Tool: Community project ideas

Gardening 

Simple: Adolescents create a small garden inside their activity space using discarded water bottles. This could be a ‘vertical garden,’ using discarded water bottles attached to a wall or sturdy wooden pallet.

Challenging: Adolescents create and maintain a community garden. The food they produce can be sold to raise funds for their other projects or needs (such as school fees), or for community meals.

Clean-up 

Simple: Adolescents clean up a space they will use (such as their own activity space) or that will be used by others in the community.

Challenging: Adolescents find a space in their community that is not being used, and create a park, garden or recreational area. Adolescents organize a regular clean-up of the space.

Arts exhibits and murals

Simple: Adolescents organize a display of their own artwork, and invite parents, family members and others from the community.

Challenging: Adolescents organize regular exhibitions of their own artwork and artwork created by others in the community.

Murals 

Simple: Adolescents create temporary murals and drawings on sidewalks or building walls using chalk.

Challenging: Adolescents identify a publicly visible wall in the community, and with permission from the community leaders, paint a mural on it.

Traditional music and dance

Simple: Adolescents learn and practice traditional music, songs and/or dance as a regular activity in their circles. Traditional songs, music, chants or dance could be part of the opening and closing rituals of an Adolescent Circle.

Challenging: Adolescents can form a traditional music or dance group. Find experts in the community who can share their knowledge of traditional songs or dances, or of how to play instruments. Adolescents improvise by creating new songs or dances about topics of interest to young people and others in the community. Adolescents organize performances for the community to attend.

Theater troupe 

Simple: Adolescents use role plays during their sessions to explore different topics or invent creative stories.

Challenging: Adolescents create an original drama based on a role play or story they invented.

Library 

Simple: Adolescents bring their own books or magazines to their sessions to share with each other. Schools or families in the community may also be willing to lend books or magazines to adolescents to read during their sessions, especially if they know that adolescents will take care of them and return them.

Challenging: Adolescents create a library for themselves and others to use, gathering donated books, and finding or borrowing a space that is safe and available. Adolescents organize a story-time to read books or share stories. This could include reading books to younger children, and/or hearing traditional stories from elders. Adolescents organize a book club in which all members read the same book and discuss it together.

Exercise and sport

Simple: Adolescents use their session time for exercise. This could include doing an exercise routine for their opening or closing rituals, or dedicating a regular session to running, walking or other exercise.

Challenging: Adolescents organize a running club or another exercise class for themselves and/or others in the community. Adolescents organize sport clubs, reaching out to an adult in the community who can coach them or lead ‘clinics’ for them to develop their skills.

Food and meals 

Simple: If food and kitchen space can be shared, adolescents can practice cooking skills as one of their activities. An Adolescent Circle can organize a celebratory meal to share members’ favorite dishes. Especially if participants are from different cultural backgrounds, this can be an opportunity to learn about each others’ traditions.

Challenging: Adolescents organize a regular meal to share with others in the community. Use the meal as a chance to build connections with other young people who are not being reached by your programme, or with adults.
Adolescents can bring meals to community members who lack support, are recovering from illness or injury, or have difficulty moving outside their homes or shelters.

Exploration and expedition

Simple: Adolescents organize a nature walk or learning tour in or around their community.

Challenging: Adolescents organize a welcome and orientation tour for new arrivals in their community so they will be able to navigate safely and know where they can find essential services.

Cultural knowledge

Simple: Adolescents invite an older member of their community to teach them a traditional skill, such as craftmaking, arts or other practical skills, or to share stories from their tradition.

Challenging: Adolescents work with adults to create courses in traditional skills or establish clubs or groups where they can learn and practice those skills regularly. Adolescents gather traditional stories and create a book or a performance based on them. 

Supporting others and building connections

Simple: Adolescents brainstorm kind or helpful acts they can do for other young people or adults in their community and carry out those acts outside their session times.

Challenging: Adolescents identify community members who would benefit from support, such as those who are recovering from illness or injury, older people who have been separated from their families, or others, and organize plans to visit them and offer company or practical support.