A two-day workshop on conducting the game «Power of Choice» aimed at preventing risky behavior among adolescents and young people was held in Podolsk, Moscow region. It was attended by 26 teachers and 23 high school students. The training was conducted by specialists from the Coordination Center for Countering Drug Abuse Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry and the Charitable Foundation of St. John of Kronstadt — Anastasia Kuznetsova, Natalia Ishchenko and Tamara Romanova.
Anastasia Kuznetsova, Natalia Ishchenko and Tamara Romanova.
The first day of the seminar gathered teachers from 26 schools in Podolsk. They themselves played «Power of Choice», then in the framework of the theoretical block analyzed with the presenters all the nuances of this game.
The first day of the seminar gathered teachers from 26 schools in Podolsk.
«The game is wonderful, we played it with great interest, although it is not easy to "turn off the professional", as the presenters told us. The "Power of Choice" game, as I realized, is applicable for different ages, but it is especially suitable for teenagers. It is a good tool to convey important information to children, who are quite categorical in their perception of any information, and to stimulate them to do something. Teenagers are not really interested in talks or lecture activities, but the game — is just right. We will apply In our school, I liked the idea that we could involve high school students, that they could become assistants in conducting such a game for younger children» — shared Valeria Bushmarina, social teacher of secondary general education school No. 32 in Podolsk.
A week after the first meeting with teachers, the presenters held a master class on the game «The Power of Choice» in the teenage audience. This time the game was played by 10th and 11th graders of school No. 12 in Podolsk, teachers watched the game and joined the training as co-facilitators.
«I was both on the first day of the seminar and on the second day: I was interested in how the game "The Power of Choice" would go in a teenage group, and I came to school № 12 for the game. It went great, so much so that the kids were engaged and gave good feedback. They noted what they especially liked and found useful: "Know how to say no", "Plus and Minus" and drawing poster. Of course, I would love to host "The Power of Choice" at my school. This game is great because teens pull from somewhere in their mind — what is good and what is bad. It doesn't turn on the emotions, it turns on the head. It is very important not to get into some unpleasant story» — said Olga Milova, teacher-psychologist of secondary school № 17 in Podolsk.
All participants of the seminar received methodological manuals on conducting «The Power of Choice», contacts of the presenters and certificates of training.
The seminar was organized by the Charitable Foundation of St. Righteous John of Kronstadt within the framework of the project «Know Yourself — Teach Others» with the support of the Presidential Grants Fund.
The game «The Power of Choice» was developed in 2018 by specialists of the Charitable Foundation of St. Righteous John of Kronstadt. For six years «The Power of Choice» has been conducted in a wide variety of teenage and youth audiences. The Foundation's specialists have also tested the game with psychologists of the Moscow psychological help hotline service, with teachers and specialists in working with teenagers, teachers at schools and universities. The Foundation's staff is currently training specialists in different regions of Russia. Such training seminars have already taken place in Chelyabinsk, Shakhtinsk, Kamenskaya, Tverskaya, Izhevskaya, Penza, Ekaterinburgskaya, Kazanskaya, Tulskaya dioceses.
The St. Righteous John of Kronstadt Charitable Foundation has been operating since 2011. It was established by the Synodal Department for Charity to support church initiatives in the field of countering drug addiction, developing the church's system of rehabilitation and assistance to drug addicts. Currently, the Church is implementing more than 200 projects to help drug addicts. For all regions of Russia there is a single telephone number for the Church's help to addicts: +7 800 600-16-93. Detailed information about various help centers and anti-drug activities of dioceses is published on the website of the Coordination Center for Combating Drug Addiction of the Synodal Department for Charity.
News and stories about the Church's social ministry are published in Telegram channel «Church Affairs» and «Church Affairs. Briefly», «Aid to Refugees» and in the group of the Synodal Department for Charity in VK, OK, on Youtube channel.
.You can help refugees and affected civilians at helpvbede.rf. You can support the church's social projects at online platform of the Synodal Department for Charity «Let's Help».
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