Empowered Learning Circles for Kids
Free 4-part video series for children
Want to learn collaborative decision-making through sociocracy with a group of children? Look no further!
This free 4-part series of videos will walk your group through using:
- Rounds
- Consent decision-making
- Collaborative proposal-forming
- Sociocratic selection process
- For selecting people into roles
- For nominating and choosing between options
- Feedback
These topics have been simplified and adjusted in fun ways to work for children, and are designed to complement Let’s Decide Together.
What do I need to get started?
- A group of 7-12 children ages 5-12.
- You can do this with up to 30 children but it will take longer. It’s best to break up into 2 groups of 15 if possible.
- A way to play videos where everyone can see.
- Room to sit in a circle.
- A talking object to pass around and indicate whose turn it is to speak. Read more on talking objects here.
- 15-45 minutes of time.
- Videos range from 3-6 minutes long, but will take 15-45 minutes to work through as a group because you will pause along the way to practice the tools.
Session One: Let’s decide who will do these jobs!
In this video, you as the convener of the group will begin as the facilitator (choosing who speaks first) and the video director (pausing and playing the video.) Children will be selected to fill these roles so that in your next meeting, children will do these tasks.
Key concepts:
Let’s Decide Together tie-ins:
- Meeting 1, Rounds and Agreements
- Meeting 6, Role Selections
NOTE: This video will take the longest to work through as it introduces the most new concepts. Allocate at least 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your group, and set a timer for a halfway “wiggle break.”
Session Two: Let’s decide on a game!
In this session your group will decide on a game to play together, and then play it! Make sure you pick a time when you will have plenty of time afterward to play the game.
Key concepts:
- Selection process for choosing between multiple options
Let’s Decide Together tie-ins:
- Meeting 2: Consent Decision-Making
Download a free meeting agenda from the book for deciding on a game here.
Session Three: What should our superpowers rules be?
In this session, your group will go through a brainstorming process to form a proposal about how to play together using imaginary superpowers. Plan to leave 5-15 minutes afterward for this imaginative play.
Key concepts:
Let’s Decide Together tie-in:
- Meeting 1: Rounds and Agreements
NOTE: You can use this same process to decide on a list of agreements for how you want to treat each other in a group. Download a free meeting agenda covering agreements here.
Session Four: How did we do? Feedback
This final session will provide time for giving feedback to role holders, as well as reflecting on all of the sessions. Giving and receiving feedback is a core concept in sociocracy, as well as a valuable life skill.
Key concepts:
I hope you had fun using these videos! Check out more resources below.
Next steps for practicing sociocracy with children
