MAKE SENSE

Content

Everyone and everything is connected to each other. Connections have a tendency to grow minute by minute. Connections create feedback loops and the response time within those feedback loops are getting faster and faster. Making sense is about finding your way through these complex systems. Making sense starts with converting our knowledge into a story for everyone as a starting point to think about our future. The idea to imagine the future is a great tool to give our life a meaning and motivation to keep going. Furthemore, thinking about the future is the first step to take to build that future by making changes. 
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In this activity you can go through the process of making sense starting:
Looking at the big stories that connect people and find a way to tell your story;
Focusing on the power of future thinking to enrich your life;
And lastly, moving forward to your imaginary future by taking actions and actual change making
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Big stories
People are connected through stories. Well told stories have been passed through cultures and generations of people. Stories can go beyond reality. In the past stories were told mouth by mouth, or via music instruments. Nowadays we need to be able and know how to find a story in a large amount of data. Not less important is to retell a story not only in words but also in images, in person and in 3D virtual worlds. Mindtools supports finding what you want on the internet. In this way you can easily manage your learning and search for what you want to learn, for example find micro learning activities about how to tell a story in words, in image, in person but also in a 3D virtual world. Tell your story and connect with people who share the same ideas and feelings. Together we are able to tell a bigger story, in many instances drawing on each other's narratives.
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Future thinking
Quite often, when thinking about the future, people want to think that the future will be different than nowadays. A growing movement of researchers is suggesting that thinking about the future can bring people a meaningful life. Summer Allen in his article "How thinking about the future makes life more meaningful" has found that using what’s called prospection can help us to think about and stimulate our possible future. This may include planning, predicting, and using hypothetical scenarios about future events. Seeing if we can find a way to set our mind on optimism and an abundant future despite the hurdles we face can prove beneficial. Prospecting our future can enrich our life in at least 4 ways:
Helps to make more prudent decisions
Motivates to achieve goals
Improves psychological well being
Makes more kind and generous.
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What are the mental habits that can help you start your future today? One example of a habit that can help is motivation or expectations give you a push to go on. Using visualisation techniques can empower you. Sport persons often use this visualisation technique to visualise how they can win a game. Individuals with a good imagination and who are positive can manage stress more easily. The power of future thinking can support the treatment of mental health, for example depression. Focussing on positive goals helps to change thoughts and creates feel good hormones.
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Change making
In order to change the world, it is important to think differently. And connect parts in new ways. A changemakers’ intention is to solve a social or environmental situation, and is motivated to start now by taking action. The Big bang Partnership provides very good information about How to be a changemaker.
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When you decide to make a change, have a look at the possibility to connect with others whose ideas are in line with yours. Check out European youth goals and Sustainable Development Goals that open up a whole new world of possible allies.  Build your tribe, build the future! 
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This learning activity is developed around research done by the Institute of the Future and Cities of Learning.
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Everything is connected to something. Connections grow minute by minute. They create feedback loops and those feedback loops are getting faster and faster. Making sense is about finding your way through these complex systems.
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The holder of this badge has been working on
Looking at the big stories that connect people and find a way to tell your story;
Focusing on the power of future thinking to enrich your life;
And lastly, moving forward to your imaginary future by taking actions and actual change making
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The holder of this badge has worked independently and in collaboration with peers at the Make sense skill zone of the Global Youth Skills competence framework from the Institute for the Future.
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How the holder of this badge worked on these skills can be seen in the evidence in this badge. International youth worker trainers have assessed the completed tasks.

Tasks

Task no.1

Evidence verified by: one activity organiser

How to tell better stories: What I’ve learned: How to Tell Better Stories﻿
﻿How to Become a Better Visual Storyteller, What I've learned.
Use music that inspires or set the beat for your story: Future - "Tell My Story" Type Beat﻿
Future of storytelling: Philip Rosedale - Rebuilding Reality﻿
Immersive storytelling: Meow Wolf: Immersive Experiences as a Tool for Transformation﻿
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Explore the many tools that can support storytelling.
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Show a short story about making a change and what you want for 2030 by using any of the storytelling tools: Imagine for a moment that you wake up 10 years from now. Where do you live, where do you work, where do you learn. Who are the people that are in your future? How are people living in that future? When, at which moment from the day are they using the new technology? Is it when they wake up? Or when they commute to work? Do they still work or is there something like a basic income? What are their emotions? Why are they doing what they do?
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In this future thinking story make sure that you think big and that you set your own goals. Turn your goal into a positive obsession! In other words, do you find something super interesting? Then use this to achieve your dream. Because if you want to maintain what you want to achieve, it helps if you become extremely enthusiastic about it and are happy to work on it. What makes you extremely excited? Feel free to dream away and imagine what you would like to be able to do in 2030. 
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After creating this story… Start now with your path towards that future! Waiting until tomorrow won't help anyone. Even a small step brings you closer to your goal. 2030 still seems far away, but it is getting closer every hour. What is the step you are going to take today to be where you want to be by 2030?
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Post your story!

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Time to complete: 3 hours

Organisers

Network of Cities and Regions of Learning

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