A Better World
Youth work to identify community problems and respond to community needs. They are guided through exercises (many in this Tool Kit) in imagining a stronger
The tools have been grouped according to the “Ceed” or skill that they are attempting to guide, teach, or practice. Many of the tools in this toolkit correspond to more than one ceed and are therefore listed in multiple places.
Critical Thinking: A disciplined process of observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, and communication, as a guide to belief and action. Critical thinking requires creativity.
Youth work to identify community problems and respond to community needs. They are guided through exercises (many in this Tool Kit) in imagining a stronger
Ask youth to conduct research on various conflicts by visiting peace education websites or multiple media sources. After researching the dimensions and various perspectives of
Vary instructional strategies to develop the whole brain. Provide youth multiple sources of input including books, videos, lectures, discussions, visuals, stories and songs. Allow youth
Youth brainstorm a list of activists, leaders, philosophers, philanthropists, and others who have made a difference in their communities and/or the world. They identify the
A fun and physical activity that encourages teamwork and collaboration. You will need an even number of youth to participate, ideally close to 10. Find
To create an autobiographical story, start with the problem, tension, conflict or personal realization that will serve as the heart of the story. Then work
An activity for “peace within and between” that focuses on negative self-talk, negative thoughts and statements about others, and complaining. A good idea is to
Starting in the pre-teen years, many people use electronic devices and social media, and it is critical that we teach them how to behave appropriately
Using bigger than, less than, or equal signs, role-play different scenarios the youth face on a day to day basis to evaluate whether or not
This is a fun game that emphasizes clear communication, listening skills, and teamwork. Choose a large indoor or outdoor area and divide youth into two
Create laminated pictures or drawings of various needs and wants, or have the items on hand. Have youth toss the items in a “want” bucket
A collaborative outdoor activity in which youth are challenged to build a shelter with a limited number and type of materials (ie. no more than
Identify a problem-solving journey (personal, local, national or global) that you would like to undertake. Imagine you are in a problem-solving canoe, heading toward successful
Revisit an event that ended with a less than desirable outcome. Encourage youth to create their own alternative endings. Why did they make the choices
While doing creative writing, have youth investigate the people involved in their storyboards. What types of people were involved? What do you think they were
Includes four steps: 1) Connect, 2) Ground, 3) Practice, and 4) Reflect. Group members must be as diverse as possible, there must be a shared
Establish age appropriate shared jobs that rotate throughout the year and that will help build the classroom or home environment. Create a classroom or family
An interactive activity that increases awareness of our own and others’ preferences and opens doors to empathy. Create four signs on large chart paper –
Create a list or use pictures to chart individuals’ values, rules or expectations. Wherever there is a common value or expectation, you’ll find the foundation
This can be a very valuable and eye-opening exercise that can be done with all ages, child to adult. There are many definitions of peace
Instead of “Don’t hit,” try “Touch nicely” and demonstrate. Reinforce by asking, “How do you touch nicely?” Instead of “Don’t touch the lamp,” say, “You
Pick a difficult topic around which there is conflict and get everybody “believing” they are right about one side of the problem. The process of
Use drama and dance to build community, foster active learning, and support youth growth. Use both to aid classroom management, address multiple intelligences, and to
Getting people outside can do wonders for building capacities for problem solving. Through engaging nature, youth become calm, learn to listen carefully, develop their empathic
Have youth adopt the perspective of those in history who are poorly represented or not represented in history books. With each news story, piece of
Although narrative structures are more easily remembered and come more naturally to youth, ask them to try these expository writing structures: Compare & Contrast (discuss
Identify cultural treasures from the families in your classroom. Have families come in and share their cultural traditions. Highlight ways of celebrating community through dance,
When people are upset, they access the fight/flight part of their brain. Do not try to solve problems if you or the youth are angry
A way of measuring how everyone is feeling about a process. A useful tool to use as a check-in throughout a process. People show fingers
A family, a classroom, a school or a community gets together to envision the future they desire. Collectively draw, paint, or write out the family,
Critically reflect on the role gender played in a particular situation. Gender critiques should be visited when reading history, current literature, looking at current events,
Make efforts to use language and references that are not limited to only one gender, for example, “How are you guys doing today?” or “Firemen
A valuable resource for learning how to think critically and responsibly about multicultural and social justice issues. It is made up of seven letter prompts,
Keep a journal with writings and/or artwork to record and express what you are most thankful for in your life. There are many small things
Research and examine the different contemporary and indigenous systems for resolving conflicts. Form teams of problem-solvers representing the various systems. Each team is given a
Each participant explores the same time or event in history from the perspective of a different person or group. Individuals then come together and share
After analyzing the information surrounding a problem or challenge, what is your reaction? Were the systems fair? Why or why not? Identify one or two
Learn about Ho‘oponopono, the Hawaiian system for ‘setting it right,’ and restoring individual and community harmony and balance. It promotes acts of healing interpersonal conflicts
Design a huaka‘i or fieldtrip for youth to help them better understand the history, culture, and land systems (ahupua‘a) of Hawai‘i. Your huaka‘i might focus
More likely than not, when people are angry or upset, they are expressing their “position” or a hardline stance on something. It’s important to teach
Provide opportunities through art, music or writing for youth to express their own identities, history, affiliations, values, intentions, and needs, etc. Explore different facets of
A basic tool to think through consequences, “If this happens, then what do you think will happen next?” or “If we decided to do this,
To help youth better understand those who are disabled, it could be helpful to have them explore what it’s like to be “in their shoes”.
These are more powerful motivators as they make use of the brain’s natural opiates. Intrinsically motivating tasks are personally relevant and challenging. Minimize the emphasis
Bring in a knowledgeable kupuna (elder) to share their life story. Discuss how roles, rights, and responsibilities look similar or different in Hawai‘i (or elsewhere)
Mauka (mountain) to makai (ocean) management. In teams, draw an ahupua‘a (Hawaiian term for a large traditional socio-economic/geologic/climatic subdivision of land that was cooperatively managed).
How do leaders lead? What do they do? What do they need to know to be successful? This activity assumes that leadership can be learned
Have youth find at least two photographs from a movement—past or present—against what are perceived as unjust laws. The goal is to find photographs that
A great visual tool to show the imbalance of a brain that is experiencing anger or rage, and how it is possible for the anger
While in the discovery phase of problem solving, listen for who might be effective in serving on a core team of planners. Listen for interest,
Use a literature circle to discuss major elements of a story that is developmentally appropriate to the audience. Include its characters and events. Are the
Use discipline to develop character and not to punish. Discipline means “to teach” and should not be punitive but should help a child to grow
Youth are buyers and sellers in a marketplace activity where human rights are the only commodity. In buying particular human rights and in designating the
Take on a particular current or historical event. Find disparate sources of reporting and media on the event to compare. Who wrote the articles? Ask
Repeating the meaning of a person’s words in a warm and caring tone assures the speaker that you seek to understand instead of judging or
Establish a culture in your classroom or home where mistakes are welcomed and used as learning opportunities. Normalize mistakes by discussing them at mealtime or
Use movement as a way to increase blood flow for effective thinking and problem solving. Build in yoga, dance, stretching, and physical exercise on a
Focusing on wants and needs, have youth each draw their own classroom, school and/or family. How would they meet their needs? They will most likely
Help youth to get more specific and expand their emotional vocabulary, replacing basic feeling words with more sophisticated terms. They graduate from using words like
“NVC” requires people identify shared needs, revealed by the thoughts and feelings that surround these needs, and collaborate to develop strategies that meet them. Do
Examine what leadership skills made certain leaders effective (for example, Queen Lili`uokalani or President Lincoln). In addition to warfare and weaponry, did leaders use diplomatic
Activity that gets people out of their comfort zone, and gradually used to a new way of thinking. Have person fold their hands together and
Multiple peace education and character education books exist (go to www.ceedsofpeace.org for many book titles). Use throughout all lessons and have readily available in the
Providing a space for problem solving is important. A peace table designates expectations for where and how youth will engage with each other. Peacebuilding literature,
Pull apart the layers of a problem in your classroom, school or community. Look at the history of the problem, the needs and interests of
Youth propose discussion topics and craft questions around topics that interest them. They vote on the topics/questions they want to pursue as a group, and
Create an end of the semester or end of the year skit or play on a particular historical event. Each child/student has a role. Play
Structure a small group activity to create a picture or diagram that shows how youth are linked in a way that they cannot succeed without
Break up a writing task into the following components: Pre-Write; First Draft; Mini Lesson; Peer Share; Revise; Edit; Publish. To Pre-Write, youth research, brainstorm, and
Puzzles are a good way to encourage critical thinking with all ages of youth. In order to successfully complete a puzzle, they must work with
In more diverse classrooms or other groups, have youth share their cultural heritage through music, food, literature, language, art and so on. Have each of
When an incident occurs, youth can spend time in reflection by writing and identifying: a) what happened; b) what was my role in the problem?;
Teach youth that the writing process isn’t finished after the first draft. A good Revision Toolbox has tools that work with word choice, writing structures,
A way of seeing situations play out and encouraging individuals to think critically about how to intervene, and in the process build compassion for alternate
There is usually one piece of paper and one pen for the team. A subject, idea or problem is introduced. One youth makes a written
Find current events that may be similar to situations occurring in school or the home. For example, if youth discrimination, violence or mistreatment is an
What do we want to see in our community, classroom or home? Identify shared rules together. Call them “peace actions” or ask individuals what they
The Silk Road carried trade from cultures embracing numerous religions and worldviews. Stretching from Italy to Japan, the Silk Road runs through Buddhist, Confucian, Christian,
A simple, effective parallel thinking technique developed by E. de Bono that helps people be more productive, focused, and mindfully involved. It forces people to
Titled after the Greek philosopher, Socratic dialogue transforms a student’s learning experience by allowing youth to generate and express their own ideas via the teacher
Make a storyboard of a particular event in history that involves a social injustice (slavery, women’s rights, settlers coming to America, Hawaiian history). Have youth
An opportunity to explore controversial issues and divergent positions and work to reach consensus on what may have happened– highlighting the complexities of particular perspectives,
Use a tangible object like a stick, a flower, a ball, or something important to the group to facilitate civil discussions and collaborative activities. Three
TWPG is an elaborative hands-on, youth-driven game/exercise. Founded in 2010, TWPG Foundation is dedicated to sharing the global mission of peace, developing self-awareness, and the
Have youth think individually and record their views about a particular issue. Then have them share their ideas with one another. Teachers/parents can foster careful
An activity that allows for exploration of diversity and elimination of stereotypes. Ask each person to write down three things that no one would know
Tic Tac Toe boards give youth the opportunity to participate in multiple tasks that allow them to practice skills they’ve learned or to demonstrate and
Take youth on team treasure hunts. Ask critical questions along the way to solve a problem. With each treasure is a clue to solving the
n exploring conflict, commit to trying on different perspectives in the conflict. Draw out of a bowl a particular role with an attached explanation. Play
A great game in so many ways! Have one player think of an object. The other players will need to ask yes/no questions in an
Share individual stories of people in need. Identify what everyone can contribute. Where could we find the needed materials? Together as a group, deliver the
Show pictures and/or video of certain situations at school and in the surrounding neighborhood. Examples include: seeing garbage on the floor, an elderly person dropping
Show youth a variety of pictures of celebrations involving young people from around the world. Place cut-outs of known children/students into the celebration picture (make
Explore what role females played in various events in providing leadership for problem-solving, collaboration and working together. How is that different or similar from today?
Design lessons that focus on the whole child, including: health, nutrition, home life, community life, culture, emotions, and safety. Reflect on all that a child