| Activity 2-3: Portrait of My Work |  |
Purpose: Participants will clarify their values. They will analyze the similarities between their personal values and the values represented in the program and throughout the agency. |
Materials:
-
Handout 9: What Are My Values?
Handout 10: Head Start Core Values
Scissors and paste
Colored paper, assorted markers, and magazines
Introduce Activity
- Explain that values are deeply held views that come from many sources.
In a sense, they determine who we are and what we want. Values also help
form a Head Start program's culture. They reflect what we find worthwhile
and fulfilling about working in partnerships with children and families.
Values influence how we relate to one another and how we do our work. Therefore,
if the program is going to meet the needs of families effectively, the values
of agency leaders, the board of directors, policy councils, staff members,
and parents must support the Head Start mission.
Represent Values - Tell participants that they will now have an opportunity to creatively
represent their values. Explain that they will illustrate the values that
are most important in their work life by creating one of the following:
- Picture
- Song
- Billboard
- Acronym
- Poem
- Commercial
- Symbol
- Phrase
Describe Values - Ask participants to describe how they represented their values. Distribute
Handout 9: What Are My Values? Ask participants to check those values
that they represented in their illustration. Discuss any additional values
that they have represented that do not appear on the list.
Discuss Values - Use the following questions to compare and contrast personal values with
Head Start values:
- What values are the most important to the program?
- What are the similarities between your values and Head Start's
values? (Distribute Handout 10: Head Start Core Values to help participants
discuss Head Start's values.)
- How do your values fit your role in the program?
- Do you experience any differences between your values and Head
Start's values?
- How can you deal with this challenge and still support Head Start's
values?
- How would you describe the culture of your program based on these
values?
Summarize - What values are the most important to the program?
- Conclude the activity by making the following points:
- Understanding our values helps us see the importance of our work in Head
Start.
- Our values affect our commitment to supporting the Head Start mission.
- When everyone in the program shares values that support the Head Start
philosophy, we can work as a team to achieve our goals.