1. Youth-Led Tech Curriculum
Day 5: Minefields and Guest Speakers
Content Goals: Youth will be introduced to the Power of Youth Voice, examine
their community, and be introduced to WordPress.
Leadership Goals: Defining traits of a leader and team-building activities with a
focus on collaboration
Materials: 20 objects that can serve as “mines” (tennis ball cans, bowling
pins, plastic cups, bottles or cans of pop, etc…), 1 blindfold
(handkerchief) for each pair of students, notecards, pens, chart
paper, and markers.
10:00 AM Sign-in
Use the online attendance sheet to mark students as present and
note any issues.
10:05 AM Mood Check/Icebreaker Question
It’s important to start every session with an opening activity, such
as a Mood Check-in, where students state their mood on a scale of
1-10. We often pair this with an icebreaker question that each
student answers.

2. 2
10:15 AM Where the wind blows
Where the Wind Blows serves two functions: (1) for all of us to get
to know each other a little better, and (2) to get up, move around,
and get energized.
Play-by-play
1. Have everyone stand up and get into a tight circle so there
are no empty spaces.
2. Explain that whoever is in the middle is the “wind.” The
middle person has to say “The wind blows for anyone who…”
and then something about themselves that can also
describe other people in the circle. Encourage participants
to use a description that isn’t obvious just by looking.
3. As facilitator, make sure that the circle stays tight
throughout the game and that energy stays high. Help out
the middle person if they’re having trouble coming up with
statements.
 Example: The wind blows for anyone who has two or
more siblings.
 Example: The wind blows for everyone who lives in
Humboldt Park.
 Example: The wind blows for anyone who likes
Beyoncé.
4. If the statement applies to you, then you have to move to
another spot in the circle that just emptied. Whoever is left
without a spot goes to the center of the circle and is the
wind.
Debrief
1. What’s one thing you had in common with someone?
2. What’s one thing you had in common with someone that
you didn’t think you had anything in common with?
3. What’s one thing you didn’t have in common with someone
you thought you would have had in common?
10:45 AM Minefield
Students lead their blindfolded peers across a “minefield.” This activity
will help develop trust and communication amongst the team
members. The facilitator must create a concentrating and caring tone
to start this exercise.
Set Up: The room should be cleared of desks and chairs. A starting
line and a finish line should be marked on the floor, and the

3. 3
“mines” should be scattered on the playing field.
Play-by-Play
1. Have students pair up. In each pair, students should pick
one student to be blindfolded, and another student to be the
guide.
2. Give students three minutes to play their communication
strategy before starting the course.
3. The guide will be at the finish line, facing their blindfolded
partner. They will have five minutes to guide their partner
across the finish line. Have students switch roles and start
again.
4. One person verbally guides his/her partner, whose eyes are
covered by a blindfold or are closed. The students will
alternate, so if there is any debate as to who will go first,
assure them that they will both be blindfolded.
Add a Twist
 Scatter items throughout the course for the students to pick
up
 Create a penalty for hitting a “mine”
 Have multiple students attempt to race across the
“minefield” at the same time
Facilitation Notes
Some students may feel uneasy about being blindfolded-they can
just close their eyes. Also, this exercise can be used to build up
cohesion amongst the group, so you may want to pair the students
up strategically.
Debrief
After both students have made it across the minefield, reflect on
activity with students using the following questions
1. How much did you trust your partner at the start of the activity
(on a scale of 1-10)?
2. How much did you trust your partner at the end of the activity?
3. What is the difference between going alone and having a
partner?
4. What ingredients are needed when trusting and working with
someone else?
5. What did your partner do to help you feel safe and secure?
6. What could your partner have done to make you feel safe and
secure?

4. 4
7. What communication strategies worked best?
11:30 AM Break
11:45 AM Guest Speaker Prep
1. Allow students to go to the bathroom
2. Ask them to clean up their spaces (no food, drinks or trash)
3. Make sure everyone has a pen and paper
4. Ask students to take out the questions that they created
and keep them handy
12 NOON Lunch
1:15 PM Guest Speaker
2:00 PM Break
2:20 PM Guest Speaker
3:45 PM Reflection
This is the time to ask for youth input and evaluate sessions.
Reflection can also be some kind of affirming activity where
students congratulate or compliment each other on their
contributions to the group.
3:55 PM Sign Out
Make sure all youth are accounted for.