Encouraging little minds to think big. A program written by
Alissa Phillips
Young guns
How are you going to make you mark on the world?
“A possibility was born the day you were born and it will live as long as you live.� -Marcus Solero
If you could change anything about the world what would it be? What would it take for a young person to make a difference in their community? What is something important to me?
To the Adults, Innovative community citizens are having an impact on millions of lives, reshaping social, economic and political relations and making the impossible doable. At the heart of this fundamental social change is a systemic challenge to the meaning of ‘values’ creation: who decides what matters, who measurers that and how? We need to be investing in social creativity and meaningful collaboration.
young guns is a starting point for this
meaningful interaction between our community and our young community citizens.
young guns will mobilise kids and
channel their energies to tackle social problems in innovative and creative ways. It will be a tool kit that enables young people to lead social change and becoming active citizen. Focused on value creation, thinking strategies, and opportunities for meaningful experience sharing this program will help develop students skills whilst benefiting the community. Conversations that Matter, Open Space and World Cafe are just some of the spaces that
young guns can host
throughout the program. These initiatives demonstrate exciting and inevitable capacity to drive changes in the way we currently operate in our classrooms and communities. Give your students the chance to change by allowing them to explore the question, “How are you going to make your mark on the world?”
Alissa Phillips Founder and Executive Director of s.p.a.c.e
To the Kids, I believe that one of the most important things to learn in life is that you can make a difference in your community no matter who you are or where you come from. When it comes to helping others, there are no little things. It takes each of us to make a difference for all of us. None of us can do everything at once, but all of us can do something at once. One person CAN make a difference, and every person must try. It’s the greatest mistake to do nothing because you can only do a little. Give what you can, and do it together. That’s the power of one. Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much! I can teach you how to make the stuff that is important to you important to others. Just because you are a kid doesn’t mean that you don’t matter. Your ideas, your dreams and your passions are going to change people and places in the future. So I want to know, “How are you going to make your mark on the world?”
Alissa Phillips Founder and Executive Director of s.p.a.c.e
“If you don’t like what you are getting back in life take a look at what you are putting out.”
-Pamela Dryer
In what ways does your behaviour effect others? How do you feel about the way students act at this school? Can people change?
Alissa Phillips Age 25 Born in Brisbane, Australia Created s.p.a.c.e A community centre with a special interest in disability Favorite Quote: “Dare, while you still can, to have a magnificent obsession!�
s.p.a.c.e Get Connected “If you don’t like what you are getting
back in life take a look at what you are putting out.”
Alissa Phillips is the founder of s.p.a.c.e or ‘specialised programs and community endeavours’, a community centre with a special interest in special needs. Established in 2007, s.p.a.c.e is a place where people connect with the community through innovative, spirited and socially responsible services. Through s.p.a.c.e, Alissa seeks to bridge the -Pamela Dryer gap between social and rehabilitative services for people living with a disability as well as improve attitudes and relationships between those in the community with a disability and those without. Through her work as a guidance officer and a foster provider, Alissa’s mother taught her that despite their differences, everyone should feel they have a place. Alissa went onto become friends with many people with disabilities and so when it came time to choosing a career path, she looked no further than the disability sector, first becoming a music therapist specialising in disability. It was while working as a music therapist that Alissa discovered that many people with disabilities do not receive the opportunities and independent lifestyle that she was used to. It was then that she decided to start s.p.a.c.e. Alissa says that while working on s.p.a.c.e she has learnt that everyone is capable of making a positive impact on their community. Regardless of how one participates at s.p.a.c.e, Alissa believes that everyone is empowered to have a voice and be a part of the process. As the leadership is shared, all participants, whether they be leaders, clients or facilitators can be part of a community rather than just look in on one. “When I first began my work at s.p.a.c.e I was constantly fatigued by the enormity of the task. My biggest success in leadership has been daring to have a big idea. I think, dream and talk about s.p.a.c.e every day. I feel constant gratitude for the fact I am able to do what I feel I was meant to.”
s.p.a.c.e is a place where people connect with the community through innovative, spirited and socially responsible services.
“My biggest success in leadership has been daring to have a big idea!”
activity:
Think Big Make your mind up
There are several billion minds on planet earth, but few of them are actually busy at any one time. Think of all that brainpower, just handing around doing...nothing much. These are some of the things we hear during the idea generation process, sometimes they are said with all the
Idea generation as a four stage process:
best intentions to help the process,
1. Day dream phases
sometimes they are said to limit the process and sometimes we wonder why they are said at all. But the one thing we know for sure is that evaluating an idea too soon in the process can maim or even kill that idea before it has a chance to prove itself. Our ideas need time to breathe before they are judged.
Unleash the creativity. No idea is to outrageous and the aim of this phase to bring into vision as many ideas as possible regardless of how big, small, or ridiculous they are!
2. Development phase A time to develop a real picture of what the dream could be. At this stage tools such as design parameters are utilsed to help build structure. A number of interpretations are welcome so as to give our decision makers something to work with.
3. Decision making phase Very often, the things that go wrong when we’re talking about ideas occur because we don’t have a common understanding of what is involved in the idea generation process? What type of thinking will let an idea get big enough before bringing it into land? And how can we make the decision makers comfortable enough that they let the dreamers go crazy without
This is where the dreamers sit back and watch as the realists step up to the plate. Decision making is about clarity and logic, it is about transparency and it is about balancing the value of an idea and the associated effort to determine the best course of action.
4. Action phase Once a decision is made there is nothing left to do but make it happen!
“You have to think anyway so you may as well think BIG� - Donald Trump
What do you think is beyond the stars? Is it more important to give time or money? If you had $500 - what would you spend it on?
Encouraging little minds to think big. A program written by
Alissa Phillips
Young guns
How are you going to make you mark on the world?