If we begrudge the younger generation
its enthusiasms or its dreams
it will only make us miserable.
Let us instead encourage their dreams,
support them with our wisdom,
and bless them with our prayers.
It is only fitting that the young inherit the world.
So did we.
The Sage’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for the Second Half of Life – William Martin
OVERVIEW
The world is of increasing complexity, culturally diverse, changing rapidly and interdependent. Although the future is yet to be imagined, we do know that we are facing several existential crises:
- climate change threatening the survival of the planet
- socio-political fragmentation threatening the cohesion of our societies and global community
- accelerating workplace changes
- the challenge of Artificial Intelligence
At the same time, we have learnt much from the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the importance of:
- collaboration rather than competition; the individual acting in a way which shows commitment to a greater good. The emergence of the ‘we factor’ is undeniably one of the key ingredients of successful management. Those communities that are driven by ‘toxic individualism’ fared much worse than those communities where citizens actively supported actions for community good
- intrinsic motivation as more sustaining than extrinsic motivation; engagement increases commitment and drive; grit and resilience enable sustained effort
Our responsibility as educators is to equip future citizens and leaders with the capability to rise above crude and increasingly obsolete dualisms— Us v Them, Economy v Environment, Individual v Collective, Pragmatism v Morality, Politics v Spiritualty— to meet the challenges of today and the future with wisdom and courage, with an enlightened, integrated sense of the common good.
THE PUP CONCEPT
PUP is a bespoke learning and leadership development program that supports youth organisations and educational institutions—schools, universities and colleges—to meet their goals. PUP puts education and educational providers at the centre of creating cohesive, inclusive and healthy communities, hence focuses development on the capabilities of students, teachers, leaders and parents to be more engaged and effective citizens and community leaders. Particular emphasis is given to personal development and the ability to develop healthy relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.
THE PROGRAM
PUP programs combine insights from science, emotional and cultural intelligence, mindfulness, philosophy and spirituality to develop understanding and behavioural skills in the five key areas that are essential to finding happiness and success in work and in life. Each of these can be adapted to your particular context. You can choose to do the full program or individual workshops.
- Purpose and Passion
- What do I love? What am I good at? What’s important to me? What makes me happy and gives me satisfaction?
- Self-Mastery
- What’s my identity? Where do I belong? How do others see me? What are my core beliefs? What are my strengths and how can I build on these? How do I cope with uncertainty and negative self-talk and the stress and anxiety these cause?
- Interpersonal skills
- How do I become a good communicator? How do I respect cultural diversity and develop healthy relationships with people who are different? How can I become more empathetic and compassionate?
- Creative Problem Solving
- What is the process for solving problems? How can I learn to examine issues from multiple perspectives? How can I develop my creative skills and learn to use them in problem solving?
- Global citizenship and awareness
- What is my place in the world? Why should I care about what happens outside my community and outside Australia? What is a global perspective and how can I develop it? What can I do to contribute to a fairer world?
Delivering the Program
3 options:
- Half Day face to face workshops.
- Fully online
- Blended learning(Face to face plus online)
Cost: $990 per workshop or $4400 for full program of 5 workshops.
Additional Services
Presentation and Facilitation Skills
The Presentation and Facilitation Skills program consists of 3 half day workshops. The program aims to give participants foundational presentation and facilitation skills. Workshop 1 builds confidence in public presentation. Workshop 2 develops facilitation skills. The final workshop gives participants an opportunity to apply these skills to a problem or situation that is relevant to them.
Cost: $2970 for the full program
Mindfulness
The Mindfulness program teaches young people how to apply the skills of mindfulness to study, sport and relationships. The program gives young people strategies to:
- manage stress, anxiety, overwhelm and so build resilience
- increase feelings of wellbeing and happiness
- improve concentration and face challenges with a clear, focused and positive mindset
- manage negative, self- critical thoughts
- manage challenging emotions such as fear and anger
- be present and not get caught up regretting things that happened in the past or worrying about what might happen in the future
- gain insights into how to tackle some of life’s challenges
Cost: 6 X 1 hour sessions delivered online-
$900 for an organisation
$120 for an individual
