REAL LIFE SALT LAKE CITY MENTOR MANUAL - 2013-2014 Youthlinc
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REAL LIFE SALT
LAKE CITY
MENTOR MANUAL
Youthlinc 2013-2014
This manual is an information guide for Real Life Salt Lake City
mentors.
Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
Table of Contents
SECTION 1 – PROGRAM OVERVIEW 2
SECTION 2 – ORIENTATION 5
SECTION 3 – VOLUNTEER MENTORS 6
SECTION 4 – CURRICULUM 8
SECTION 5 – LESSON PLANS 9
SECTION 6 – VALUES AND ETHICS 10
SECTION 7 – THINGS THE REFUGEE TEENS LOVE 10
SECTION 8 – GAMES AND ACTIVITIES 10
SECTION 9 – REAL LIFE STUDENT MENTOR JOB POSITIONS 10
SECTION 10 – PARTNERSHIPS 11
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 12
DCOUMENTS 13
Page 1
Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
2013-2014
SECTION 1 – PROGRAM OVERVIEW
History:
Started in February 2010, Real Life Salt Lake City (RLSLC) is an afterschool tutoring and life skills mentoring
program for underprivileged teens in South Salt Lake, mostly from refugee and immigrant families. The
program partners Youthlinc with South Salt Lake City and their after school centers, mainly the Hser Ner Moo
Community Welcome Center, PAL Boxing Center and the Historic Scott School. All of these organizations offer
multiple programs aimed at helping the needy youth population in South Salt Lake.
Needs Met:
1. This programs focus on a population that is high risk. This demographic suffers from high
drop-out levels, gang involvement and the risk of becoming involved in practices that are
detrimental to personal and social development. Refugee and immigrant youth face language,
cultural, and educational barriers. The RLSLC Program strives toward providing fun, educational
and applicable lessons and activities that will help these teens become successful and well-adjusted
contributing members of society.
2. The program provides leadership opportunities for Utah youth. Youthlinc students
volunteering in the Youthlinc Service Year design and teach lessons and activities (mentored and
supervised by staff) and contribute their time and talent to the program while also gaining
valuable leadership experience.
3. RLSLC is designed to address and teach the everyday needs of the teen youth in Salt
Lake. The RLSLC program focuses on the daily obstacles that youth face and works to provide
solutions to these problems by focusing on the following areas:
! Financial literacy
! Physical and emotional health
! Career and college preparation
! Social and cultural activities
! Art expression
! Language practice
Page 2Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
Program Basics:
The timeframe
The RLSLC program begins with an orientation for all student mentors in December. Depending on scheduling
and time constraints, there is also a holiday party in December with the student mentors and the refugee teens
to act as a Welcome Party. Beginning the first week of January, each of 2 groups meet twice a week.
! The Historic Scott School – Monday & Wednesday from 4-6pm
! PAL Boxing Center – Tuesday & Thursday from 4-6pm.
Each session revolves around a curriculum topic and incorporates fun activities and games. The program ends
at the end of May.
The people
The Youthlinc Local Service Director (YLSD) runs the program assisted by the Real Life interns. The interns are
chosen each fall before the program begins. The YLSD works with the location directors at each site and the
City of South Salt Lake to discuss needed lessons and to schedule logistics. Student mentors can sign up each
fall to volunteer. Student mentors usually are Youthlinc Service Year students but there is no restriction – other
that passing a background check – as to who can be a volunteer with the program. The teen participants are
registered with the after school centers in South Salt Lake, including the Hser Ner Moo Welcome Center, the
Historic Scott School or PAL Boxing Center.
! Youthlinc Local Service Director: Julia Rametta, (801) 467-4417, julia@youthlinc.org
! RLSLC Intern for volunteers: Carolyn Taylor, (801) 350-1504, carolynyouthlinc@gmail.com
! RLSLC Intern for Historic Scott School: Kenzie Mitchel, (801) 809-0440, kenzieyouthlinc@gmail.com
! RLSLC Intern for PAL Boxing: Mallory Denison, (801) 694-0566, malloryyouthlinc@gmail.com
! Historic Scott School staff: Daniel McArthur, dmcarthur@southsaltlakecity.com
! PAL Boxing Center staff: Toby Koch, tkoch@southsaltlakecity.com
The curriculum
The RLSLC curriculum is always evolving to fit the needs of the refugee and immigrant teen population. The
basic curriculum structure outlined in this Manual is a frame of reference for what we have found to be best
practice in youth mentoring. We have found these lessons and skills essential to accomplishing our goals.
However, new lessons and techniques for teaching our basic curriculum are always welcomed and
encouraged.
Page 3Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
Financial Literacy
Understanding money is difficult for many teens and teens that are new to the US have little to no
experience with the American financial system. RLSLC wants to introduce these teens to as many
aspects of the financial system as we can, including banking, credit, loans, cost of living and the
importance of saving. Since financial literacy can be a dry subject, it is important to make these
lessons fun, interactive and interesting.
Physical and Emotional Health
Everyone should have a basic understanding of his or her health. RLSLC teen participants are growing
up in a different culture than their parents did and many may not be receiving the health knowledge
relevant to our culture in the US. We want the participants to be happy and healthy in all aspects of
their life and our curriculum is designed to help them navigate the food, exercise, emotional and
mental health challenges that they may encounter in Utah and the country.
Career and school
Finding a job and/or going to college are achievable goals for all RLSLC teen participants if they
have the appropriate support. The City of South Salt Lake has implemented the Promise SSL Initiative
where the goal is for every youth in the city to graduate from college. RLSLC seeks to supplement the
achievement of this goal by teaching lessons on financial aid, scholarship availability, application
processes, interviews, job searches and professionalism. We also strive to encourage participants in
their current school activities although we do not directly include homework help in our curriculum.
Social and cultural activities
Field trips, common U.S. games, sharing of cultural traditions, ect, are all critical for assimilation and
positive self-esteem of teens who can find themselves cut off from the culture of the community that
surrounds them. Field trips help the teens connect with their community and feel far less isolated.
Field trips introduce the teens to what Utah has to offer them.
Games, holiday parties and cultural exchanges are equally important. By sharing cultural
experiences, the group learns from each other, teen participants are able to share their background
with the student mentors and the teens become familiar with the culture that surrounds them. The more
the teens and the volunteer mentors can learn about each other, the more cohesive of a group they
will become.
Art expression
Art is a proven form of expression for people in new experiences or those recovering from trauma.
Many of the teen participants fall under this category. Art is also a great way to teach other lessons
while allowing teens to be creative and actively involved in the lesson.
Language Practice
A major reason that teens come to RLSLC is to practice their English. English is an essential survival skill
for them. RLSLC gives them the opportunity to practice English in the safe environment, in the company
of friends who will not judge their ability. RLSLS provides teens with a great opportunity to become
more conversational in English. English language practice can and should be incorporated into any
lesson plan, activity or game.
Page 4Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
SECTION 2 – ORIENTATION
Student mentor orientation is critical for new RLSLC volunteers. Many student mentors are entering into this
role without any training, teaching experience or exposure to refugees. Orientation is critical in explaining
the role of the volunteers, expectations for the volunteers, and cultural sensitivity.
Orientation is a mandatory interactive meeting. In extraordinary circumstances where attendance is
impossible, a student mentor must schedule a time to meet with the RLSLC intern to go over the material
individually.
Orientation agenda
• Basics of the program
o What we teach (curriculum, values)
o Calendar and daily structure
• What is a refugee? Who are the Real Life teen participants?
o This link http://ow.ly/ruNW9 and this link http://ow.ly/ruPqR will help you
understand where the refugee teens come from and why they are in the US.
o Things to know about refugee teens:
" They have been through a lot, they will take awhile to open up
" They are shy – here are few tips on how to talk to a shy person
• Expectations for student mentors
o Teach a lesson!
o Recording your hours
o Setting an example
" Help keep control
" Show respect, teach respect
" Site rules are our rules
" No driving students, no cell phones during sessions
" You are a mentor!
o Real Life Leadership Positions
" Earn more service hours
• Examples of lesson planning
o How to form a lesson, lesson plan template (pg. 18)
o Lesson planning activity
o Sign up for a date with Carolyn
• Requirements
o Background checks
o Volunteer waiver forms (pg. 13)
o Give Carolyn your volunteer schedule
• City of South Salt Lake
Prezi
• Get to know what Real Life is all about by viewing this presentation
Page 5Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
SECTION 3 – VOLUNTEER MENTORS
Student mentors are a critical part of the RLSLC program. The main reason the teen participants come to the
program is because they make connections with you, the student mentors. It is critical to have good training,
understanding of our curriculum and a positive relationship with the RLSLC leadership.
The role of student mentors:
Student mentors fill three important roles:
1. You are the reason the teen participants come to the program. It is important that you interact with
the teens and get to know them. You are mentoring these students. Mentoring requires interaction and
commitment. But it is important to remember that they are similar in age and should not be treated
like younger kids. Look at these teens as peers.
2. You act as a model in all sessions, activities and field trips. The YLSD and intern depend on the
assistance from the student mentors to act as role models of behavior and good citizenship. It is
important to emulate the kind of attitude and attention that we ask of the participants.
3. You are contributors of creativity and leadership. Each student mentor, under the supervision of the
YLSD, will create and implement important lessons that impart the RLSLC curriculum. This is a unique
leadership opportunity that should be taken seriously. But of course, have fun with it!
Expectations:
Attendance
Student mentors must attend when scheduled to attend. The teens come because they like to see their new
friends. If mentorships is to be effective, mentors must show up. Consistency is vital to the success of the
program and the building of relationships with the teens. Each mentor will set a schedule at orientation and
stick to it to the best of their ability. Of course, things to do come up, but any necessary absences must
receive prior approval. Also, student mentors will set their schedule at orientation so that each student who
has chosen RLSLC as their main Service Year site will be assured of finishing their required hours by the end of
May. There are 40 sessions of Real Life (per site); you must attend at least 20 sessions to reach your main
site requirement of 40 hours of service.
At each session during the program, student mentors and teen participants will sign in on the role sheet. If you
do not sign in, you will not get service hours for that day. If you arrive more than 30 minutes late, you will not
receive service hours for the session. If you need to leave early from a session, you must inform the YLSD
and/or intern before the session begins that day to receive service hours.
Lesson planning
Every student mentor who has selected RLSLC as their main service site will plan and teach a lesson. Other
student mentors may plan a lesson if they would like. The planning time counts toward service hours.
Student mentors will sign up for a lesson date and curriculum focus at Orientation. Every 2nd Friday of the
month there will be one planning meeting for the upcoming month’s lessons. Student mentors who are teaching
a lesson the following month are required to attend this planning meeting. All lesson plans should be turned
into the Real Life interns (see contact information on pg. 3 for emails) at least 2 weeks before the scheduled
lesson date.
Page 6Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
Lessons are most effective when the student mentor puts effort into making their lesson interesting and
fun. Banking could be taught in a boring way but a game that involves earning money can be really
fun. Lessons are also effective when other student mentors are excited and interested in the lesson.
Occasionally, a lesson plan will not work, will not be effective or interesting. However, all student
mentors should be engaged in all lessons. Regardless of lesson quality, it is the responsibility of each
student mentor to work with their group of teens to make the best of any less than optimal lesson plan.
Behavior:
All student mentors should emulate the behavior we want to see in the teen participants: listening to
presentations, actively participating in ALL activities and being present and enthusiastic at each RLSLC session.
• You must NOT use cells phones and other things that distract during sessions.
• You are not at RLSLC to hang out with friends. You should meet as many new people as you
can, including other student mentors. All program leadership, including student mentors should
notice and discourage the formation of cliques within Real Life.
• You should be respectful of all participants, guests, materials and sites involved in the
program.
Interaction with teens:
It is critical that student mentors interact with the teens during Real Life sessions. Effective mentors get to know
student names, backgrounds, likes and dislikes. The more you get to know the teens, the more you are able to
help them and the more connected the teens will feel to the program in general.
Outside of the program, mentors should restrict their interaction with the Real Life participants as much as
possible. We want people to form friendships but we need to pay attention to the appropriateness of
interactions while Real Life is in session. Many of the teens may go to your high school and interaction can be
expected in those situations but sought out additional interactions should not happen until the program has
been completed. Mentors are not allowed to drive Real Life teens in their cars or spend extended time in the
teen’s houses. These policies are in place for liability and safety reasons for all concerned.
Accountability
Student mentors are responsible for the quality of their lesson plans and the effort they put into mentoring the
teens in RLSLC. If they are not willing to work towards the goals of the program they should be counseled
about finding a different service site. The program is only as good as the student mentors involved.
Page 7Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
SECTION 4 – CURRICULUM
The RLSLC curriculum is a general outline to follow throughout each RLSLC program year. A high return rate
from teen participants requires new lesson plans and activities be presented each year. While it is important
to reiterate the same ideas, values and expectations, it is equally important that the Real Life sessions stay fun
and interesting to students who may be participating in consecutive years. For that reason, it is encouraged
that mentors in the program bring new lesson ideas and plan their own activities rather than choose from a
pool of already completed lessons.
1. Financial Literacy
1a. Banking
o Checking and saving accounts, role of banks in American life
" Hands on Banking – from Wells Fargo (a donor to the RLSLC program)
1b. Credit
o Credit cards, Interest, credit Score
1c. Financial responsibilities
o Budgeting, saving, cost of living
1d. Smart Shopping
o Coupons and sales, impulse buying, online purchases
2. Physical and Emotional Health
2a. Exercise
2b. Healthy eating
2c. Body Image
2d. Emotions
o Dealing with stress, Conflict resolution, ect
2e. First Aid
2f. Healthy relationships
o Friendships, anti-bullying, gender respect
2g. Prevention
o Drinking, gangs, drugs
3. Career Exploration and College Preparation
3a. College admission requirements
3b. College goals
o Majors, fields of study
3c. Scholarships and Financial Aid
3d. Job choices
3e. Interviewing ( also language practice )
4. Art Expression
4a. Mondo Art Project
4b. Crafts
4c. Design
5. Social and Cultural Activities
5a. Dance
5b. Music
5c. Etiquette
5d. Holidays and Parties
6. Language Practice
6a. Public speaking
6c. Conversations
6d. Reading
Page 8Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
SECTION 5 – LESSON PLANS
A major objective of RLSLC is to create leadership opportunities for the Youthlinc Service Year students
involved. Therefore, student mentors who have chosen Real Life as their main site are required to plan and
teach a lesson. Additionally, new people bring new ideas so the program is always growing and expanding.
If RLSLC is your main site, you will sign up at orientation for a date and curriculum focus to teach during the
year. If there is an activity that you want to do that does not obviously fall under one of the curriculum
focuses, take a moment to look at your lesson and see what parts could be used to teach a curriculum focus or
value. Most likely there will be some aspect that be tied into the curriculum.
Planning and research for lessons will count for service hours. On average, each lesson should require about 2
hours of planning, maybe more depending on the complexity of the activity.
There will be one planning meeting scheduled each month at the Youthlinc office when student mentors can
come to discuss lesson ideas and help put together the next months calendar. You must attend the planning
meeting before the month you are scheduled to teach. If you are unprepared for your lesson, you will not get
the service hours for planning that specific session or for that session.
Lesson structure should include:
• Introduction
• A way to make the lesson relevant to the teens learning
• Interactive activity or game to reiterate the lesson
• Closing – a way to reflect on what was taught
• Ending game – for fun or in case lesson doesn’t go as long as expected
Resources for lesson planning
Forms:
• Steps for preparing a lesson plan (pg. 16)
• Lesson planning template (pg. 18)
Websites:
• Utah Education Network: http://www.uen.org/k12educator/corelessonplans.shtml
• Bridging Refugee Youth & Children’s Services http://www.brycs.org
Lesson planning timeline
At orientation: sign up for a date and lesson topic
The month before your lesson: attend the planning meeting at the Youthlinc office
2 weeks before your lesson: email lesson plan to Carolyn and your site intern (either Mallory or Kenzie)
1 week before your lesson: practice! Teach someone in your family, go over it in your head. The more you
prepare the more comfortable you will feel.
Day of your lesson: Arrive on time, prepared to give an awesome lesson!
Immediately following your lesson: Your site intern will give you feedback on your lesson.
Page 9Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
SECTION 6 – VALUES AND ETHICS
Values are abstract ideas to teach to teens, but they are very important for life beyond high school and life in
the U.S. The South Salt Lake City centers have requested help from RLSLC in communicating and modeling
positive values. It is possible to incorporate values into any lesson or activity. Choose an important value that
relates to your lesson and highlight students to exemplify certain values.
Some values relevant to the Real Life teen participants include:
• Achievement, Ambition, Appreciation, Belief in self, Caring, Character, Civility, Commitment,
Compassion, Compromise, Confidence, Courage, Dedication, Education, Encouragement,
Equality, Forgiveness, Friendship, Generosity, Gratitude, Hard work, Honor, Humility,
Honesty, Hope, Innovation, Integrity, Justice, Kindness, Leadership, Listening, Love, Loyalty,
Motivation, Optimism, Patience, Persistence, Perseverance, RESPECT, Responsibility, Right
choices, Sacrifice, Sharing, Sportsmanship, Strength, Teamwork, Trust, Unity, Volunteering
SECTION 7 – THINGS THE REFUGEE TEENS LOVE
This section is a compilation of activities and practices that have proven to be effective with the Real Life
teens in past years. If any of these things can be incorporated into a lesson, it will most likely improve the
outcome.
• One on one conversations
• Teamwork competitions
• Music and dance
• Active games
SECTION 8 – GAMES AND ACTIVITIES
Teens are active by nature and the teens that come to Real Life are no different. They need physical activity
after the sedentary school day. Real Life should be a fun outlet where they also learn life skills. It is so
important to make ALL lessons active and engaging. Games and activities are the best way to do this.
If you know a great game incorporate it into your lesson or let your Real Life intern know you want to teach a
game on any day. If you love a game, chances are the other participants will enjoy it too. The internet is an
endless source of games if you are looking for something fun to play. Youthlinc also has a games handbook
that you can search though as well.
SECTION 9 – REAL LIFE STUDENT MENTOR JOB POSITIONS
RLSLC takes a lot of cooperation and work to be successful. There are a variety of fun jobs available that
help the leadership team create a great program. Mentors can sign up for one of these positions at the
beginning of the year to earn service hours and take on extra leadership opportunities.
Page 10Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
Photographer (1 per site) (One additional service hour each week)
• Takes photos at all sessions and activities where they attend and upload to Dropbox
• Pay special attention to capturing activities within the program (group photos, action photos,
special moments.)
• Creates end of year photo slideshow
Recognition (1 per site) (One additional service hour each week)
• Keeps track of all birthdays and celebrates them at sessions
• Creates the certificate and prize for the “Teen of the Week” and “Friend of the Week.”
Keep track of who has won the award.
• Creates end of year awards to be given at End of Year party
Facebook Liaison (One additional service hour each week)
• Choose photos to upload to the Real Life Facebook group
• Post status reminders to the Facebook page weekly
• Invite everyone from the program to join the Facebook group
• Start weekly conversations and spur excitement on the group page.
Blogger (1 per site) (One additional service hour per post)
• Post a blog about Real Life with photos and stories once a week. Highlight fun activities and
outstanding participants.
Fun and Games (1 per site) (One additional service hour per new game played)
• Research new and fun games to play with the group
• Teach new games to the group when you are at sessions
SECTION 10 – PARTNERSHIPS
The City of South Salt Lake
• Historic Scott School
• PAL Boxing Center
Westminster College
Mondo Art Project
Page 11Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
Mondo Art Project is an art-sharing program run by Mikell Stringham of Mondo Fine Art. Each year, Youthlinc
Service Year teams take drawings done by Real Life teens and youth from other organizations to our
international sites. The teams then create drawings with the students in-country that depict their lives. These
drawings are then brought home and shared with youth from other parts of the world.
RLSLC is a great place to create these drawings because the group is so diverse. This allows the teens to
connect with youth from other areas of the world and many times with youth from their home country. This is
also a great opportunity for Youthlinc Service Year students to experience how the Mondo Art Project works
before arriving in-country.
The Mondo Art Project does 2 main projects with the Real Life teens each year:
1. Mondo Art World Party
• Teens create drawings of their lives that will be taken to all Youthlinc Service Year
international sites.
2. Annual Benefit Art Piece
• Teens create a large art piece with a local artist to sell at the Annual Benefit to raise money
for the next year’s program.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
http://www.uen.org
http://www.mondofineart.com/blog/mondo-art-project
Page 12Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
DCOUMENTS
Waiver Forms:
Community Learning Center/Community-Based Sites
Minor Volunteer Policy
The City welcomes minor volunteers aged 16-18 to participate in after-school programs at elementary schools.
These programs are only successful if a safe and respectful atmosphere prevails. For the protection of the enrolled
children and the minor volunteers, qualified minors must comply with the following conditions:
• Minors must present a permission slip signed by a parent or guardian in order to begin participating as
volunteers.
• Minor volunteers must be under the supervision of a South Salt Lake City employee at all times.
• Volunteers must accept direction by employees.
• Volunteers are never permitted to be alone in a room with a child or accompany a child to the bathroom.
• Volunteers are not permitted to initiate physical contact with children except for handshakes, high fives, or
similar gestures.
• Volunteers must demonstrate a respectful and positive attitude. Any volunteer demonstrating a negative
attitude will be asked to leave. Volunteers who demonstrate this attitude on multiple occasions will be asked
not to participate.
• Volunteers are only permitted to participate two times per week, in one hour sittings per visit.
• Once checked in, volunteers must check out before leaving.
• Volunteers are responsible for their own transportation. The City is not responsible for transportation of
volunteers.
• Volunteers are not permitted to drive children anywhere.
I/We _______ _____________________ give permission for ________________________ to volunteer as part
of the City of South Salt Lake’s Community Learning Center programming. I understand that the minor listed
above must adhere to the volunteer policies of the CLC. I take responsibility for his/her actions and do not hold
the City or the CLC liable. Additionally, I/We ___________________ do hereby waive, release, and discharge any
and all claims for damages for death, personal injury, or property damage which myself and/or my child/children
may have, or which may hereafter accrue as a result of participation in said activity. It is understood that some
recreational activities involve an element of risk or danger of accidents, and knowing those risks, I/We hereby
assume those risks. It is further understood and agreed that this waiver, release and assumption of risk is to be
binding on my heirs and assigns. I/We have read and understood the forgoing liability release, and sign it
voluntarily. I/We ____________________________, hereby give to South Salt Lake Recreation the right to
render aid and to apply emergency medical treatment to myself and/or my child/children in the event of an
accident or injury, as they deem necessary. Additionally, in case of Emergency or serious illness, when I cannot be
reached immediately, I/We _______________________________ hereby authorize South Salt Lake Recreation to
obtain emergency medical care and/or provide medical transportation. I authorize all medical and surgical
treatment, X-ray, laboratory, anesthesia, and other medical and/or hospital procedures as may be performed or
prescribed by the attending physician and/or paramedics for my child and waive my right to informed consent of
treatment.
___________________________________________ _______________________________________
Parents/Guardian Signature Date
!
Page 13Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
Community Learning Center/Community-Based Sites
Volunteer Policy
We are excited that you are going to volunteer with us in South Salt Lake. We want your experience with us to be
positive and fulfilling each time you come to our CLC.
We are always looking for volunteers who can help in these areas:
• Homework help • Assisting during activities (art, sports, etc.)
• Reading to the youth • Lead a lesson about hobbies or topics which
• One-on-One mentoring may be of interest to you
• Special events • Lead a discussion about your own career
As always, please feel free to brainstorm with the CLC Coordinator about ways you can get involved. Volunteer
experiences are more successful when the volunteer has the opportunity to tap into their own personal interests and
passions.
As a volunteer we do ask that you adhere to the following measures:
• Prior to volunteering, each volunteer over the age of 18 must pass a background check (this costs $15.00)
• Sign-in upon arrival and sign-out at departure
• Please maintain a healthy working relationship with Center staff, school staff, families, students and fellow
volunteers.
• Utilize positivity in all interactions with youth.
• Please refrain from initiating physical contact with the youth except for handshakes, ‘high-fives’, or similar
gestures.
• As a volunteer you are never permitted to be alone in a room with a youth or accompany any youth to the
bathroom.
• Please dress appropriately when interacting with youth. Clothing must be clean, no holes in jeans, no short
shorts or tank tops, shoes must have backs on them (no flip-flops). Also no visible piercings except on ears.
• Visible tattoos must be covered.
• As you are volunteering with us, please make personal phone calls and text messages prior to and once
finished with your service and not during the time spent with the youth.
• If you, the volunteer, are between the ages of 16-18 please also adhere to the Minor Volunteer Policy.
_____________________________ __________________________
Volunteer Signature Date
Domoina Voniarisoa – Volunteer Coordinator 801/518-9523 dvoniarisoa@southsaltlakecity.com
Page 14Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
Statement of Understanding/Waiver and Release/Code of Conduct
for Youthlinc students involved in the Youthlinc ‘Real Life in SLC’ program, a partnership with the Hser
Ner Moo Center for refugees.
1. I understand that Youthlinc is partnering with the Hser Ner Moo Center in South Salt Lake to
provide after school tutoring and mentoring for teen refugees. The program will involve some
homework help, some sports and outdoor activities, some field trips, and a curriculum of ‘real life
skills’ including financial literacy, nutrition, health & hygiene, information about jobs & careers,
and other issues of everyday American life. The goal of the program is to provide positive role
models and friends for recently arrived refugee teens, as well as to communicate useful
information that will help these newcomers more easily adjust to life in the U.S.A. There will be
elements of cultural exchange, validation of the heritage of refugees, as well as exposure to
typical Utah cultural and social experiences.
2. I understand that the Waiver of Liability and the Code of Conduct that I signed as part of my
Youthlinc application applies to my engagement in the ‘Real Life in SLC’ program.
3. I understand that if I am not a current program participant, I must sign the Waiver and
Code in order to participate in this program.
4. I understand that I must have a background check to participate in any program
associated with Youthlinc.
5. I agree to strictly adhere to all Youthlinc policies as outlined in the Waiver and Code, and other
program documents regarding interaction with individuals we serve locally and internationally,
especially the following which are repeated here for emphasis:
a. A supervisor from Hser Ner Moo and an appointed supervisor from Youthlinc must be
present during all activities associated with the Real Life in SLC program. If such
supervision is not present, activities must end.
b. At no time, and under no circumstances, are Youthlinc volunteers to engage in one-on-
one contact with the clients of the Hser Ner Moo Center. In situations that require
personal conferences, even homework help, the meeting is to be conducted in view of
other Youthlinc volunteers. Youthlinc volunteers must work at least in pairs with clients of
the Hser Ner Moo Center. This policy is in effect in all situations, including walking to and
from the Columbus Center where most activities will take place, or on field trips.
c. In no instance are Youthlinc volunteers to visit Hser Ner Moo homes unless at least two
volunteers are present, one of whom must be an appointed Youthlinc or Hser Ner Moo
supervisor.
d. In no instance are Youthlinc volunteers allowed to drive Real Life participants in their
private vehicles.
e. Youthlinc volunteers must respect the privacy of all program participants including Hser
Ner Moo clients, dress appropriately, and confer with the Youthlinc Local Service Director
and the Supervisor of the Hser Ner Moo Center in matters of constructive criticism or
discipline.
f. I understand that though friendships are encouraged, during the time period that the
Youthlinc volunteer is engaged in the Real Life in SLC program, contact with clients must
be during scheduled program time only and must adhere to the policies set forth in this
document and other Youthlinc Codes of Conduct.
I have read and understand all the conditions and policies as outlined above and in the Youthlinc Waiver
of Liability and Code of Conduct, signed as part of a Youthlinc participant application.
Participant Printed Name: ______________________________________________________________
Participant Signature: __________________________________________ Date: __________________
Parent or Legal Guardian Signature (if participant is under 18): _________________________________
Parent Printed Name: __________________________________________ Date: ___________________
!
Page 15Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
Lesson Planning:
Steps&for&Preparing&a&Lesson&Plan&
Below&are&six&steps&to&guide&you&when&you&create&your&first&lesson&plan.&Each&step&is&accompanied&by&a&set&of&
questions&meant&to&aid&you&in&designing&your&teaching&and&learning&activities.&
(1)&Outline&learning&objectives&
The&first&step&is&to&determine&what&you&want&the&teens&to&learn.&Ask&yourself&the&following&questions:&
• What&is&the&topic&of&the&lesson?&&You&can&choose&from&any&area&of&the&Real&Life&curriculum.&&
F&Financial&Literacy,&Physical&and&Emotional&Health,&Career&Exploration&and&College&preparation,&
Art&Expression,&Social&and&Cultural&activities,&Language&practice.&&
• What&do&I&want&students&to&learn?&
• What&do&I&want&them&to&understand&and&be&able&to&do&at&the&end&of&the&session?&
• What&do&I&want&them&to&take&away&from&this&particular&lesson?&Why&is&it&important?&&
&
(2)&Develop&the&introduction&
Now&you&need&to&design&the&specific&activities&you&will&use&to&get&the&teens&to&understand.&&Because&you&will&
have&a&diverse&group&of&participants&with&different&academic&and&personal&experiences,&they&may&already&be&
familiar&with&the&topic.&That&is&why&you&might&start&with&a&question&or&activity&to&gauge&students’&knowledge&of&
the&subject&or&possibly,&their&preconceived¬ions&about&it.&For&example,&you&can&take&a&simple&poll:&“How&
many&of&you&have&heard&of&X?&Raise&your&hand&if&you&have.”&&
Develop&a&creative&introduction&to&the&topic&to&stimulate&interest&and&encourage&thinking.&You&can&use&a&
variety&of&approaches&to&engage&students.&Consider&the&following&questions&when&planning&your&introduction:&
• How&will&I&check&whether&students&know&anything&about&the&topic?&
• What&are&some&commonly&held&ideas&(or&possibly&misconceptions)&about&this&topic?&
• What&will&I&do&to&introduce&the&topic?&
&
&(3)&Plan&the&specific&learning&activities&(the&main&body&of&the&lesson)&
Prepare&several&different&ways&of&explaining&the&material&(realFlife&examples,&analogies,&visuals,&activities&etc.)&
to&catch&the&attention&of&more&teens&and&appeal&to&different&learning&styles.&As&you&plan&activities,&estimate&
how&much&time&you&will&spend&on&each.&Build&in&time&for&extended&explanation&or&discussion,&but&also&be&
prepared&to&move&on&quickly&to&different&applications&or&problems.&&These&questions&would&help&you&design&
the&learning&activities&you&will&use:&
• What&will&I&do&to&explain&the&topic?&
• How&can&I&engage&students&in&the&topic?&
• What&are&some&relevant&examples,&games,&or&situations&that&can&help&the&teens&understand&the&topic?&
&
(4)&Plan&to&check&for&understanding&
How&will&you&know&the&teens&are&learning?&Think&about&specific&questions&you&can&ask&students&in&order&to&
check&for&understanding,.&Ask&yourself&these&questions:&
• What&questions&will&I&ask&students&to&check&for&understanding?&
• What&will&I&have&students&do&to&demonstrate&that&they&are&following?&
• What&activity&can&I&have&students&do&to&check&whether&each&of&those&has&been&accomplished?&
Page 16Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
&
&(5)&Develop&a&conclusion&
Go&over&the&material&covered&by&summarizing&the&main&points&of&the&lesson.&You&can&do&this&in&a&number&of&
ways:&you&can&state&the&main&points&yourself&(“Today&we&talked&about…”),&you&can&ask&a&student&to&help&you&
summarize&them,&or&you&can&even&ask&all&students&to&write&down&on&a&piece&of&paper&what&they&think&were&the&
main&points&of&the&lesson.&You&can&review&the&students’&answers&to&gauge&their&understanding&of&the&topic&and&
then&explain&anything&unclear&the&following&class.&&
(6)&Create&a&realistic&timeline&
A&list&of&ten&learning&objectives&is¬&realistic,&so&narrow&down&your&list&to&one&or&two&concepts,&ideas,&or&skills&
you&want&students&to&learn.&Having&additional&examples&or&alternative&activities&will&also&allow&you&to&be&
flexible.&Here&are&some&strategies&for&creating&a&realistic&timeline:&
• Estimate&how&much&time&each&of&the&activities&will&take,&then&plan&some&extra&time&for&each&
• When&you&prepare&your&lesson&plan,&next&to&each&activity&indicate&how&much&time&you&expect&it&will&take&
• Plan&a&few&minutes&at&the&end&of&class&to&answer&any&remaining&questions&and&to&sum&up&key&points&
• Plan&an&extra&activity&or&discussion&question&in&case&you&have&time&left&
• Be&flexible&–&be&ready&to&adjust&your&lesson&plan&to&students’&needs&and&focus&on&what&seems&to&be&more&
productive&rather&than&sticking&to&your&original&plan&
Presenting&the&Lesson&Plan&
Letting&the&teens&know&what&they&will&be&learning&and&doing&in&class&will&help&keep&them&more&engaged&and&on&
track.&You&can&share&your&lesson&plan&by&telling&students&explicitly&what&they&will&be&learning&and&doing.&&&
Reflecting&on&Your&Lesson&Plan&
A&lesson&plan&may¬&work&as&well&as&you&had&expected&due&to&a&number&of&extraneous&circumstances.&You&
should¬&get&discouraged&–&it&happens&to&even&the&most&experienced&teachers!&Take&a&few&minutes&after&
each&class&to&reflect&on&what&worked&well&and&why,&and&what&you&could&have&done&differently.&Identifying&
successful&and&less&successful&organization&of&class&time&and&activities&would&make&it&easier&to&adjust&to&the&
contingencies&of&the&classroom.&I&will&be&sending&you&an&email&asking&you&these&questions.&&&
Conclusion&
To&be&effective,&the&lesson&plan&does¬&have&to&be&an&exhaustive&document&that&describes&each&and&every&
possible&detail.&Instead,&it&should&provide&you&with&a&general&outline&of&your&goals,&learning&objectives,&and&
activities.&It&is&a&reminder&of&what&you&want&to&do&and&how&you&want&to&do&it.&A&productive&lesson&is¬&one&in&
which&everything&goes&exactly&as&planned,&but&one&in&which&both&students&and&instructor&learn&from&each&
other.&
&
Page 17Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE
Curriculum Focus
Real Life Salt Lake City
Lesson Title Date
Overview Materials
What is this lesson about? What activities will you be doing? What will you be List all materials you will need
talking about?
• Pencils
• Paper
Objectives • Shopping list
• Clipboard to write on
What is do you want the participants to learn?
! There might be more than one Other Resources
! What do you want them to understand?
! What do you want them to take away? Are there any websites you used? Do
you need to do this lesson at a
different location? Is there someone
Introduction else helping you with this lesson that
you want to give credit to?
How will you begin your lesson? Ask a question or make it relevant to the
participants. Let them know what they will be doing with you today.
Activities Game
What is the step by step plan for your lesson and activity.
Use this space to add instructions for a
! List all of the steps game. You may end early or your lesson
! Add any details that will help you might not work out. This game will be a
! Add how much time you think each step will take (5 minutes) great time filler if that happens. Maybe
everything went perfect but you think a
game would really end things well – use
Conclusion this one!
How will you end your lesson? With a game? With a group discussion? Will
you talk to the group individually? Will everyone share what they created?
Lesson Title 1
Page 18Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
Lesson plan example
Julia Rametta & Jane Doe
Financial Literacy
Real Life Salt Lake City
Smart Shopping 3/24/2014
Overview Materials
Scavenger hunt to teach about making healthy choices, using coupons, and • Pencils
shopping smart. • Shopping list worksheet
• Copies of store weekly
coupons
Objectives • Clipboards to write on
• Prizes for winning team
! Participants will learn how to navigate a grocery store and select the
best deals using coupons and math.
! Participants will also learn to make healthy choices and realize that Other Resources
eating healthy can be cheap if they look for good deals.
This lesson must take place at a
grocery store.
Introduction
I used this website to find most of my
Begin by asking the students if they do any grocery shopping. Ask them if they activity information.
would like to have more money for things they want to buy. Explain that you
can have more money for other things if you can save money on food. www.smartshopping.com
Jane Doe, Real Life participant,
Adaptations helped me plan and teach this lesson.
1. Separate everybody into groups of 4-6 people and give them a list of
things they need to find at Smith's. Game
! Ex. Create a full meal that has at least 1 serving of whole
grain, 2 servings of fruit/vegetables, 1 serving of dairy, 1 Superlative game:
servings of meat. How much would the full meal cost?
Split group into 2 teams. Without talking
! Ex. Now find the same items that you can use store coupons
the teams must organize themselves into
for. How much does this meal cost?
the order I give them. Ex. By birthday, by
2. The group that can save the most money between and is correct with height, by # of siblings. The team that
their findings gets a prize. wins 3 first get a treat.
Supplies: small bag of candy for treats
Conclusion
Ask the teams how they thought it went. Was anyone surprised at how much
extra money they had after using the coupons? What would they do with the
extra money they saved?
Smart Shopping 1
Page 19Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual 10 Tips for Teaching Respect: (1) Model it: If you want them to do it, you have to do it too. (2) Expect it: When your expectations are reasonably high, children rise to the occasion. (3) Teach it: Give children the tools they need to show you respect. Incorporate the idea into all of your lessons. (4) Praise it: When you see or hear children using respectful language and making respectful choices, recognize it and praise them for making positive, respectful decisions. (5) Discuss it: Pick out times when you see other children using respectful or disrespectful language or behavior and discuss with it your children. (6) Correct it: Be strong, firm and direct when teaching respect. At the same time, be sure you are being respectful yourself while correcting the behavior. (7) Acknowledge it: Don’t just let things slide! Be sure to notice when respectful behavior is being exhibited and make sure to call them on disrespectful behavior! (8) Understand it: Children are always growing and learning. Sometimes word choice and behavioral decisions are made because they do not have the correct words or behavior to relay “I’m tired,” “I’m frustrated,” or “I’m angry.” (9) Reinforce it: Remind children of their good decisions so that they remember how it felt, the praise they received, and the overall experience of being respectful. (10) Reward it: Respectful behavior should be something that children want to do without overindulgent rewards. However, it is good to associate respectful behavior with intangible rewards such as praise, recognition, extra responsibility, and privileges. Page 20
Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
Page 21Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual Page 22
Real Life Salt Lake City Mentor Manual
Refugee Backgrounders:
For extended information visit http://www.brycs.org/aboutRefugees/refugee_populations.cfm and
http://www.rescue.org/sites/default/files/migrated/where/united_states_salt_lake_city_ut/refugee-
backgrounders.pdf
Bhutanese
Beginning in the 1890s, Nepali-speaking people were brought to southern Bhutan to create farmlands to provide food for the
rest of the country. In the 1980s, the government began to enact oppressive integration policies toward these Nepali-speaking
Bhutanese, who were tortured if they opposed the regime. Beginning in 1990, thousands of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese were
forced to flee to refugee camps in neighboring Nepal, where many have lived for the past 15 to 20 years. As of 2008, many of
these refugees have found a new home in the United States.
Burmese
Located in Southeast Asia, Burma is one of the poorest countries in the world. For the past five decades, Burma has been in
the midst of a political and armed conflict, which has forced millions of Burmese to flee their homeland. Many of those who
have fled are ethnic minorities, including the Karen, Karenni, and Chin. Hundreds of thousands of these refugees have settled
in refugee camps in Thailand and Malaysia and some are now being resettled in the United States.
Burundians
Civil war erupted in Burundi, a small East African nation, during the mid-twentieth century when it gained independence from
Belgium. In 1972, hundreds of thousands of Burundians, primarily of Hutu ethnicity, were killed as the result of a campaign of
violence by the Tutsi-dominated government. Thousands more fled to refugee camps in Tanzania and other neighboring
countries. Many of the Burundian refugees currently being resettled in the U.S. have lived in these refugee camps in Tanzania
since 1972, while others have lived in the camps since events in the 1990s.
Congolese
The 1998-2004 war in the DRC has been deemed the world’s deadliest conflict since World War II. The current crisis began in
1996 in the midst of discord with war-torn Rwanda, following the Rwandan genocide in 1994. In 1998, this conflict escalated
into a devastating war between the DRC’s government military and rebel groups from the DRC, Uganda, Burundi, and
Rwanda. The war resulted in 3.9 million deaths, and forced an estimated 3.6 million people to leave their homes.
Ethiopian
Natural disasters, political unrest, war, drought, and famine have forced millions of Ethiopians from their homes in
recent decades. Between 1998-2000, Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a bloody border war resulting in tens of thousands of deaths,
and the displacement of over 600,000 people from the border areas. Though a peace agreement was signed in 2005, tensions
between these two countries still remain high. Internal conflict between the Ethiopian government and an armed resistance
group, the Oromo Liberation Front, has also been a source of internal conflict in Ethiopia. Historically, Ethiopia has been
vulnerable to periodic drought and famine, and is currently facing significant food shortages.
Iraqis
Violence triggered by the war in Iraq has prompted one of the fastest-growing refugee crises in the world. Over the past few
years, millions of Iraqis have fled to neighboring countries like Jordan and Syria to escape the fighting. Now many Iraqis are
being resettled in the United States.
Somalis
Civil war and clan warfare erupted in Somalia in 1991, which resulted in the collapse of the Somali government. The country
was left in anarchy and the economic and education systems were devastated. Many Somalis fled their country at that time,
only to spend many years in refugee camps in neighboring countries. Since 1991, it is estimated that over 100,000 Somali
refugees have resettled to the United States.
Sudanese
Since gaining independence from Britain in 1956, two protracted civil wars have caused significant devastation in Sudan. Both
civil wars have been rooted in conflict between primarily Islamic Arab rebel groups and largely non-Muslim, non-Arab groups
living in South Sudan and in border areas. Armed and supported by the Sudanese Government, rebel groups have killed non-
Arab citizens, razed villages, and committed acts of violence against women. Since the beginning of the most recent conflict
in 1983, over 2 million people have been killed, and more than 4 million people have been displaced.
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