INGMAN YOUTH LEADERSHIP
What is the Wingman Youth Leadership Program?
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We leverage the power of peer-to-peer learning to bring our experiential education based program to youth organizations of all sizes and ages. We train cohorts of youth leaders to become facilitators able to run activities, with appropriate adult supervision across their school, district, club or youth group.
Key Features and Benefits
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Adult mentors appropriate to the youth leaders age. In high school the leaders are typically able to handle planning and scheduling activity days. As you progress down the grades, additional support helps the program run smoothly.
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Once trained, youth leaders can run fun and engaging activities inside their organization or out in the community. There's no limit to how the program can be used, the activities are suitable for people of ALL ages.
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Our activities are highly effective for Social & Emotional Learning in schools and Wingman complements other programs, especially those lacking an experiential element.
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The open-ended nature of our activities ensures no scripted or fake outcomes, rather you get authentic human interaction in a safe space for people to be themselves.
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We have adapted our activities for the virtual world, leveraging online platforms to achieve the same outcomes when we can't be together in person.
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We have adapted our activities for the virtual world, leveraging online platforms to achieve the same outcomes when we can't be together in person.
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We have adapted our activities for the virtual world, leveraging online platforms to achieve the same outcomes when we can't be together in person.
Core Training Elements
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Youth Leader Training: Two full days of activities in a carefully sequenced training program led by a certified Wingman Trainer. On Day One leaders will play through a range of Wingman activities that bond them as a team and allow them to feel the impact of the program. They also explore the climate and culture in their community and reflect on what change they want to bring to their world. On Day Two the youth leaders step up to become the facilitators and develop their skills running activities and leading the reflection process which embeds the learning moments from each activity.
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Train the Trainer Workshop: We can train your staff to become Wingman Trainers, which provides for more sustainable programming and is more cost effective in the long term. Prospective Trainers start at Level One with a 4-day workshop with full immersion in our experiential education pedagogies and program mechanics as well as experiencing 20+ Wingman activities as a participant. The learning is reinforced in Year 2 with a Refresher to evaluate the first year of programming and learn new activities. In Year 3 the trainers attend our Level Two retreat to hone their facilitation skills and create new activities from scratch.
What does it cost?
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Dylan's Wings of Change actively seeks grassroots donations to cover our operating costs so we can offer our programming for the lower possible fees. A summary of our programs and the associated costs is shown below.
It is our intention never to refuse programming because of financial challenges. If a district or organization would struggle to pay directly, options include:
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Youth participants running a fundraiser, our partner Double Good provides one of the easiest and most effective fundraising platforms we know.
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Apply for a training grant from Dylan's Wings of Change. Mention this when using the inquiry form below. Applications are reviewed by our Advisory Board.
WHAT WINGMAN YOUTH LEADERS ARE SAYING
For me, Wingman has been an experience I’ll probably never forget. With our world in this state, we often forget to see the bright side. Wingman IS a bright side. It’s a solution. It’s a refuge. And it can really help a lot of people.
8TH GRADE LEADER
CRANBURY SCHOOL, NJ
Wingman is proof that people care. It is proof that there are people within the school community that want the most estranged, isolated individuals to feel included and valued. This is a message and an idea that every single school should adopt.
11TH GRADE LEADER NONNEWAUG HS, WOODBURY CT
I have a better understanding for other people, and the struggles they go through. I have learned to have compassion for people I barely know. I feel that a support system has been created for the school and Wingman Leaders.
7TH GRADE LEADER
EDGAR MS, METUCHEN NJ
Read Hundreds More Wingman Leader comments HERE
Getting Started
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We work closely with every Wingman Youth Leadership program to ensure maximum impact and maintain efficacy. Please use our contact form below and our program director will respond quickly to answer your questions, advise on program design to fit your needs and help you get started.