LET US SHOW YOU
To make this activity work you need to have someone give a sincere talk/testimony about how their brothers and sisters/community have helped them to see the value in themselves. The mood needs to be sincere and deep. I suggest having a staff member participate in this activity first to exemplify vulnerability and open the door for people to be honest and real with each other.
Give time for each person to reflect on their personal value. Ask them to consider the aspects of their character and lifestyle they can’t love and to come up with a list (5 or so) of things that make it hard for them to love themselves. Examples would be, judgmental, impatient, out of touch, etc.
Have the first person (ideally staff member) go to the front of the room and write on the board the 5 aspects of themselves they can’t love. Depending on your group of youth you can leave it at that, or if they are open and mature enough they can share about why these things make it difficult for them to love themselves.
Then ask the members of the group to go to the white board and either erase or put an X through the negative description, and replace it with a positive aspect of that person’s character.
Have everyone take turns and participate. Of course if someone really does not want to participate, don’t make them. It should be voluntary.
I suggest having some type of group hug at the end of each turn with the person in the middle.