Activities for building confidence and expanding horizons.
All of these are inspiring activities. Some in particular are life-changing, but it's hard to predict what will have the greatest impact.
School students
- Sprout seeds and watch them grow - both in bottles with water, and in soil.
- Grow food and eat it.
- Learn to cook tasty, healthy food.
- Make a solar cooker, prepare food and eat it. Don't forget the "WARNING: HOT SURFACE" signs (and other precautions, depending on age). Try different kinds, from a simple black-painted tin, with or without reflectors (foil and cardboard) (this can work in a hot sunny place, to more complex box types.
- Understand a completely different perspective or opinion, that would previously have been dismissed as ridiculous (through debating; meeting people from other cultures and backgrounds...)
- Community service, whether simple things like visiting people in care homes or building something for the community. Experiencing the satisfaction that comes from doing something for another person.
- Make compost
- Keep a worm bin
High school and college/university students
- Learn a language by immersion. Classes and books help, but immersion is key to learning and having an amazing experience.
- Engage in service learning projects.
- Work on a multidisciplinary design/build project outside of the department under which you're currently studying.
