1. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
thrive
verb. {THrīv}
to grow or develop vigorously; to flourish
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The following exercises are founded in Positive Youth
Development, a strengths based approach to youth
development.
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This approach cultivates internal assets rather than focusing
on barriers or weaknesses.
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These exercises can be used to break the ice for new riders,
open a ride or raise energy levels during a ride.
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Key
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Activity can be performed indoors in case of
poor weather
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Activity is either exclusively for girls or may be
better suited towards an all-girls group
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Asset development areas
POSITIVE
VALUES
SOCIAL
COMPETENCIES
POSITIVE
IDENTITY

2. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
INTERNAL ASSETS
The assets below are areas in which Momentum Bike Clubs can develop youth on and off the bikes. Look for
these categories graphically next to the title of each activity and their sub-categories listed in the “Internal
Asset Development” sections.
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Positive Values
!Caring | Young Person places high value on helping other people.
!Equality and Social Justice | Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger
and poverty.
!Integrity | Young person acts on convictions and stands up for her or his beliefs.
!Honesty | Young person "tells the truth even when it is not easy.”
!Responsibility | Young person accepts and takes personal responsibility.
!Restraint | Young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs.
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Social Competencies
!Planning and Decision Making | Young person knows how to plan ahead and make choices.
!Interpersonal Competence| Young person has empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills.
!Cultural Competence | Young person has knowledge of and comfort with people of different cultural/racial/
ethnic backgrounds.
!Resistance Skills | Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations.
!Peaceful Conflict Resolution | Young person seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently.
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Positive Identity
!Personal Power | Young person feels he or she has control over "things that happen to me."
!Self Esteem| Young person reports having a high self-esteem.
!Sense of Purpose | Young person reports that "my life has a purpose."
!Positive View of Personal Future| Young person is optimistic about her or his personal future.
!!*Commitment to Learning is another category of Developmental Assets identified by the Search Institute.
This category has not been included in Momentum Bike Club curriculum as it focuses mainly on asset
development in an academic context.
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POSITIVE
VALUES
SOCIAL
COMPETENCIES
POSITIVE
IDENTITY

3. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
!PRE OR POST RIDE RITUALS
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Materials None
Movement
Intent Foster team togetherness and cohesion
Internal Asset Development Positive identity
Action Youth create and perform a team ritual before and/or after rides
Preparation Think about some team rituals you’re familiar with and might share
with the team to help their creative ideas start flowing.
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Script We want to come up with a “ritual” or “chant” or “cheer” that bring us
together as team before or after we ride. Have you ever taken part in these before?
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Ideas Bring it in with a consistent cheer or chant: “Go team!” or “Fearless.”
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POSITIVE
IDENTITY

4. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
NAME ROULETTE
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Materials None
Movement Light
Internal Asset Development Intent Interpersonal competence
Action Youth turn around and name the person opposite them.
Preparation Form two adjacent circles of roughly equal size with people facing
inwards and with a person from each circle standing back to back.
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Script When I say “go”, begin rotating your circle. Both circles turn clockwise (or
counterclockwise) with people looking forward into the center. When I call “stop”,
the circles will stop rotating and people will remain facing the center. When I call
“look”, only the two people in these positions (indicate the two who are back to
back) will turn around to look at each other. The first person to correctly call out
the name of the other person invites that other person to change circles. The
game ends when one group dissolves or time expires.
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Variation Use music to indicate “go” and “stop.”
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Debrief
Was it difficult to remember everyone’s names?
Why is it important to know members of our group’s names?
How might playing this game help our team?
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SOCIAL
COMPETENCIES

5. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
FALLS PARK DIGITAL SCAVENGER HUNT
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Materials 1 “Falls Park Digital Scavenger Hunt”* document per team and writing
utensils; 1 cell phone (with camera) per team; 1 mentor/volunteer per team
Movement Vigorous
Intent Develop teamwork skills; hone communication abilities
Internal Asset Development Interpersonal competence; responsibility; planning
and decision making
Action Youth find all items on the list as a team.
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*“Falls Park Digital Scavenger Hunt” can be found in the Appendix
Preparation Print the “Falls Park Digital Scavenger Hunt” document for as many
teams as you have. Designate a mentor/volunteer to each team. With a group of 12
youth, 2 or 3 teams works well. The first team back to “base” with a completed list
wins.
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Script Your goal is to check off everything on this list! All team members must be
in the photo with the item. You mentor or volunteer will be taking the pictures.
Remember, work together and stick together! You all need to be present in each
picture.
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Debrief
What was it like to stick together for the whole scavenger hunt?
Did you ever want to go find an item on your own? If you did, what happened?
Did you have a game plan when you started? What was it? If you didn’t, what
would your game plan be next time?
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POSITIVE
VALUES
SOCIAL
COMPETENCIES

6. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
LINK
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Materials None
Movement Light
Intent Learn and remember names, focus on commonalties
Internal Asset Development Caring; interpersonal competence; self-esteem
Action Youth link arms with a peer they have something in common with
Preparation The group sits on the ground in front of lead mentor; lead mentor
can begin the game.
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Script I am going to say my name and a statement about myself. This statement
can be something like, “I love fresh juice,” “I speak Chinese” or “I was born in New
Jersey.” Immediately when you have something in common, stand up and link
arms with me! Your job now is to state my name, my fact and then your name and
your fact. The game continues until everyone is linked up in a circle. Everyone
states the names and facts of those preceding him or her. The last person has it
tough!
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Debrief
Was it difficult to remember everyone’s names?
Why is it important to know members of our group’s names?
Think about who you were able to link up with and why. Did you expect to have
that in common with the partner you linked with?
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POSITIVE
VALUES
SOCIAL
COMPETENCIES
POSITIVE
IDENTITY

7. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
LOOK
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Materials None
Movement None
Intent Increase energy & laughs
Internal Asset Development Interpersonal competence
Action Youth sit in a circle and avoid making direct eye contact with others
Preparation The group sits in a circle; one youth stands outside the circle as the
leader.
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Script Please make a big circle and sit down. I am designating you (pick one
youth) to be our leader and say “look.” Everyone in the circle begins with their
heads down, eyes to the floor. On the leader’s command, quickly look directly at
another participant in the circle. If two players are looking directly at each other,
they are eliminated. We will continue to repeat this until number of participants is
down to two.
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SOCIAL
COMPETENCIES

8. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN KNOT
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Materials None
Movement Light
Intent Gain trust; cooperate to complete a common goal
Internal Asset Development Interpersonal competence; planning and decision
making; peaceful conflict resolution
Action After linking hands randomly, untangle everyone without letting go of
anyone’s hands, resulting in an open circle
Preparation Youth make a standing circle facing inward (more than 5 youth per
circle).
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Script Everyone put their right hand into the center of the circle and grab the
hand of another player! Make sure it is not the player standing to your immediate
right or left. Now, put your left hand into the center of the circle and grab a
different player’s left hand, again making sure that it is not the hand of someone
next to you. Your task is to untangle yourself without letting go of anyone’s
hands, resulting in an open circle. You might be facing different directions in this
circle, but that is ok.
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Debrief
Was this game easy or difficult? How did you communicate during the game?
How did it feel to have your group become untangled?
What skills did you use in this game?
How can you use those skills outside of the game?
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SOCIAL
COMPETENCIES

9. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
HULA HOOP BALANCE
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Materials One hula hoop per group
Movement Light
Intent Practice teamwork, communication, patience & cooperation
Internal Asset Development Planning and decision making; interpersonal
competence; peaceful conflict resolution; self-esteem
Action Youth sit in a circle and avoid making direct eye contact with others
Preparation The group sits in a circle; one youth stands outside the circle as the
leader.
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Script Your goal is to work together to lower a hula hoop to the ground. {Ask for a
group to volunteer to help demonstrate the game.}Form a close circle and raise
your arms to about your eye level, all at the same height, with your index fingers
extended. I am going to place the hula hoop on the volunteers’ fingertips. Now
lower the hula hoop to the ground, making sure your fingers never lose contact
with the hula hoop.
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Variation If lowering the hula hoop to the ground is easy for the groups, have
groups race to a certain point balancing the hula hoop in the same manner.
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Debrief
What happened during the game?
How did your group work together? Could you have been successful without
teamwork?
What skills did you use in the game? How can you use these skills outside of
the game?
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SOCIAL
COMPETENCIES
POSITIVE
IDENTITY

10. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
SOMEONE WHO
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Materials “Someone Who” Handouts (one per person); writing utensils
Movement Light
Intent Learn about mentors and peers; feel comfortable interacting among team
members
Internal Asset Development Interpersonal competence; self-esteem; sense of
purpose
Action Youth complete handout by interacting with peers
Preparation Circle up for directions. Handout “Someone Who” to each participant.
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Script We’re going to get to know each other a little better by doing a “human
scavenger hunt”. Your job is to fill out your handout by getting your peers to sign
after statements that apply to them. Be sure to mix it up! The same individual can
only sign your handout two time at most.
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Variation Read statements aloud and have youth stand if statement applies to
them.
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Debrief
How difficult or easy was it to get signatures?
Is there any question that you couldn’t find a person’s name for?
What is one thing you learned about someone in the room you didn’t know
before?
Why do you think we might start our ride this way?
How will this experience help us in the future?
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SOCIAL
COMPETENCIES
POSITIVE
IDENTITY

11. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
THE COMPLIMENT GAME
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Materials Tape, paper, writing utensils
Movement Light
Intent Practice seeing the good in others and articulating compliments
Internal Asset Development Caring; interpersonal competence; self-esteem;
sense of purpose; positive view of personal future
Action Youth write compliments about others and share.
Preparation Tape a piece of paper to each youth’s back with their name at the top.
Provide each youth a writing utensil.
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Script You’ve come a long day since day one of bike club when you may not have
known too many peers here. Think back to the first day. Now think of today! Have
you made friends or become more comfortable with the team? We are now going
the play “The Compliment Game” in which we compliment our peers by writing on
the paper on their backs. You can write a positive statement about this person, an
experience in which that peer helped you or made you feel welcome. After 10
minutes, you’ll get to take your sheet off your back, and read!
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Share
Would someone like to share a favorite compliment they received?
A favorite compliment they gave?
Were you surprised by anything on your page? Why?
How does this process help us function as a team?
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POSITIVE
VALUES
SOCIAL
COMPETENCIES
POSITIVE
IDENTITY

12. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
SILENCE CHALLENGE
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Materials None
Movement Light
Intent Develop creative strategies to communicate without speech
Internal Asset Development Interpersonal competence; planning and decision
making
Action Youth line themselves up according to a criteria (birthdate) without
speaking
Preparation Circle up for directions.
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Script We’re going to arrange ourselves in a line according to our birthdays -
month and day - without speaking. Don’t worry about year! This end will be
January; this end December. When I say go, there is no more talking. Ready, set,
go!
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Variation Allow 1 or 2 minutes of speaking in order to develop a strategy.
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Debrief
Was not being able to speak frustrating?
Why do you think we tried this activity? *Bring up concepts like patience and
listening to others.
Was there a leader telling people where to line up? How did this happen? Do
you always need a leader? What qualities should the leader have?
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SOCIAL
COMPETENCIES

13. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
BALANCE CHALLENGE
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Materials A log, curb, or something to balance
Movement Light
Intent Develop communication skills and teamwork
Internal Asset Development Interpersonal competence; planning and decision
making; peaceful conflict resolution
Action Youth line themselves up according to a criteria (height) without falling off
log/curb etc.
Preparation Circle up for directions.
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Script Now we’re going to arrange ourselves in a according to our height
balancing on this log/curb - this time we can talk! This end will be tallest; this end
shortest. When I say go, make sure you balance. You’ll have to help your friends
maneuver around each other without falling. Ready, set, go!
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Variation Allow 1 or 2 minutes to develop a strategy before balancing. Allow 3
strikes (falling off of structure) if youth are struggling to stay balanced.
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Debrief
What was easy about this activity? What was hard?
What kind of skills came in handy when you did this activity? Physical skills
and interpersonal skills?
What wasn’t helpful as you were trying to complete the task?
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SOCIAL
COMPETENCIES

14. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
THIS YEAR I WANT TO. . .
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Materials Paper and writing utensils
Movement None
Intent Encourage youth to be forward-thinking about goals and dreams
Internal Asset Development Personal power; self-esteem; sense of purpose;
positive view of personal future
Action Youth write a letter to themselves to be opened after a year in bike clubs.
Preparation Write an example letter for students to pass around.
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Script You guys have shown me how awesome you are today during this ride. I
want you to write a letter to your future self to both inspire and challenge the
person you’ll be in a year. In this letter can include whatever you want, as well as
these two requirements. Write down one achievement you’ve made this year (in
bike clubs, school, at home) and one goal you have yet to achieve. Maybe you want
to bike 25 miles one day. Or get published in the school magazine. Get crazy! You
are limitless. You have the power to change your mind, your actions and your
future.
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*Save these letters somewhere safe and give them back to youth to read when
they leave bike club or after a length of time you feel is appropriate.
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Debrief
What have you accomplished this year? Think about the different contexts…
school, bike club, home, etc.
How did writing a goal on paper help you accomplish it or make changes?
How can you incorporate goal setting into your everyday life?
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POSITIVE
IDENTITY

15. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
INNER SUPERHERO
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Materials “Your Inner Superhero” worksheets and writing utensils
Movement None
Intent Encourage youth to examine their strengths
Internal Asset Development Personal power; self-esteem; sense of purpose;
positive view of personal future
Action Youth contemplate and share what their inner superhero looks like.
Preparation Print “Your Inner Superhero” worksheets
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Script Take a moment to think about what your inner superhero looks like. We all
have strengths and we all have weaknesses. We can spend time focused on the
things we don’t like about ourselves, the things we wish we different or worrying
about what we don’t think we’re good at. However, it makes a lot more sense to
focus on what we do like about ourselves, and what we are good at, right? When we
focus here, we can maximize our strengths and capitalize on them. Here’s a
worksheet to help you think about what your inner superhero looks like… Take a
moment to complete the worksheet as best you can, and then we will have time to
share.
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Debrief
What strength are you most proud of?
What is your greatest superpower?
What is a superpower that you admire in someone else?
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POSITIVE
IDENTITY

16. thrive: INTERNAL ASSET DEVELOPMENT
“I AM FEARLESS BECAUSE..."
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Materials Paper and markers
Movement None
Intent Encourage girls to live fearlessly, stand up for what they believe in, and
express themselves.
Internal Asset Development Personal power; self-esteem; sense of purpose;
positive view of personal future
Action Youth finish the statement “I am fearless because…” and share.
Preparation Write “I am fearless because…” on each girl’s sheet of paper.
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Script What is one thing you, as a teen girl, want to tell your bike club peers? What
is one thing you wish every girl knew? Each of you will have a sheet of paper, and
you’ll complete the sentence “I am fearless because…” Once you complete your
sentence, we will take a picture of each of you individually holding your sign to
ultimately make a collage.
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Variation Instead of compiling individual pictures, create a Youtube video and
have girls read their sentences aloud while holding their signs.
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Debrief
What did it feel like to write down what you are fearless about?
How might this mantra help you in everyday life?
POSITIVE
IDENTITY