An assembly is a large-group meeting with youth. Clubs and Youth Centers run assemblies daily, weekly or monthly, depending on their capacity. Assemblies are great times to make general announcements that all youth need to know. They are also ideal times to build community and create a sense of belonging among youth and staff who may not usually get to spend time together.
Having all youth in the same place at the same time can open the door to chaos and safety issues. Unprepared transitions can cause staff to lose valuable programming time when youth have trouble moving from an assembly to their next program area.
This Playbook will help you manage transitions by:
There are two transitions that occur around a Club assembly. The first is youth transitioning into assemblies from school or other activities. The second is youth transitioning out of the assembly area, into their respective programs or activities at the Club that day. Having a plan for both will ensure smoother transitions and limit potential time lost.
1. Determine seating arrangements. Before your assembly, you can determine where youth are going to sit. Keeping a consistent seating arrangement will allow youth to learn the routine and eventually seat themselves. There are several options for consistently arranging youth:
2. Map your seating chart. Once you’ve selected your preferred grouping, you can map out where each group will sit using the blank Seating Chart Template below. Consider mapping the following areas.
Seating Chart Template
3. Plan activities during transitions-in. It can take a while for all youth to get to the assembly area, due to varied drop-off times. So, plan activities to keep them busy while waiting on an assembly to start. Check out the Do: Tools for Implementation section for waiting games, challenges and easy-to-join Community Builders. Here are a few examples to get you started.
1. Plan an orderly exit. Determine the order in which groups will exit, and know where everyone should be headed. Use the Transition Planning Template below to keep track of where members are going next. You could organize the exit by:
2. Set up games for transitioning out of the assembly. You can lead games or challenges to help youth exit the assembly space. For example, younger children could imagine they are in a jungle and have to leave by moving like their favorite jungle animal.
*Follow the same recommendations as the Club or Program Director.
Create a fun, meaningful and engaging assembly by including all young people in the planning, execution and feedback. This Playbook provides tips to engage both youth and staff in planning and hosting assemblies.
Give staff and youth the opportunity to provide input and actively participate in or host the assembly. This can build a culture of respect between all in the Club or Youth Center. Below are ways to gather input from both staff and youth, along with opportunities to give them ownership of the agenda. Remember to use the feedback given.
1. Find a method to get staff input. Below are a few methods for collecting input.
2. Engage staff to host part of the assembly. Assemblies are great opportunities for staff to give announcements and connect with youth in a meaningful way. Below are a few ways staff can get involved.
1. Find a method to get youth input. Below are a few methods for collecting their input.
2. Engage young people to host part of the assembly. Youth may be more engaged in announcements or games when one of their peers is presenting. Below are ways you can get youth to actively participate.
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Knowing what to expect helps young people feel safer in the Club or Youth Center. It also allows young people to contribute in a meaningful way. This Playbook includes a template for a suggested assembly agenda rooted in positive youth development practice.
Essential to planning an engaging assembly is a consistent agenda. While assemblies may vary for each Club and Youth Center, be sure to include the suggested agenda items in your assembly agenda. Use the Agenda Template at the end of this section to build your agenda.
The purpose of each Club assembly will determine your agenda. While consistency is important, you may opt to have special assemblies for unusual announcements or Recognition. But keep a consistent daily or weekly assembly agenda for the normal operations of the Club or Youth Center.
Club assemblies can set the tone for the rest of the day. So do your best to limit the time youth are expected to sit quietly and listen, especially after being lectured all day in school. Use the following Potential Assembly Purpose Chart to determine the purpose of your assembly and the agenda items to include.
Potential Assembly Purpose Chart
| Assembly Purpose | Suggested Frequency | Agenda Items to Include |
|---|---|---|
Choice-Based Programming You may choose this option if you allow youth to choose their program activity each day. An assembly allows all youth to hear offerings and choose the option that best fits them. | Frequency: Daily; either after youth come in or once they finish homework Length of time: 10 minutes or less |
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Club-Wide Announcements You may choose this option if you use assemblies to deliver announcements for all youth. | Frequency: Weekly or biweekly Length of time: 10 minutes or less |
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Community Builder and Recognition You may choose this option if you utilize assemblies to build community among youth and staff, or if you want to improve the emotional climate of the Club or Youth Center. | Frequency: Biweekly or monthly Length of time: 25 minutes or less |
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Surprise Fun! You may choose this option to surprise youth with highly engaging, fun activities they can do together. | Frequency: Monthly or quarterly Length of Time: 30-60 minutes |
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1. Select staff or youth to be in charge of the Warm Welcome. This involves greeting youth by name and thanking them for coming as they enter. It helps build a safe, positive environment; a sense of belonging; and supportive relationships with peers and adults.
2. Spice up your Warm Welcome. On the same note as the transition-in fun, welcome members to the assembly area by high-fiving, playing a popular dance song or dressing up as a fun character.
1. Choose your theme. Having a theme of the day, week or month can make it easier to plan out an agenda for the assembly or activities offered in the Club or Youth Center. Themes also help youth support each other in learning new skills. Below is a list of themes you may want to include:
2. Determine how you’d like to incorporate this theme. Consider integrating your theme into the following assembly and Club components:
1. Select your attention getter. An attention getter is a phrase, chant, or gesture that can be used throughout a session to get the group’s attention in a respectful and engaging way. Check out the Do: Tools for Implementation section for five attention getters to use right now.
1. Select the announcements all youth in the assembly need to know. Be mindful to not include announcements that only apply to small groups of youth, as this may cause others to quickly disengage. Each announcement should be no longer than one minute, and announcements as a whole should be less than 10 minutes. Below is a checklist of potential announcements you might make:
2. Determine who will give the announcements. You might have staff in charge of program areas make announcements about their upcoming activities, or have youth make general announcements.
3. Provide reminders for important announcements. You might want to create a small handout sheet with important announcements, like those concerning safety or requiring involvement of parents. Alternatively, you can send an email with the announcements to parents, or have them running on a visible TV screen near the front desk.
Select something to celebrate or recognize. Assemblies are great times to recognize and celebrate milestone achievements, birthdays, and big or small wins.
Below is a checklist of Celebrations you might want to include:
Below is a checklist of Recognitions you might want to include:
1. Choose your Reflection topic. Dedicated Reflections are great times to enhance social-emotional skills in youth. They create an environment that embraces curiosity and personal reflection. Check out the Do: Tools for Implementation section for standard Reflection questions that can be used with any topic. Here is a checklist of topics you may want to use:
2. Choose your method of sharing the Reflection. There are many ways to help young people reflect, from having a conversation to sticking Post-it notes on a wall. Below is a checklist of methods you could use.