• Prep/Objectives

• Module 1: Introduction

• Module 2: Gender

• Module 3: What is
  Violence

• Module 4: Evaluation

• Module 5: Research
  and Stats

MODULE 1 - Introduction to Blueprint
(Duration: 20 minutes)

Objectives:

• To introduce the Students Commission to participants
• To understand the philosophy and purpose of the Blueprint project
• To introduce the Four Pillars (Respect, Listen, Understand, Communicate) as the core values and processes for the workshop and the Blueprint project
• To connect participants to the issue of violence in young women's lives

Activity: Who we are (5 minutes)

Who are we?

The Students Commission was founded in 1991 with a mission to help young people put their ideas for improving themselves, their communities and their world into action. An independent, charitable, non-governmental organization, The Students Commission is active across Canada, supporting young people to participate in the activities of local, provincial, national and international organizations and governments.

What is Blueprint?

Over the past year, participants in four communities across Canada have been meeting weekly to address the issue of violence in young women's lives. Participants have been looking at the issue of violence in young women's lives by asking questions about society's expectations on individual people with a specific focus on gender expectations. At its core, Blueprint is a critical thinking and awareness program. Through active discussion and facilitation, participants have the opportunity to address the issues surrounding violence in young women's lives in a safe, non-judgmental space. As a result of their work this year, they have created workshops and videos in their communities to inform and influence other young people. This is our workshop!

Activity: Check-In (15 minutes)

Objective

• To get to know participants, to connect them to each other, to our facilitators and to the topic

Instructions:

• Ask participants to stand and form a circle.
• Let them know that they will be sharing their names and how they're feeling this morning.
• After checking in with them to see where they're at. Have them answer the following questions on quote cards: 1) Describe some experiences that you or people you know feel like violence? 2) What are things that people say or do that lead to violence?
• Have a brief discussion on some of their comments. Begin to take some time to connect their experiences and answers to the issues surrounding violence in young women's lives and to gender expectations.
• Let them know that the blank visual facilitation paper is there for them to write or draw whatever they are thinking or feeling throughout the workshop and that they can go up at anytime.

Facilitator Tip: Don't rush this activity. Connecting participants to the topic is an essential part of the process. Refer back to the answers to these three questions throughout the workshop. This will facilitate buy-in amongst your group participants because they will see the connection between the workshop material and their own ideas.

How to use "Quote Cards": Always explain to the participants that quotes cards are a way to write down their thoughts if they don't feel comfortable speaking in front of the group. Let them know that you will be collecting them at the end of the activity and that writing down names and handing them in are optional.

Activity: The Four Pillars (10 minutes)

Purpose:

• To introduce the Four Pillars interactively
• To lay out the Four Pillars as the foundation and process to connect with other people during the workshop

Facilitator Tip: Before the activity, post the visual Four Pillars at the front of the training room. The Four Pillars should stay posted for all to see throughout the training.

Instructions:

1. Facilitators briefly describe each Pillar: Respect, Listen, Understand and Communicate. Emphasize the importance of these as both our values for working together and our process of interaction with others.
2. After the brief explanation, facilitators will divide the participants into four groups. Each will be responsible for writing down their ideas on 1 pillar using quote cards. Group 1 - Respect, Group 2 - Listen, Group 3 - Understand and Group 4 - Communicate. They will then share with the larger group. Facilitators will ask questions after each group speaks to ensure the whole group is bought into the pillars.
3. This is an excellent opportunity to talk about how the Four Pillars are great at connecting people who might have differences with each other. When it comes to issues of violence in young women's lives. It can get pretty heated. The Four Pillars allows us all to respect and listen so that we may understand each other's similarities and differences in a safe space.