In Indiana, one organization has been working for over 25 years to help youth learn through experiential programming, and today part of their work includes the showing helpers of these high schooler how the simple interactions they have day to day have an impact.
ULEAD has programming that is three-fold, all under the umbrella of youth development. They work directly with students from seventh and eighth grade through college on life development and leadership skills. They work with the front-line youth and child service providers not only to develop knowledge on youth development, but also to help build motivation and provide ideas for activities that will engage the youth. Finally, they work with the administrative levels of organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club to provide company culture and healthy leadership tools.
All of these trainings, whether with directors or with high-school students, are based around experiential activities. ULEAD does not just tell people how to best build trust; they put people on a 40-ft climbing wall with a rope held by other members of their team to show what it means to trust and be trusted. Simple Interactions is a large piece of all of these trainings, especially since much of organizational culture is determined by the actions and attitudes of those at the top and the activities rely on interactions more than just words.
Ben Rheinheimer is the point-person for ULEAD, in his role as Self-Efficacy Curator. In his role, he doesn’t create self-efficacy, but he does nurture and present principles of self-efficacy to those in trainings. “I use the Simple Interactions Framework in a way that invites people to experience it, wrestle with it, and apply it in their own way. I am here to help people learn that we are co-creating the lessons and to emphasize that the staff members are capable and important,” he says of his title and how he views his work.
ULEAD integrates on the Simple Interactions framework and tool with their trainings. The concepts come into play in ULEAD's efforts to help staff who work with youth to discover what they are already doing well in their work. For example, ULEAD has a Power of You Training that helps staff identify and work to bring their own authentic selves into the work that they do and recognize that knowing and living your own identity helps them better connect to youth. They can use these learnings and connections to then encourage youth to also work on being their authentic selves.
ULEAD offers experiential trainings primarily in Indiana and surrounding states. However, they have also created a national and international presence through their ULEAD cards which are a deck of facilitation cards that help create opportunities for team building, communication skill growth, relational development, and social-emotional learning among all age groups.
Ben encourages helpers of youth to remember that they are always learning new things. “I have been working with youth for over 20 years. Using Simple Interactions, I realized I’m constantly learning again how to be a parent and a mentor and a helper,” he says. “We too need to remember we are offered the Opportunity for Growth that Simple Interactions encourages. Every time I learn something new or different, it is a little uncomfortable, but just like I tell those in my trainings, living in that stretch zone, when there is some discomfort, is how we learn, change, and grow. It isn’t bad to be uncomfortable. It is how we become better at what we do.”
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