SciFi Visions for Tomorrow
Community Curriculum
Program Overview
Combining the energy of youth, the educational value of creative problem solving and the motivation of peer support and recognition, projectOUTREACH is an educational experience for teens and adults focused on developing creative solutions to community problems.
projectOUTREACH a program of Destination ImagiNation, Inc., recognizes that leadership skills, creative problem solving, critical thinking, and human relations play a tremendous part in shaping the lives of our future leaders. Our communities have the energy and the desire to change the world; projectOUTREACH helps communities channel that drive into making a difference at home. Bit by bit, they work to make their own communities better places to live as they develop the skills they need to do so.
projectOUTREACH, has joined Sci Fi Channel to develop this curriculum for Visions for Tomorrow, a progressive public service initiative that promotes global, collaborative action to ensure that the world left to future generations will be one worth living in. This partnership brings together the 25 years of curriculum and program development expertise of Destination ImagiNation inc., and the far-reaching media and creative ability of Sci Fi channel. Together both organizations will engage students, parents, schools, business and communities in genuine local level service initiatives that collectively make the world a better place.
The agenda for the 2007 Visions for Tomorrow curriculum is ENERGY.
This Community Curriculum is provided FREE of charge by the SciFi Channel.
PRINTED BOOKLET
8.5" x 11"
Saddle-stiched
54 Pages
FREE DOWNLOAD VERSION - COMING SOON
Curriculum Structure
The projectOUTREACH curriculum for the Visions for Tomorrow campaign is a coordinated set of online and printed activities that engage a large variety of audiences in creatively and cooperatively approaching the challenges related to our energy exploration, conservation and consumption.
Strands
There are three unique Strands to the curriculum that focus on different action areas of energy.
Strand #1: What If?
The What if Strand focuses on the exploration of energy use in the past, present and future. The goals for this Strand are to:
· Engage in philosophical and practical discussions about energy usage in the past, present and future.
· Explore how we might look at energy usage in different ways for our future.
Strand #2: Committed to Conservation
The Committed to Conservation Strand focuses on energy conservation and how we might individually and collectively conserve and use energy more efficiently.
The goals for this Strand are to:
· Provoke effective and routine efforts towards energy conservation.
· Engage participants in thought and discussion about the true effects of any conservation effort.
Strand #3: Energy Counts
The Energy Counts Strand is quite literally a series of quantitative activities that focus participants on the individual and collective consumption of energy.
The goals for this Strand are to:
· Take count of how many opportunities we have for the use of energy.
· Analyze large group versus individual energy usage.
Audience
Each activity has an identified Audience that will most benefit from completing it as directed. projectOUTREACH activities and Challenges can be done by virtually any age group and are specifically written for teen through adult readers. Please note that the targeted Audiences are identified in the top right corner on the first page of each activity:
Individual
Several of the activities are based on a single participant completing the activity alone. This can also be used with a class or group of participants working individually, followed by a discussion using the Thinking About This Activity section of the activity.
Team
The activities for Team-based audiences require that groups of 3-7 participants work together to solve or complete the activity.
Assembly
Activities with an Assembly audience can be completed with a large group such as a class or organization gathering.
Time
Each projectOUTREACH activity and Challenge will require a different amount of time. We have included time estimates based on our practice and experience with each activity. Our time estimates do not include any of the Extending the Activity portions.
Activity Organization
Each of the three Strands have four activities that explore the topic of energy in a different manner. As you work through each activity you will find that they all have a brief introduction to the spirit or philosophical purpose of the exercise and the following components:
Activity:
This brief description of the activity will set the stage for the goals and overall purpose for completing the exercise.
Here’s How:
This component of each activity will provide step-by-step directions for completing the activity.
Thinking About the Activity:
This is a critical portion of each curriculum activity! Once you complete each exercise, it is critical that you process the experience by discussing, debating and digging deeper into the lesson by answering the questions provided. Do not skip this part.
Time for Action:
You have completed the activity and you are ready to take some steps to put what you learned to action! This component of each activity provides some basic suggestions on how you might use your new knowledge, understanding or skills to take action. These are just some starting points. You should add your own and get others involved!
Team Challenge
The projectOUTREACH Team Challenge is truly the heart of the program! The Challenge requires a team to come together to formulate a solution that is both practical and effective in serving the community. The Visions for Tomorrow curriculum features one Team Challenge.
Destination ImagiNation’s projectOUTREACH Team Challenges are designed to provide a total learning experience, the outcome of which is a community improvement or enrichment project. Ideally, Challenges are solved by teams of from 4 to 10 members who may come from any organization or age group. Each Challenge is accompanied by a “scoring” section, providing a framework within which teams work. Within this framework teams plan and implement a solution of their own design. Teams are scored not against each other but on how well they have met the Challenge and their own objectives. Because the team itself determines the project goals, details and degree of difficulty, the process is effective with a variety of ages, abilities and experience.
As Challenges are completed, participating teams are encouraged to participate in a local Tournament or plan their own Culminating Event to share their ideas, have their projects evaluated, be recognized for their work and celebrate their accomplishments! Instructions for hooking up with an area Tournament or for designing your own Celebration are included, as are activities to hone both teamwork and creative problem solving skills. The projectOUTREACH process and resulting project generally meets the requirements for service-learning hours. Team members or their team Advisor are responsible for confirming local requirements and obtaining the necessary forms and information. There are additional Team Challenge options in the other Community Impact Kits available from www.projectoutreach.net.
