BOOST OR NOT TO BOOST

**

Estimated duration: 60 min. without dissemination

Aims of this module:  to form knowledge about energy drinks; to acquaint with the history and composition of energy drinks; to cultivate a respectful attitude towards physical health; to give an idea of what products are most useful and necessary for every day; to teach how to choose the healthiest foods; to introduce the rules of nutrition

I ENERGIZER

„Be honest”

Duration: 5-7 min.

Group size: Any

Materials: Printouts of the Annex 1.

The facilitator brings attention of the participants and shares the ready prepared printouts with participants. Everyone fills out the forms (5-7 min). Then facilitator collects them and sums up the answers. Then s/he writes the results on the whiteboard where bigger version of the Annex 1 is hanged. The facilitator asks participants to share their opinions on the received responses. Then s/he presents the topic of the activity.

Hints for The Facilitator:

* Bring attention to the products mostly consumed by the participants;

* Write the names of popular local brands that are common in your area;

* Adapt the questions suitable for the age of participants.

 II MAIN ACTIVITY

„Energizers”

Duration: around 40 min.

Group size: around 30 people

Materials: Eggs, chicken liver, beakers (min 8), 2 types of energy drinks (known in your region), water, ethyl alcohol, Infographic.

Facilitator gives a short introduction to the topic.

The facilitator selects two participants and invites them to make two experiments:

Chicken egg white. First participants shall select and write the number on the beakers. After that they take 4 eggs and separate the egg white from the yolk and put egg white into beakers. After that they shall pour over the egg whites 2 energy drinks (preferably known ones), water and ethyl alcohol.

Another two participants shall be selected for the next experiment – Chicken liver test.

They cut the chicken liver. Again, they shall select and write the number on the beakers. After that they put a piece of liver in each. Each beaker was poured with same energy drinks, water and ethyl alcohol over the piece of liver.

Then facilitator presents a lecture on different junky and energy rich products: Carbonated and energy drinks are completely chemical and contain a lot of sugar, caffeine and food colors. There are a lot of spices, harmful food additives in instant noodles (Doshirak, Yum Yum etc). Unhealthy foods include also fast food like hamburgers and hot dogs. Sweets, chocolate bars, and other sweets contain a huge number of calories with the addition of chemical products, dyes and chemical flavors. The consumption of sweets containing a large amount of sugar and fat leads to metabolic disorders and obesity. Chewing gum is also harmful to the human body.

After the lecture, the facilitator asks participants to check what had happened to the egg whites and chicken liver parts.

The results shall be discussed and reflected.

Hints for The Facilitator:

  • Other products can be used in the experiment (meat, egg shell)
  • If you have some rugged metals, it is also possible to see the effect of energy drinks on them.
  • For the lecture, prepare presentation with more examples and explanation of good and bad energy containing products.

III EVALUATION

„I am stronger without”

Duration: 15 min.

Group size: Any

Materials: Slides with pictures of substitutes of junky food in accordance to the content (Cocoa powder or crushed cocoa beans, coffee, ginseng, green tea, walking, cycling).

At the end facilitator asks audience who shouldn’t use energy drinks. Then s/he explains that energy drinks can be useful in small doses, and can have a good effect on the body when playing sports, From the previous exercises it follows that energy drinks are contraindicated for people with cardiovascular diseases, people with mental disabilities, suffering from hypertension, pregnant women and, of course, people under the age of 18. For these categories of people, the harm of energy drinks can be much more dangerous than for perfectly healthy people.

Facilitator presents some natural stimulants instead of energy drinks/junk food: Cocoa powder or crushed cocoa beans, coffee, ginseng, green tea, walking, cycling, or just stretching can also substitute the products containing chemicals.

Discussion of the knowledge with participants and reflect over the impact of these products.

Hints for The Facilitator:

  • Propose some daily routines on how to stay away from attractive junky food.
  • Find some interesting stories that could be used as examples.

IV DISSEMINATION

Home activity “Investigate the power of natural energy”

Duration: 2-3 weeks

Group size: Any

Materials: Computer, internet.

The participants will be asked to work in groups first to find out which natural products are the richest in the energy value. They will prepare the plan on how to make a smoother substitution from usually consumed products to the natural ones. After two weeks the groups shall prepare a report and show they already implemented their plans with concrete results.

YOUNG, BOLD & ADDICTED

**

Estimated duration: 60 min. without dissemination

Aims of this module: to  get to know what addiction is; to learn  about different types of addiction; to improve the skills of information research; to familiarize  youngsters with how addiction is portrayed in films or book based films, which can provoke them to discussion and reflection; to boost creativity and group work; to share ideas and reflections on modern world issues.

I ENERGIZER

„Bubble gum”

Duration: 15 min.

Group size: any

Materials: a bubble gum for each participant (it can also be gummy bears or maomam), flip chart, markers

The Facilitator hands out one piece of strong – flavoured gum to each person with the instruction ell to hold the gum close to their nose and mouth but not to put it in their mouth. After a minute, they let them put it on their tongue, but not to chew it. After another minute, the facilitator lets them chew it once or twice, but no more.

After this part, they ask the group:

  • Who is pretending not to chew
  • Who finds it easy not to chew?
  • Who finds it hard not to chew?
  • Who has not chewed the gum? How did you resist chewing it? What did you say to yourself?
  • What was it like? How did it feel to want the gum?
  • How can you relate this game to a situation when a person is addicted?

Next, the facilitator explains that when a person is addicted to a substance or a drug, they crave it and badly want to have it. It’s the same when participants minds convinced them that they really wanted the gum – the minds of people who are addicted to drugs tell them they really want the substance. At the end of the energizer the facilitator presents to the group the definition of addiction:

  • „Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive seeking of a substance of addiction, its continued use despite harmful consequences, and long-lasting changes in the brain. It is considered both a complex brain disorder and a mental illness. Addiction is the most severe form of a full spectrum of substance use disorders, and is a medical illness caused by repeated misuse of a substance or substances.” (https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/media-guide/science-drug-use-addiction-basics)

At the end of this activity the facilitator asks what kind of addictions the group know and writes them down on the flip chart. They can point out the most typical ones for teenagers: substance – drugs, alcohol, nicotine; sex; electronics (https://www.destinationsforteens.com/destinations-blog/types-of-addiction/; https://www.turnbridge.com/news-events/latest-articles/teen-substance-abuse-academics-infographic )

Hints for The Facilitator:

II MAIN ACTIVITY

„Get to know the enemy ”

Duration: around 35 min.

Group size: around 30 people

Materials: pens, colorful crayons, paper, computers/smartphones with Internet

The Facilitator divides the group into 5 smaller teams. Each team chooses one topic to work with and their task is to prepare a presentation based on their research for the rest of the group. The presentation can be done as a poster or in a digital form.

Here are the following issues:

  • Nicotine addiction – risk factors, symptoms, consequences, treatment
  • Alcohol addiction – risk factors, symptoms, consequences, withdrawal, treatment
  • Drug addiction – kinds of drugs
  • Drug addiction – risk factors, symptoms, consequences, withdrawal, treatment
  • How the addiction influences brain?

After the teams are ready, one by one presents their work. The facilitator should provide time for people to ask questions or clarify nuances.

Hints for The Facilitator:

III EVALUATION

„What do you know about addiction?”

Duration: 10 min.

Group size: Any

Materials: Appendix 1 printed out for every participant (or re-made as an interactive quiz), pens, Appendix 2 for facilitator.

After all the activities The Facilitator invites participants to check their knowledge on addiction, presenting them a true or false quiz „What do you know about addiction?” (Appendix 1). The facilitator can give few minutes to answer the questions, and then they check out how participants did it, clarifying and adding some more information when needed (additional part for the facilitator in Appendix 2).

Hints for The Facilitator:

  • You can grant participants who had the most correct answers with some prize.
  • The quiz inspiration: University of Rochester Medical Center

IV DISSEMINATION

Activity „Get some perspective – a movie evening”

Duration: around 180 min.

Group size: any

Materials: computer, projector, sound system, a chosen film from the following list coming from legal source:

The Facilitator organizes the movie evening and presenting one of the listed above films. After the projection a discussion based on feelings, impressions and participant’s reflection is suggested.

The listed films are often very strong and impactful and many viewers get emotionally involved in the story, that’s why debriefing and „showering off” the difficult feelings can be a good idea. All the mentioned films have been internationally recognized and honored with many film awards.

ONCE UPON A TIME…THE STORY OF THE VACCINE

**

Estimated duration: 60 min. without dissemination

Aims of this module: to learn what is vaccine and what are the types of it; to discover and follow long history of creating and introducing vaccines; to be aware of the vaccines effects; to connect scientists with their discoveries; to get to know what vaccination policy is and how foes it work in different countries of the world; to boost creativity and group work

I ENERGIZER

„Vaccines timeline”

Duration: 20 min.

Group size: around 20 – 28  people

Materials: big room, pieces of paper with year glued to the floor, Infographic 1 (cut out into pieces according to the numbers of participants), bowl/hat to use for withdrawing

Before the start of the activity, the facilitator prepares the room –  on separated pieces of paper they write down year (appendix 1) and stick them to the floor chronologically. Next the facilitator cuts out the description of the events (eliminating the year) and puts all the paper in the bowl to be withdrawn by participants. Once the exercise starts  the participants take one piece of paper and their task is to find correct year of their withdrawn event, where they place themselves next to. The participants can talk, read their „story” out loud and help each other finding the right spot. When the facilitator makes sure the group is ready, they check out the result with the appendix 1.

Hints for The Facilitator:

  • Prepare the dates and the „events” from Infographic 1 beforehand.
  • Make sure you have a big room, so the 28 dates on the floor create a timeline.
  • Announce the amount of time allocated to this exercise before the participants start.
  • You can decrease the number of the dates/events and adjust them to the number of participants (if they are less than the dates)
  • In case of more participants, another alternation to this exercise can be connecting year with the event, meaning that half of the participants withdraw a paper with year and the second part with a description of an event and they have to pair up.
  • You can ask follow up questions such as: How was this activity for you?; Are you happy with the result?; What helped/disturbed with accomplishing it?; What surprised you? What fact did you remember the most?

II MAIN ACTIVITY

„Decoding VACCINE”

Duration: around 30 min. (including presentation time)

Group size: around 30 people

Materials: Flip charts, colourful cardboards, markers, colourful paper, glue, scissors, devices with Internet access, graphic apps or programs

The Facilitator divides participants into smaller teams of 4-5 people, asking them to prepare poster/infographic on following topics:

  1. Explain what the vaccine is and why we call it so?
  2. Positive effects of vaccinations
  3. Adverse effects of vaccinations
  4. Types of vaccine: inactivated, attenuated, viral vector – provide examples
  5. Types of vaccine: toxoid, subunit, conjugate – provide examples
  6. Types of vaccine: heterotypic, RNA, experiential – provide examples
  7. Anti – vaccine  movement – what is it, what caused it, its goals

After all the posters are ready, each group presents their work. The Facilitator makes sure all the info are fact based and in case of any doubt or question clarifies it.

Hints for The Facilitator:

  • Remember to remind groups to work together, make their work aesthetic and based on reliable informations.
  • It’s up to the facilitator to decide wether they prepare infographics manual or using the graphic apps or programs
  • They can use following sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccine

https://www.who.int/health-topics/vaccines-and-immunization#tab=tab_1

https://www.hhs.gov/immunization/basics/types/index.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccine_hesitancy

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4024226/

https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/2/07-040089/en/

https://www.historyofvaccines.org

III EVALUATION

„Vaccines Personas”

Duration: 10 min.

Group size: Any

Materials: Infographic 2 printed out for each of the participants or computer with internet and projector to play the quiz:  https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/pioneer-breakthroughs

After all the activities The Facilitator presents the participants the quiz (infographic 2 or link) , where they have to connect a person with a disease they created a vaccine against. At the end the facilitator shows/gives the correct answers.

Hints for The Facilitator:

  • You can choose the form of this activity – individually on the paper of together using the given link
  • You can ask  following questions: Are you familiar with the diseases and the scientists who helped to fight them by creating the vaccines? What moments in the history of vaccines you consider the most important? What is your personal opinion about vaccines and vaccination?

IV DISSEMINATION

Activity „Vaccinations around the world”

Duration: around 40 min.

Group size: Any

Materials: Pieces of paper, pens, paints, crayons, markers/ devices with Internet access, graphic programs or apps

The Facilitator starts with explaining to the group what vaccination policy is:

„Vaccination policy is the health policy a government adopts in relation to vaccination. Vaccination policies have been developed over the approximately two centuries since the invention of vaccination with the purpose of eradicating disease from, or creating a herd immunity for, the population the government aims to protect. Vaccination advisory committees within each country are usually responsible for providing information to governments that is used to make evidence-based decisions regarding vaccine and immunization policy.

Vaccinations are voluntary in some countries and mandatory in others, with mandatory vaccination policies sometimes leading to opposition. Some governments pay for all or part of the costs of vaccinations in a national vaccination schedule. Cost-benefit analyses of vaccinations have shown that there is an economic incentive to implement vaccination policies as vaccinations can save a significant number of lives and costs.”*

Next, the facilitator divides the participants into smaller groups (of 4 people) and asks them to choose one country of the world and prepare a thorough research on the vaccination process in that country. The research should involve: general information about vaccination policy, which vaccines are mandatory or recommended, what is the vaccine schedule.

The results of the research should be presented in a graphic way of the participants choice, but preferably using the IT tools.

The research and its presentation can be creative, but at the same time it should be based on facts. Once the  work is done, it can be used as an educative material to be posted on your organisation’s social media or shared on the educational portals or groups.

*Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccination_policy

OTC MEDICINE – THE MORE THE MERRIER?

***

Estimated duration: 60 min. without dissemination

*OTC – Over the counter

Aims of this module: to learn what OTC medicine is; to discover the phenomenon of polypharmacy; to look for  natural alternatives of supplements or painkillers; to reflect on own health and medical practices; to promote healthy choices;  to discussion and reflect; to boost creativity and group work

I ENERGIZER

„Risky pills”

Duration: 10 min.

Group size: max. 25 people

Materials: 5 non-transparent sacs, 255 red chips, 195 green chips, 5 golden chips (you can cut it out from cardboard), a flip chart to keep the score, markers

The Facilitator divides the group into 5 smaller ones (with 5 people max.). Each team gets 1 sac filled out with 15 green, 15 red and 1 golden chip.  The facilitator explains what follows:

The game will be played in 3 rounds.

Round 1:

Each member of the team is allowed to draw with their eyes closed from 1 to 5 chips at once. It’s up to them how many they want to draw, but they need to remember what number they decided on. The colors of the chip are equivalent to points – for every green chip the team gets 3 points, for golden 50 points, but for red -3 points. The purpose of the game is to collect the most points. The round finishes when every person drew their chips. Then the team counts their points, which are written down on the flip chart by the facilitator. The group doesn’t put back to the sac  already drawn chips.

Round 2:

To each team’s sac The facilitator  adds 13 green and 17 red chips. Again, the team needs to decide if they want to risk taking more chips or play safe taking less, but at the same time, the person who took 2 or more in the previous round can’t take less – the minimum is the number they took in the 1st round. The round finishes when every person drew their chips. Then the team counts their points, which are written down on the flip chart by The facilitator. The group doesn’t put back to the sac already drawn chips.

Round 3:

To each team’s sac The facilitator adds 11 green and 19 red chips. In this round every participant must draw 5 chips.  The round finishes when every person drew their chips. Then the team counts their points, which are written down on the flip chart by The facilitator.

The facilitator calculate the results and announce the winner team.

Next, the follow up questions are being asked:

  • How did you feel in this activity?
  • What strategy did you choose? Playing safe (drawing less chips) or taking a risk?
  • Are you happy with the result?
  • If you played again, what would you change?
  • How would you associate this game with the tittle of our workshop?
  • What resemblance do you see in green/red/golden chips and pills or supplements?
  • How the course of the game resemblance the life situation of taking medicine?

Hints for The Facilitator:

  • Prepare the chips and the sacs beforehand. Sacs don’t have to be large, but they need to be non-transparent, so the participants can’t see through them. You can print the colorful chips on the cardboard and cut them out. Make sure they are the same size.
  • Start every round when all the groups are ready.
  • Underline that in this game it is very important to play fair and not to pick while drawing chips.
  • The chips represent the pills and dietary supplements which are very popular and available widely as OTC medicine. Their colors and points show that we can have good, high quality and based on natural substances products as well as we can have harmful ones. The intensity of drawing them in each round stand for:
  • Round 1 – every person have influence over how many „pills” they want/need.
  • Round 2 – the more you take the more you’ll have to take in the future – the dose stays the same or gets bigger, because „the body/the mind” needs more
  • Round 3 – the last phase where, like sometimes in life, you don’t have the choice anymore – you just need to fulfill the organism’s needs by „applying” the maximum amount, which not always end well.

But in life, when you buy OTC medicine, you have influence and choice what you buy and how often you take it, so it’s really important that you decide well, taking under consideration composition, ingredients and potential consequences of what impact it may have on you.

II MAIN ACTIVITY

„Mix and Match = Polypharmacy”

Duration: around 20 min.

Group size: around 30 people

Materials: flip chart, markers, Infographic 1

The Facilitator  starts by asking participants questions about their experiences and daily practices connected with OTC medicine

  • Do you often buy medical products/supplements that are not prescribed by a doctor?
  • Why do you buy them?
  • Have you ever bought them because of the advertisement or other person’s recommendation?
  • What kind of products do you buy the most often?
  • How many and what kind of them do you take daily?
  • Do you ever consult the supplements/vitamins/pain killers or other OTC products with a doctor or pharmacist?
  • Is there any potential danger you can see in taking various medicines/medical products that you use without consult?

After the short discussion, the facilitator presents to the participants short lecture of polypharmacy, as a result of taking daily various medicine (prescribed and OTC) from Infographic 1.

To close the activity, the facilitator explains that in the Evaluation part, the participants will actively

create ways of stopping polypharmacy.

Hints for The Facilitator:

  • The participants should feel free and comfortable to share their stories, so create a peaceful and trustful atmosphere.
  • You should prepare information about polypharmacy beforehand – on the flip chart or digital presentation. While doing so, get familiar with the term and some more articles about polypharmacy:

https://www.aafp.org/afp/2019/0701/p32.html; https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/polypharmacy; https://www.freedomcareny.com/posts/what-is-polypharmacy

III EVALUATION

„Instead…”

Duration: 30 min.

Group size: Any

Materials: smartphone, social media account

As a continuation of the previous activity, but at the same time the summary of the whole module, the Facilitator asks each participant to reflect on one advice that they would give themselves and other people, that regards limiting of taking dietary supplements, pain killers and in general medical products that are not necessary or prescribed.The advice should sound like this: „INSTEAD of  taking  vitamin D in pills,  get some SUN”, or „Headache? drink water, breathe deeply and smell lavender INSTEAD of taking another aspirin”. Important is, that the participants check some alternatives of traditional vitamines, supplements or painkillers before they create „the INSTEAD advice”. After they came up with their ideas, the facilitator asks everybody to record it as a very short selfie- video, which they will post on their social media stories (instagram, facebook, tie tok) with #INSTEAD #startnowplus.

IV DISSEMINATION

Activity „Let’s get clean”

Duration: max. 60 min.

Group size: none/individual task

Materials: medicine cabinet at your home

The Facilitator invites participants to join, at any time suitable for them, a challenge of cleaning their home medicine cabinets. Cleaning means throwing out expired, or no longer needed medicine – pills, syrups, supplements, bandages, creams etc. as well as organizing those which still can be used – putting them into the smaller boxes with correct labels, for example: cold, digestion, vitamins etc. The facilitator should remind people, that expired/no longer needed medicine can be left in a bag in a local pharmacy, but can’t be thrown in a regular trash can. This activity can be helpful in pointing out how much unnecessary medicine most of us buy and maybe it will be a wake up call to limit this practice and instead look for more natural solutions, like healthy diet, sport and social interactions.

MINDFULNESS IN TIMES OF PANDEMIC

***

Estimated duration: 60 min. without dissemination

Aims of this module: to learn what is mindfulness and how to daily practice it; to reflect on own life choices and identity; to find peace and purpose even in the midst of chaos; to be still; to come up with helpful and enriching solutions in life; to re-connect with nature; to boost creativity and group work

I ENERGIZER

„S.T.O.P”

Duration: 15 min.

Group size: around 20 – 28  people

Materials: big room or fresh air,  Infographic1 for debriefing

The Facilitator  explains that this activity will allow participants to S.T.O.P  and invites them to start moving freely, in their own tempo in the room or outside area. After few minutes they ask them to pause and:

  • STAND and breathe. Feel connected to the ground.
  • TRUST in your body. Look down. Scan your body and note any physical sensations or emotions. Release any unpleasant sensations, notice the positive ones as you exhale and inhale.
  • OBSERVE your surroundings. Raise your eyes up and see what feels good. Be thankful for this beauty and people around you.
  • PERSPECTIVE anchoring – ask yourself what new appears for you and what is your next step.

Next, the facilitator asks the group to share with them some reflections, answering following questions:

  • How did you feel in the exercise?
  • What did you notice (in your body, mind, surrounding) while you were in it?
  • How/why S.T.O.P can be  helpful as a daily practice?

As a summary, the facilitator can share with participants information about the Minfulness from Infographic 1.

Hints for The Facilitator:

  • Make sure you have big space, either indoors or outdoor. It will be much more appreciated if you have a possibility to do it outside.
  • Don’t rush the process. Mindfulness is all about seizing the moment.
  • This activity can be done individually, also in the condition of online training/workshop.

II MAIN ACTIVITY

„Where am I?”

Duration: around 30 min.

Group size: around 30 people

Materials: Infographic 2 printed out for each participant, pens, speakers to play calming and relaxing music, spacious room or outdoors, something to seat on.

The Facilitator explains that the next exercise will be fully dedicated to individual self-reflection, saying:

„In order to know where to go, it’s worth checking where you’re starting – what you already have, what can support you, and what you lack. Very helpful might be answering  questions from the „Where am I?” form.  Answer them by examining yourself carefully…”

Next the facilitator distributes the handouts and gives participants around 20 minutes to fill it up.

They can remind people to keep the silence during the whole process and encourage them to find a comfortable seat, listen to their favorite music (on the earphones), tune inward as much as possible and be honest.

At the end of the exercise, the facilitator can ask following questions:

  • Which question turned out to be the most important? Is it from the past, the present or the future? Why?
  • Have you seen more clearly where you are and where you want to go?
  • After completing this form, do you feel the same as before, or slightly different?

To close up the facilitator tells the group to keep this questionnaire and come back to it from time to time and observe how the answers to the same questions change and how you change yourself.

Hints for The Facilitator:

  • Remember to provide a cosy, silent place for people to feel safe and comfortable.
  • Remind participants that they should work in silence and fully dedicate this time to themselves.
  • This activity can be done individually, in the condition of online training/workshop.

III EVALUATION

„Mindful pandemic”

Duration: 15 min.

Group size: Any

Materials: flip chart, markers, colorful paper, devices with Internet access

After all the activities The Facilitator asks participants how mindful acts can help surviving crisis or difficult times, which we have all experienced (and are experiencing) during recent pandemic. Small discussion is very welcome to occur. As a summary to it and all the activities, participants are asked to come up with the ideas on „How to be  more mindful in the pandemic times”. The ideas – presented as a brain storm – are written down by the facilitator on the flip chart.

At the end the facilitator asks everybody in the group to choose one person and give them a strong and sincere hug, which would last three deep, shared breaths. People don’t need to breathe at one pace, but still it  will calm them down and bring a sense of security.

Hints for The Facilitator:

IV DISSEMINATION

Activity „Terapeutic nature”

Duration: at least 30 min.

Group size: Any/Individually

Materials: none

The Facilitator encourages participants to do this walking activity – meditation whenever they have time and are outdoors, in the open air –  perfect if it’s forest or field, but it will work out even in the  small backyard or garden. The pace of walk should be very slow but rhythmic, definitely slower than a traditional one. It’s important to get into your rhythm. Breathing should be deep and as long as possible, longer than natural one. While you walk, see and notice the smallest details, feel the smell of the air, count how many birds fly in the air, pay attention to the shape of branches, clouds, count the number of flowers. If you find that your thoughts are drifting towards what happened at work, at home, what happened yesterday, or what you expect tomorrow, let those thoughts go away and return to your focus on being here and now.

Congratulation! You just became mindful 🙂