As part of the CYFAR (Children, Youth & Families At-Risk) grant this past year, we were in the Family & Consumer Science class at a local middle school. In the last class of each eight-week session, we close with the Trust Walk activity. We tape various paths on the classroom floor. Students partner up and one student is blind folded while the other student leads their partner thru the classroom using only their voice. They cannot touch their partner. The students then return to the beginning of the classroom and switch roles. Following this exercise, we then discuss the dynamics of each role and the students' experiences.    

In the last session of the year, as we were preparing for this activity, a former student (not sure why he was not in his class) stopped by and became involved with this activity. He told the students how much fun this activity is and then began explaining and leading the students as they began this activity. Since he had a take charge attitude, outgoing personality, and knew all the student’s names, he was very instrumental in getting this activity started for the current students and got them to buy in very quickly.

It was fulfilling to watch this student take ownership and lead his fellow students through this activity.