Mission Impossible



Mission Impossible

AIM

To experience a simulated exchange which includes Preparation, Negotiation, Participation, Programming and Evaluation.

OBJECTIVES

- To practice models for developing Youth Exchanges

- To develop flexibility in order to respond to difficulties that arise

- To work together as a group to manage all elements of a Youth Exchange

- To plan for Health & Safety Management.

TIME FRAME

A full day event, which can be adjusted to fit time available. Strict timing is essential throughout the exercise.

RESOURCES

- Room for each group and one for Mission Impossible task force

- Darkened Plenary Room

- Airmail envelopes

- Different coloured paper for number of groups

- Prepared tasks

- What would you do if ÉÉ? scenarios

- Flip Charts, Coloured Marker Pens, Blu Tac

- TV and Video, Mission Impossible Video

- Melting Pot drawn on large sheet of paper

- Coloured post-its

PREPARATION

The whole group is invited into a prepared room to hear their brief for the day. To create the right atmosphere, use the following:

- Large darkened room set out cinema style

- Participants asked to come and take a seat

- Mission Impossible video played for approx 2 minutes

- At the end, read guidelines and letter from Mission Impossible task force

The programme shows how the day runs. Four Envelopes need to be prepared for each group, for use at the appropriate time.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE TASK FORCE - Instructions to Team

You have the most difficult role, you are:

- European Youth Programme National Agency

- European Commission

- Parents of participants

- Management Committee

- Health & Safety Executive

- Travel Agents

- Postmen, e-mail, fax machine etc. etc. etc.

You can make life easy or difficult for the groups, use your own experience of organising Youth Exchanges and make it as realistic as you can. Remember the difficulties you have had. It is a real learning experience for everyone.

The timetable is your best guide as what to do when, help or put the spanner in the works as you like!

Think of Health & Safety aspects:

- Parental consent

- Programme Ð safety aspects

- Cultural risks

- Permission from employers

- Visas, passports, etc.

Criteria for Youth Exchange - not a holiday!

Good Luck

READ THIS FIRST! MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE?

Good morning Jim Phelps and the IMF (Impossible Missions Force) Team.

Today we have a real challenge for you. The European Parliament has urgently requested our services.

The man you are looking at is Ivan Axe, leader of the Radical Regressive Party. Following the Labour Government's loss of electoral support over the Millennium 'Dome' project, Ivan Axe has just been asked to join the new coalition government.

Disturbing news has just reached US that he will become the next Secretary of State for Education. Every youth organisation in the country is full of trepidation and anxiety. He is not known for his support for youth work. Instead he thinks all young people should do national service to aid their personal development. Axe by name, Axe by nature.

To protect their services to young people, all youth organisations are going on the offensive and are re-doubling their efforts to show the value of the work they are doing. Review and Evaluation are vital.

European Commission is keen that the next youth international project it supports should be a flag ship project to help show case the achievements of young people as well as improve good practice.

European Commission turns to you. The IMF team has lots of experience and knowledge, built up through participation in a range of different youth projects.

Your Mission is to plan and organise the best ever youth exchange - in just 3.5 hours! You will be up against the clock the whole time, but we feel sure you will win through with flying colours. This is a real challenge, but one I know the IMF Team will be willing and able to accept. To start your Mission, please open the envelope.

Remember the clock is ticking!

As always, should you or any of your IMF Force be exposed, the Secretary will disavow/deny any knowledge of your actions.

This letter will self-destruct in 5 seconds. Good Luck Jim.

YOUR TIMETABLE

TARGET TIME

ACTIVITY

09.30

Introduction to exercise

09.40

Split into delegation groups

09.45

ENVELOPE 1

Letter to Exchange Partners delivered via IMF Mission Impossible Task Force. Using the guidelines, write letter to your partner group requesting the information you require and explaining about your group

10.00

Deliver letters via IMF team

Preparation for your Exchange

10.00

ENVELOPE 2

Delivered by IMF Team. Three tasks

1. Leadership skills/attitudes exercise

2. Aims and objectives/Learning outcomes

3. Recruitment/Participation of young people

4. Letter to Parents

11.00

Response to letters, delivered to IMF Team for onward transmission

11.30

Prepare draft programme & provisional budget, bearing in mind Health & Safety

12.15

Advanced Planning visit to outgoing group

12.30

Submit Provisional Programme to IMF Team

12.30

LUNCH

14.00

ENVELOPE 3

Activity 1

Scenarios Ð what would you do if?

Activity 2

Group Contract

15.00

Deliver to IMF Team

- Melting Pot

- Leadership Exercise

- Parental Consent letter

- Provisional Budget

- Contract

15.15

Simulation Feedback and Debrief

16.15

Finish

ENVELOPE 1 - INSTRUCTION SHEET

You have now been set your Mission Impossible Challenge! Quickly sort out the rest of the contents of Envelope 1.

Inside you will find:

- Mission: Impossible? Time-Table

- Planning the best ever Youth Exchange - some Guidelines

Read these and pin them up on the wall so that you can all see them and easily refer to them.

Your first task

Send a letter to your partner group.

Both groups agree to organise a youth exchange.

Now as a group quickly brainstorm together about the following questions:

- what further information do/will we need?

- what further information will your partners need?

Using flipchart paper, produce a bullet pointed list of the questions/areas requiring further information. In other words, the contents of a possible letter in reply to get the exchange relationship started.

One member of your group should 'deliver' this to the Mission Impossible Task Force who will post back Envelope 2, which will contain your next tasks.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE?! PLANNING THE BEST EVER YOUTH EXCHANGE! SOME GUIDELINES

Your Mission is to plan and organise the best ever youth exchange for your group, using the knowledge, skills and experience of all team members.

Your aim is to ensure that both groups of young people will gain the maximum learning from the exchange.

Right!

You have 6 hours to complete your Mission, which is divided into 3 phases. Each phase will start by opening an Envelope.

May the Impossible Mission Force be with you!

ENVELOPE 2 - LEADERSHIP ACTIVITY

INSTRUCTIONS

WHAT SKILLS AND QUALITIES DOES THE IDEAL LEADER NEED TO LEAD A YOUTH EXCHANGE GROUP?

Your task is to discuss what you think are the skills and qualities that a youth leader needs to lead a youth exchange group.

As a group agree on ten qualities, skills and attributes that you think are the most important for a youth leader to have. Write these on to pink circles and place them on the flip chart around the hands of the cartoon Youth Leader.

The idea is that a youth exchange leader has to juggle lots of skills and qualities. Your picture will illustrate the number of necessary skills your leader needs to make the exchange the best experience for you.

If you have time you could also consider the ideal qualities for a youth participant on a youth exchange!

Prepare a poster to promote and publicise your exchange to attract young people to participate.

MELTING POT ACTIVITY

If you think of a pot and depending on the ingredients you put in, is what you get out. So if your ingredients are not right then the results will be a disaster!

For this exercise you are required to come up with a set of aims and objectives for a youth exchange project. Individually, write what you think would be an appropriate aim and objective on post-it notes and stick them at the bottom half of the pot.

Next, think about the learning outcomes you will achieve from being involved in this project. Learning outcomes are the knowledge, skills and attitude you will gain by the end of the project. Again individually, write you own on post-it notes and stick them in the top half of the pot.

As a group discuss and agree overall aims and objectives for the project and a set of learning outcomes.

You will need these for another exercise later.

Write a letter to the parents of potential participants in the exchange. The letter should address all the concerns of parents and encourage their support.

ENVELOPE 3

ACTIVITY 1 - WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF....?

Read enclosed scenarios, discuss in the group.

- How would you cope with this situation?

- How could it have been avoided?

ACTIVITY 2

Prepare a group contract dealing with the group behaviour, e.g. alcohol, sex, time-keeping, commitment, time to bed, etc.

HELPFUL HINTS

1. Number & Gender balance

2. Age Range

3. Background Information and documentation from overseas group

4. Time scale - Realistic?

5. How to find the money

6. Duration

7. Leaders' Names & Experience

8. Cultural Issues

9. Contact telephone, fax and E-Mail numbers

10. Groups to send information Overseas on:

- their project

- their interests

- age ranges etc...

11. Theme

12. Rationale Behind Visit

DOWNLOADS

Report - Training Course on Project Management - Capacity Building at the European Level

Marketing & International Youth Work Presentation

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