ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES FOR EACH LAB
HOW TO SURVIVE TO A PANDEMIC
Note: a selection has been made of the main dynamics that could be implemented even on an individual basis or in small groups. The experience will be more enriching the more people participate in it. If you are carrying out an IYE-LABs process in a collective way, we encourage you to share the reflections and results after each dynamic.
The dynamics of the Toolkit and the suggestions of the LABs in Italy, Spain and Croatia at local level have been included once tested.



MODULE 1 - KNOW YOURSELF
Essential dynamics: You can check the full dynamic in the Toolkit (link)
- Dynamic 5* optional
- Dynamic 6
- Dynamic 7
- Dynamic 12
- Dynamic 13
- Dynamic 16
- Dynamic 17
Tips and suggested order for the dynamics:
Dynamic 17: We suggest to start with this dynamic “Logbook”
Estimated time: 10 minutes after each dynamic.
- Buy a nice notebook or develop a virtual one where you are going to register your experience during the IYE-LABs process: your thoughts, ideas, texts, pictures, graphics and other contributions to record your personal journey during this experience.
- We recommend that you write down all the dynamics and reflections as you go along.
- If there is more than one person involved in the process, we encourage everyone to participate in the Logbook.
Dynamic 5*: Building our collective agreement
Estimated time: 20 minutes.
- If two or more people are involved in the process, we suggest that you work on your collective agreement, which contains clear values and rules that should be respected by all members of the group.
- The group must select 5 ground rules or values that will compose the collective agreement.
- After the election of those 5 rules or values, you must discuss about:
- What should we do if someone does not comply with any of the agreed upon ground guidelines?
- How we ensure that what we do is in line with human rights values (respect, equality, non-discrimination, cooperation, etc.)?
- Is the setting of group guidelines appropriate for each participant group?
- The agreements must be included in the Logbook and be consulted or revised whenever necessary.
Dynamic 6: Hopes and Concerns
Estimated time: 30 minutes.
- In this dynamic we invite you to make a reflection on your expectations, hopes and concerns related to your future and the community where you live.
- We suggest you draw clouds and lightning on different cards (or draw directly on the Logbook), where you will then write down your hopes (clouds) and concerns (lightning).
- If you are doing this dynamic in a group, you may use a name tag and a pencil in order to connect with a line to all the other hopes and concerns of the others that are also theirs,explaining to the others their choice. At the end we could see all the connections between us.
- *To learn more about yourself: Find a TED Talk that inspires you, that communicates with your hopes and concerns and describes why and how you chose it.
Dynamic 7: A letter to me (a reflection concerning your future)
Estimated time: 20 minutes.
- We suggest you start this dynamic by watching this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zam5HcJWcU
- Now is the time to write a letter to yourself concerning your life expectations after the end of this IYE-LABs process. Based on the hopes and concerns from which you have reflected on the previous dynamic, how do you imagine yourself after having finished this training? What would you like to have changed in your environment and/or community? What changes would you like to see in yourself?
- Once you have completed all the modules, we will invite you to open these letters again, and take notes of your learning.
Dynamic 12: Experiences and positive features
Estimated time: 60 minutes.
- During this dynamic you are going to reflect and identify your strengths and positive features.
- We invite you to make a storyboard of a personal experience, answering 4 questions (a story/an unexpected situation you had in your life; the difficulties/challenges you faced; the solution you found; the lessons you learned). You must have 1 paper for each question in which you could draw, write or make a collage to represent your story and share it with the group, if it is the case.
- If you are doing this in a group, now is the time to share your experience with others (better in small groups). Participants should take turns listening to each other and the listener could tell the story of another participant in the third person identifying positive features of him/her.
- If you are doing this process on your own, it is important that you transfer the conclusions to the Logbook, so that they are kept on record for your benefit and reminder.
Dynamic 13: What does motivate you?
Estimated time: 60 minutes.
- We invite you to begin this dynamic by watching at least one of the following inspirational videos from TED Talks:
- Empower a girl, transform a community with Kakenya Ntaiya
- My philosophy for a happy life with Sam Berns
- The danger of a single story with Chimamanda Adichie
- How I became an activist with Ory Okolloh
- The power of Youth – changing the World with Sanjana Buddi
- Why good leaders make you feel safe with Simon Sinek
- Being young and making and impact with Natalie Warne
- Firstly, we invite you to make a list about the problems you would like to solve in your community and your motivations to make this change, to be more active. These motivations must be written in your Logbook.
- Now, we invite you to do the 16personalities test: https://www.16personalities.com/es and reflect on your result.
- After doing that, you can now reflect on your talents, strong points and special habilites.
- Finally, you can make a table where you can easily identify problems, your motivations and talents in two clearly differentiated columns. We invite you to reflect on the possible connections between what your motivations for change are and what talents you can use to realize them.
- If you are doing this in a group, share your results with your colleagues.
Dynamic 17: Diversity around me
Estimated time: around 2 hours
- Before finishing this module, we think it is interesting that you reflect on diversity, your own diversity and that which you can perceive in your environment and community.
- Download Diversity Identity Mandala and reflect on the following issues:
- Firstly, we invite you to fill in “Diversity Identity Blank” with your identity features and characteristics in each dimension.
- Now, reflect on each of these personal aspects and how they have influenced your life, which ones have had a positive or negative impact on you and your life, what you are proud of or what you would like to change.
- Thirdly, try to reflect on which of these aspects you give more importance when dealing with another person, do you have difficulties or facilities when the mother tongue is different, when the gender identity is diverse, the religion or according to the political interests? We invite you to take a tour of the whole mandala, reviewing all features and dimensions.
- Finally, we invite you to reflect on how diversity is managed in your community and how we could promote greater diversity.
- To finish with this dynamic, we invite you to watch the following video and write down your thoughts in your Logbook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD8tjhVO1Tc
- *To find out more about diversity, we invite you to choose an activity that can help you expand your experience in relation to diversity. Perhaps you would like to visit a museum to get to know other cultures, learn about another religion or language, or attend a workshop on international cuisine. You can write down your lessons learned in the Logbook.
- **Lo learn more about diversity:
MODULE 2 - UNDERSTAND THE REALITY
Essential dynamics: You can check the full dynamic in the Toolkit (link)
Dynamic 19: Sustainable Development Goals around me
Estimated time: We estimate a minimum time of 2 hours of previous work and reflection and an estimated research time of at least 15 hours.
- We will use SDGs as a framework and a tool that would help us better understand the challenges around us.
- Introductory TEDTalks Video: https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_green_the_global_goals_we_ve_made_progress_on_and_the_ones_we_haven_t
- Introductory readings:
- Sustainable Development Goals: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
- Youth and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/world-youth-report/wyr2018.html
- Inspirational reflections: Reflect on your own experiences answering the questions that follow:
- How do you perceive the SDGs in your daily life?
- How can you, as a youth, realise something to stimulate local development, based on SDGs?
- What local (or global) challenge would you like to contribute to?
- Investigation Map: It’s time to explore in depth the challenges! (Download investigation map here: it will help you to define and map your challenge)
- Key questions:
- WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
- WHO HAS THIS PROBLEM?
- WHY AM I MOTIVATED TO SOLVE IT?
- Define your challenge:
- STEP 1. Take pictures that illustrate a problem that you identified (we recommend 5 of them, but it can be more)
- STEP 2. Use mass media and search about the problem
- STEP 3. Explore statistical data, search through scientific articles and available research online/offline
- STEP 4. Do interviews with your target group (a group you identified that had a problem) and other stakeholders (people with a link to this problem)
- FINAL OUTPUT OF YOUR RESEARCH: We recommend you to make a creative presentation of your challenge, through a collage, a drawing, an infographic,… any creative support that allows to show the challenge and communicate the 3 questions introduced above: What is the problem? Who has this problem? Why am I motivated?
- Keep in mind that in the process of exploring your problem and confirming with your target group that they really have this problem, you might get inputs that show you that this problem does not exist OR it is not significant OR that your target group has bigger priority problems. Stay opened to inputs, keep on rearticulating your problem focus (if needed) and make sure you ask the right questions.
- Key questions:
- Tools:
- Mom’s test could help you with the interviews.
- UN Data, World Bank Open Data, UNESCO Institute for Statistics or FAOstat (specialized database) could help you with statistics.
- Google Scholar, Open Research Central or DOAJ could help you with scientific articles.
- Some questions to reflect on:
- How do you feel after this investigation activity?
- How do these SDGs affect your life and future?
- How does this exercise touch me?
- How should / could you address this find outs to local authorities or media?
MODULE 3 - CREATE TO TRANSFORM
Essential dynamics: You can check the full dynamic in the Toolkit (link)
- Dynamic 20* (adapted)
- Dynamic 21
- Dynamic 22* (optional)
- Dynamic 23
Tips and suggested order for the dynamics:
Dynamic 20: Journey Wheel
Estimated time: 30 minutes.
- For this dynamic, we invite you to make an individual reflection on the IYE-LABs process experienced until now (which you can record in your Logbook) based on the following questions:
- What are your hopes and concerns as a young person?
- What are your positive features?
- What are your motivations to change something?
- How your challenges could promote social changes?
- What other things you learnt about yourself?
- How do SDGs call you to action? What are you engaged now for?
Dynamic 21: Roller Coaster (idea generation)
Estimated time: 1-3 hours
- Based on the Investigation Map (Module 2), we suggest you now to work on the Roller Coaster activity.
- Using the result of the Roller Coaster sheet, we suggest you prototype your idea in a creative and visual support. You can make a collage, a computer graphic or use an online tool that you like.
- *If you are doing this process as a group, now is the time to communicate your solution pitch and receive contributions from other colleagues. We suggest that you each present your idea and approach and can receive feedback from colleagues. Some online tools validated by us that can be used for brainstorming are:
- If you are doing the IYE-LABs process alone, you can make a speech of your idea and approach to family, friends or colleagues to get their feedback.
Dynamic 23: Planning Puzzle
Estimated time: 1 hour
- Download the Planning Puzzle and develop its contents following the next guidelines:
- Piece 1. Opportunities to act on detected problems: In this sheet we start with some of the problems, and their consequences, that you have detected in the Investigation Map. We want you to reflect on the opportunities to act on them, taking into account previous actions that have already been taken to do so by other initiatives or projects that may help you.
- Piece 2. Your proposal/ idea: Based on the Roller Coaster dynamic and the opportunities for action identified, we would now like you to reflect on a concrete and viable action to be taken by you. The ranking will help you make a choice if you have several ideas and can evaluate the most suitable one.
- Piece 3. Your goal: It’s time to select your idea, define it, as well as define the goal you want to achieve, what problem you want to solve. We suggest you to use SMART to guide your goal setting.
- Piece 4. Stakeholders: This sheet can help you to reflect on and position the key actors and stakeholders who may be involved or interested in your project. You can position the actors more or less close to your target as you feel.
- Piece 5. Planning worksheet. It is essential that you ask yourself about who and what you need, and to draw a map of the next steps to be taken.
- Piece 6. Evaluation: You can use the last sheet to support you in evaluating the outcome of your intervention or project: its positive consequences, the benefits on a personal level for you, for your community or for the direct beneficiaries.
Dynamic 22*: To be heard by policy makers and stakeholders
Estimated time: 1 hour
- Now is the time to communicate your investigation and idea for change. To communicate this to decision makers you can use the Systematization Document and the Policy Makers sheet.
- We suggest you take a look at these TEDTalks videos about How to make a great presentation: https://www.ted.com/playlists/574/how_to_make_a_great_presentation
- Additional material: Storytelling workshop (spanish).
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