Group-Driven Conversations
The events in the spring are left up to teen leaders and attendees to generate. With a solid foundation in the Real Talk format, teen leaders have the task of coming up with eight events on whatever subjects they feel the group most needs or wants to discuss. This is their opportunity to make Real Talk theirs: to take on challenging subjects, to showcase their creativity, to develop community service projects, and to build a network with educators and activists. Here are some of the events Waltham teens have tried...
Black History Month
Teen leaders brought in food from their cultures; a local African cultural organization led a dance workshop; we played Black History Jeopardy; and a local MC performed.
Youth-Police Dialogue
A panel of officers from the Waltham Police Department joined us to discuss community building and law enforcement. Students asked police a set of questions about their youth, their careers, and criminal justice. Police asked students a set of questions about their experiences as youth in Waltham. Then we play Four Corners with a variety of questions/statements about justice.
LGBTQ Life
In conjunction with the Drag Prom organized by Robbins Public Library in Arlington, we welcomed Speak Out activist and Drag King Quyen Tran AKA Jaydon James KA St. James, Mr. Gay United States MI 2016 for a conversation about the realities and misconceptions of LGBTQ life. Quyen spoke about her experience as a Vietnamese refugee and LGBTQ activist. We played The Wind Blows to get people sharing opinions on LGBTQ issues. Then we played Four Corners while Quyen did a live transformation of one of our teen leaders, Iris, into her male alter ego Ivan.
Sex Health Game Show
We developed a Kahoot quiz show with questions about anatomy, sexual health, and sexual activity. Teams competed for a gift certificate. Representatives from Charles River Community Health spoke between rounds about the services they offer—especially services they can seek without parents—and they left teens with contraceptives, lip balm, and other swag.
Depression
Coming Soon...
Stress
Coming Soon...