Ideas in Flight Activity

This is a Brainstorming/Affinity Diagramming activity to help the group make decisions for future direction and activities.

Equipment

• 30 or so sheets of paper in the shape of flying birds, depending on number of participants. Different colours are more visually appealing.
• Fine to medium point felt markers.
• Sticky-tack putty or scotch/masking tape pieces
• About 10 sheets of paper for title cards - try sun and cloud shapes for positive and negatives if applicable

Time Required: This activity should be broken up into steps and done over a series of meetings.

Instructions

Everyone is to imagine that they are a bird that has been away on a long migration flight. You are just returning after ____ amount of time and you are flying over your community and your Trails site. What would you like to see when you look down? (or What don't you want to see?)

In Brainstorming fashion call out your 'vision' of the future. Record ideas onto the bird-shapes either using one recorder or having each participant write out their own idea.

When all ideas have dried-up, use the Affinity Diagram process to sort idea in similar visions.

Use the cards (in shapes of the sun and moon) to label your groups or sets of ideas. As a whole group or in smaller groups, consider each set of ideas. Decide what is most important to you. Use the Goal Setting Starts With a Dream chart to help set "SMART" goals. Use the Tree Diagram or Lotus Diagram to help plan steps and activities to reach your 'vision.'