handout 1, A Youth Leader Is... . Explain that they will create a declaration wall. They need to choose key words or phrases that jump out at them and write those words in imaginative forms on their larger sheets of paper. (Invite them to think of a graffiti wall.) Tell them that when they are finished, they will present their piece of the wall to the group. All the papers will be posted, side-by-side, to form a declaration wall. Following the presentations, ask:

  • How do these statements resonant with your leadership experiences?
  • What makes a youth leader different from an adult leader?
  • What support do you need to be the leader you want to be? How can you go about getting that support?