GTI Fosters Teamwork Among Teens
Horizons in Hemophilia, July 2015
By Laura Roberts, RN, Outreach Nurse
In June, I had the pleasure of attending the Georgia Teen Institute (GTI) with seven of HoG’s awesome teenagers at Oxford College. This was my first year attending GTI and I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive because I had no idea what to expect. However, by the last day I was so thankful that I had the opportunity to bond with such a wonderful group of young people and dedicated staff. HoG Outreach Nurse Gelene Doolittle and I served as camp nurses for our group.
Our team name is Generation of Heroes (GoH). Each team selected a project that will spread awareness about a cause they are passionate about. Our project focused on bleeding disorders. During the time we were there, the team had to come up with an effective way to reach and educate the community. The GTI staff taught them how to plan and implement ideas and work together as a team to create a successful campaign.
GoH chose to do Bitstrips. Bitstrips are short story strips like the funny pages in the newspaper. We created characters for each teen and they came up with their first story to tell. It was neat to watch them give their perspectives of what they have been through. Almost every teen had a different bleeding disorder. The comic strips illustrating their stories will be posted on the HoG and Junior Board Facebook pages periodically. So be on the lookout for the upcoming adventures of GoH!
One night all the teams gathered together after dinner in a large room. Tables were set up for each team with supplies. Each team was given a manila envelope with 24 pieces of paper inside. Each page had a different challenge and the player received an allotted number of points for completing each challenge. Every team member had to participate to get the points and all of ours did. It was so much fun, especially for those of us with a competitive streak, and Generation of Heroes won!!
I was very impressed with how GTI used fun ways to encourage and teach team building. During the day, the kids got to choose from among the many sessions offered. GoH truly did work together as a team. I was amazed to see the bond they have and how they really stick together and watch out for one another.
This was a great experience for me personally because I have a 17-year-old son and teach a youth group of 6th grade girls at my church. GTI equipped me with the knowledge to promote teamwork and unity among the youth I encounter on a daily basis. I was also able to use this experience to help sharpen my communication skills with teens and understand the transitions they are going through in life. I am thankful for this opportunity and look forward to more like it in the future.