Many schools and organizations have set standards for how clubs are structured, i.e., how many youth are required to sign up, how often they meet, and agreements for how clubs operate including goals, schedule of events, how positions are decided etc. If this is true for your school/organization, your We Are Active Minds Club should follow these predetermined guidelines.
If there are no guidelines or you are starting your We Are Active Minds Club after school or outside of the club structure, here are some guidelines about getting started and facilitating clubs and curriculum.
- Chat with Active Minds Middle School staff to learn more about the program. Sign a Partnership Agreement.
- Identify your We Are Active Minds Middle adult facilitator(s). Active Minds can assist with identifying the characteristics of a strong facilitator and will train them as well!
- Select the format for your We Are Active Minds program! Club? Classroom?
- Promote program details with your broader staff to build understanding of benefits and details the program will bring to your school/organization. Be sure to share program details with parents and caregivers.
- Conduct youth recruitment to encourage participation and create excitement. Active Minds will share best practices in recruitment. Don’t forget to get parent/caregiver permission!
- Attend facilitator training!
- Ensure all youth are registered and have permissions signed.
- Facilitate 12 We Are Active Minds Middle curriculum sessions (weekly, bi-weekly). Take attendance! Facilitate 4 youth surveys to check for understanding. Stay connected with additional check-ins and drop-in office hours for support.
