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PLAN YOUR PROGRAM SESSIONS

One of the best aspects of summer programming is the opportunity for flexibility and creativity. It’s a perfect time to connect staff passions and talents to engaging activities that meet young people “where they’re at.”  

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Reflect

When planning your program sessions, consider the following:

  • Who do we plan to serve? Do our program sessions provide opportunities to authentically incorporate those young people’s voices, ideas, and interests?
  • Is the content hands-on and engaging? Does it cover new ground, or is it repetitive of school-year experiences?
  • Are the daily activities age-appropriate? Do they focus on what is important to young people? How about instructors’ passions?
  • Do the program session plans provide enough flexibility so our staff can put their own stamp on them? Or take the learning beyond our four walls? How can we support them in doing so?
  • Are the program session plans aligned with our vision? Do they meet our program goals? Do they embrace social and emotional learning and culturally responsive instruction?

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Engaging staff in planning program sessions improves staff retention, focuses lessons more precisely on young people, and allows staff to tap into their personal passions.

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Resources

Beyond the Bell’s Sample Activity Planner is a great step-by-step guide to planning activities with connections to youth development outcomes.

CASEL’s SEL-integrated Lesson Planning Checklist is a terrific resource for staff looking to infuse SEL (social-emotional learning) into lessons on any topic.

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