Our Curriculum
The Center for Creative Leadership, one of the world's foremost authorities on leadership principles, developed the Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute's interactive, state-of-the-art curriculum. It provides the caliber of leadership training typically available only to corporate executives and government leaders. It features a challenging series of lessons and exercises on community needs analysis, goal setting, team building, project planning, decision- making, and other leadership dynamics. The curriculum culminates in a service project, created and implemented by the participants, and a final graduation ceremony.

Through a series of 17 teaching modules and 13 experiential exercises, the curriculum takes students through an eight-phase model of problem-solving and goal-setting.

Teaching Modules
Participant Introductions-Establishes the essential climate and ground rules for how participants will learn together, share resources and use each other for personal growth and development.

Introduction to Community Service-Addresses the meaning of service and the importance of young people's contributions to their community through service. Focuses on the meaning of service to the individual, the community and the nation. Provides a framework for how young people will put their leadership skills into action.

Creative Leadership Process-Introduces the process that effective leaders utilize to solve problems and bring about positive change. Refutes the many myths about leadership.

Team Communications-Explores a model of effective team communication to determine how leaders can improve the success of a team's work together. Utilizes feedback on interpersonal barriers to help participants explore what messages their behavior may communicate to others and how this can impact the climate of the team.

Diversity-Discusses how individuals' different experiences influence the way they see the world. Participants examine their own identities, ways in which others may incorrectly stereotype them, and various sources of diversity, including, but not limited to, gender and ethnicity.

Community Mapping-Raises awareness of the amount and types of resources available in a community and teaches students a variety of processes to identify community needs.

Leadership 101-Emphasizes the critical importance of seeing the "big picture" of community needs and wants. Further identifies participants' areas of concern and capacity to serve in their community.

Forming a Problem Statement-Guides participants through a specific process for formulating a problem statement which will be used later for the service project design.

Fact-Finding Field Trip-Offers the opportunity for small groups to go out into the community and seek firsthand knowledge of issues and challenges the community is facing.

Creativity Skills and Tools-Utilizes innovative sensory exercises such as brainwriting, brainstorming, creative visualization and reframing to help participants think creatively in problem-solving and project design.

Community Panel Discussion-Features an interactive discussion with a panel of 3-5 community members with varying perspectives on the social needs and issues of the community.

Community Project Goal Setting-Coaches the participants to critically examine the desired goals and impact of their service project.

Individual Goal Setting-Encourages participants to reflect on their individual goals and how these relate to the service project. Reinforces the idea that the participants are working together to grow, develop and change as individuals in order to continue to be service leaders in the community long after the conclusion of the Institute.

Decision Making-Examines the role of decision making in planning and organizing an endeavor. Explains the decision making process and investigates the questions of who, how and when with regard to the involvement of others in the decision making process.

Community Project Planning-Draws upon earlier lessons to help participants plan the details of their graduation community service project.

Ensuring Community Project Success-Facilitates a discussion for setting criteria to measuring the progress, outcomes and impact of the graduation service project, and helps participants anticipate possible problems they might encounter.

Reflections-Encourages participants to examine their feelings about their experiences to heighten their sense of commitment to their community while building confidence in their newly learned leadership skills.

Experiential Exercises

• Blizzard Exercise
• Blind Poly Exercise
• Barnga or Brief Encounters
• Group Juggle Exercise
• Arm Wrestling Exercise
• Traffic Jam Exercise
• Simple Exercise
• F's Exercise
• Paper Cuts Exercise
• Tower Exercise
• Hollow Squares Exercise
• Maze Exercise
• Blind Trust Walk Exercise