EXPLORING GUIDEBOOK - Exploring - Discover Your Future

1 EXPLORING . GUIDEBOOK . FOR ADULT AND. YOUTH LEADERS. Career Leadership Character Opportunities Experience Education Citizenship Life Skills Chapter One Contents Welcome to EXPLORING Leadership Award What Is EXPLORING ?..4 Lifesaving Posts vs. Meritorious Action Chapter Two Mission, Vision, and History of EXPLORING ..7 Learning for Life Foundation Society As You Begin This GUIDEBOOK ..8 President's Volunteer Service Quick Proficiency Awards for Law Enforcement and Fire EXPLORING Chapter One: William H. Spurgeon Understanding Your Role as an Adult Leader Chapter Three Chapter Five: Health and Safety Standards Adult Volunteer Leadership Position 11 EXPLORING Leadership How to Teach a Reporting Problem-Solving Skills for Explorers ..25 Safety First Instructions for Ethical Controversy Activities Training ..72. Chapter Four and the Ethics Chapter Six: How Your Local Council Can Help You.

2 29. Council or District EXPLORING Committee Chapter Two: Developing a Community of Youth Leaders. Reflection: Why Do We Reflect?..32 Committee Leadership Service Chapter Five Advisor/Sponsor Marketing Facilitating Reflective Program Chapter Three: Chapter Seven: Getting Your Program Up and Running For the Youth Leader The Four Phases of Starting an Welcome to EXPLORING !..82. EXPLORING Youth Section One: A Youth Leader's Role Chapter Six Five Program and All-in-One Program Planning Youth Section Two: Your Role in the The Open First Three Election of Youth Youth Section Three: Becoming Transitioning Your Program to Youth and Being a Registering and Renewing Your Youth Section Four: Planning Your Chapter Seven Program Each Post's or Club's Youth Section Five: How-To Chapter Four: Awards and Recognitions Youth Section Six: Leadership Youth Section Seven: Career Achievement EXPLORING Officers Congressional EXPLORING Leadership Chapter Eight Journey to EXPLORING GUIDEBOOK 3.

3 Welcome to EXPLORING As Advisors and as youth learning to become leaders, What Is EXPLORING ? you are about to embark on a journey together. That EXPLORING is Learning for Life's career education program journey is building your own Explorer post or club. A for young men and women in sixth grade through 20 years post is a group of at least five 14- to 20-year-old young old. Adults are selected by the participating organization for adults, male and female, interested in a specific career involvement in the program. Color, race, religion, gender, field. A club is similarly made up of youth members in sexual orientation, ethnic background, economic status, sixth through eighth grades. As you begin, you both will and citizenship are not criteria for participation. probably be aware of the differences in your roles. Learning for Life is a national, nonprofit However, by the end of this journey if your Explorer 501(c)(3) organization.

4 Post or club has come to fruition you will see more and more similarities and come to realize that you are The Learning for Life Corporation offers many programs mutual explorers. Together you will Discover things designed to support schools and community-based about yourselves and the world around you that have organizations in their efforts to prepare youth to success- the potential not only to change you, but also to change fully handle the complexities of contemporary society that world. Sometimes, we get so used to a program and to enhance their self-confidence, motivation, and being called by a certain name, like EXPLORING , that we self-esteem. The programs focus on character education forget the spirit of the program's existence. As Advisors and career education. Learning for Life programs help and youth leaders, your responsibility is to bring the youth develop social and life skills, assist in character EXPLORING spirit to life.

5 To be sure, many things go into development, and help youth formulate positive personal advising an Explorer post or club and being a youth values. They prepare youth to make ethical decisions that leader of a post or club, but all those things should serve will help them achieve their full potential. There are two the spirit of EXPLORING . program methods: curriculum-based programs and worksite-based programs. EXPLORING involves discovery not just seeing new things with your eyes, but gaining insights into yourself and the Adults involved in Learning for Life are selected by the people around you. Explorers inquire, wonder, imagine, organization in which they work ( , schools, local dream, and risk. They learn to respect and appreciate businesses, community organizations, etc.). Race, what it takes to be willing to Discover , and what it takes religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, to commit to a journey into the unknown.

6 Explorers take economic status, and citizenship are not criteria for on the challenge of change within themselves, and participation in Learning for Life. within those around them. Learning for Life features grade-specific, theme-oriented lesson plans to be used in the classroom to enhance and support the core curriculum for preK high school. Lessons are designed to be conducted by the classroom teacher in conjunction with the core curriculum. Lessons are designed to reinforce academic, social, ethical, and character development skills in various areas, such as critical and creative thinking, conflict resolution, decision making, interpersonal relationships, practical life skills, self-esteem, writing and language arts, citizenship, and personal fitness. 4 EXPLORING GUIDEBOOK . Chapter One Learning for Life makes academic learning fun and By providing the adult leaders to organize the relevant to real-life situations in age-appropriate and program inventory and serve as Advisors to the grade-specific material.

7 As a result, the positive charac- youth leaders of the post or club. ter traits and skills learned through participation in Learn- By providing meeting facilities. ing for Life not only make students more confident and Chapter Two capable but also give them an invaluable understanding An Explorer post or club is a young adult organization of how things work in the real world. that recruits members, elects officers, and plans pro- grams based on the organization's program inventory Since 1998, Learning for Life has partnered with thousands and other resources. Adult Advisors provide training and of businesses and organizations to bring real-world . guidance for the post's or club's elected officers. career experiences to young men and women through its EXPLORING programs. Our programs provide an ideal, The local Learning for Life office, through a volunteer Chapter Three interactive link between the academic environment and EXPLORING committee and assigned staff members, the real world.

8 Supports community organizations and their posts or clubs with these services: EXPLORING 's purpose is to provide experiences to help young people mature and to prepare them to become Leadership training for adult leaders and responsible and caring adults. Explorers are ready to youth officers investigate the meaning of interdependence in their Chapter Four personal relationships and communities. Guidance in organizing posts or clubs and keeping the program going successfully EXPLORING is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between youth and the organizations in their communi- Methods of recruiting Explorers, including a career ties. Local community organizations initiate an Explorer interest survey in local high schools post by matching their people and program resources to Regular communication with each post or club to Chapter Five the interests of young people in the community.

9 The provide program support result is a program of activities that helps youth pursue their special interests, grow, and develop. Use of council camp facilities such as cabins and COPE (ropes) courses Explorer posts can specialize in a variety of career skills. EXPLORING programs are based on five areas of emphasis: Planning of councilwide activities that enrich the career opportunities, leadership experience, life skills, post's or club's program Chapter Six citizenship, and character education. Liability insurance coverage Community organizations support their posts or clubs in three major ways: By compiling a program inventory of the skills and interests of adults associated with the organization Chapter Seven who are willing to give program help to the post or club. The inventory indicates the program potential of the post's or club's adults in such areas as careers, hobbies, skills, contacts, facilities, and ideas.

10 Chapter Eight EXPLORING GUIDEBOOK 5. Posts vs. Clubs EXPLORING is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between youth and the organizations in their communities. Local community organizations initiate a specific Explorer post or club by matching their people and program resources to the interests of young people in the community. The result is a program of activities that helps youth pursue their special interests, grow, and develop. Explorer posts and clubs can specialize in a variety of career skills. POSTS CLUBS. Purpose EXPLORING 's purpose is to provide experiences to help young people mature and become responsible and caring adults, and to provide experiences to help young people learn about different careers. Explorers are ready to explore the meaning of interdependence in their personal relationships. Program Emphases Career opportunities Leadership experience Life skills Citizenship Character education Program Methods Voluntary association between youth and adults Ethical decision-making guidance Group activities Recognition of achievement Democratic processes Interactive experiences Career Fields Participating organizations choose the age group(s) to serve in their EXPLORING pro- gram(s) and in which of the 12 EXPLORING career fields their program(s) will be registered.