I feel like a Brownie again! Not that I worked that hard towards badges back then. Looking at my badge book this morning I’m suprised how few badges I did! I guess I didn’t understand the interest in learning new things when I was 8. I did learn to play chess though. I don’t think I would know how to play that if it wasn’t for Brownies.
Anyhow, I’ve recently stumbled across the Look Wider program for the Senior Section of guiding. I’m 21, fall straight into the Senior Section age range, but I’m unaware of any units near me. So it made me wonder whether I needed a unit. I understand the value of the support given, but I can also find that through the Internet. So I thought through the Internet I would document my success with Look Wider.
For those not in the know, Look Wider is a program that looks at learning new things and starting new experiences. These should fall into one of eight octants: Personal Values, Community Action, Creativity, Fit for Life, Out of Doors, Independent Living, Leadership and International. The experiences have three phases, the first phase is to try three different activities and get a taste of what they are. The second phase is to take one activity further and dome for 12 hours. Although it doesn’t have to be at once! And it doesn’t even need to be something tried in phase one. Then phase three is to take on a long-term challenge, something that either takes 30 hours, or 20 hours while gaining a qualification.
So… there’s so much to do I don’t know where to start!
Well, here is my initial list of what I could do for these octants and these phases:
Personal Values:
Phase 1: Donate blood
Phase 1:
Phase 1:
Phase 2:
Phase 3:
Community Actions:
Phase 1:
Phase 1:
Phase 1:
Phase 2: Summer Reading Scheme at local Library
Phase 3: Volunteering at Hospital mobile library
Creativity:
Phase 1: Understand painting through Art Academy game
Phase 1: Look into modern poetry and try my own
Phase 1: Possibly Knitting
Phase 2: Possibly Knitting squares for Keep an Aids child warm Charity.
Phase 3: Paint, watercolours or acrylic, an observation onto canvas.
Fit for Life:
Phase 1: Climbing
Phase 1: Learning about healthy diets and planning healthy meals for a week
Phase 1:
Phase 2: Cycling? Possibly cycling at new locations for out-of-doors instead
Phase 3: Climbing level 1 qualification
Out of Doors:
Phase 1: Grow some herbs or vegetables.
Phase 1:
Phase 1:
Phase 2:
Phase 3:
Independent Living:
Phase 1: Budget for renting a flat
Phase 1: Start a pension
Phase 1:
Phase 2: Learning to cook a range of proper meals
Phase 3:
Leadership:
Phase 1: Run a nature walk with Brownies
Phase 1: Organize coach for London Zoo trip
Phase 1:
Phase 2: Create a unit website with input from Brownies
Phase 3: Gain Pack Holiday Qualification
International:
Phase 1: Start a new pen pal exchange through Guiding website
Phase 1:
Phase 1:
Phase 2: Re visit French language and expand on current ability
Phase 3:
I’ve thought hard about these, can’t think of anything more right now though. Any ideas are more than welcome in comments.
Independent Living is hard, I’ve heard a lot of people learn to drive for this, but I completed that last year! And this project is about moving myself forward so I won’t be doing any back-dating. Plus I never went to university and don’t plan to either. Although if I ever start my CILIP qualification I may use that.
Also, I hope art academy counts! I haven’t played it yet, and previously studying art at foundation diploma level I guess I will be able to tell if it is appropriate. Painting is a new experience for me, by the way, I mostly did computer graphics and cartoon illustration.
So this is what I plan to work towards over the next year or so. Maybe I’ll learn some new skills that I can pass on to the Brownies.
Look Wider - You Could Miss Something 