Our possible future selves:  Community-based storytelling to motivate young people to think positively about their future aspirations.

What’s on offer?

Have you ever thought about who you want to be when you grow up, or maybe you’ve thought about where you would like to live or what kind of career you would like to have?  Did you know that how we think about our future is bound up in our well-being and thinking positively and planning goals around future events and influences can motivate us to build meaningful lives where we can thrive. 

This event is set to be a jam-packed morning full of activities to get you thinking about your future.  You are invited to take part in all three activities, these are:

Part 1: Storytelling: listen to an inspiring story from a Seven Stories story catcher, called “Your future is bright” by Corey Finkle and Shelley Couvillion.  Followed by a short discussion about the book.  You will be given a copy of the story to take away with you.

Part 2: My future aspirations. Using arts and craft materials, we will be thinking about and discussing motivational questions such as, who do you aspire to become when you grow up? what traits do you aspire to have more of when you get older? Or what skill or hobby would you most like to learn in the future? After each question, we will think about what’s needed to achieve these goals.  This activity will become a keepsake for you to take home after the session.

Part 3: A Letter to my future self.  In this part of the session, we will write a short letter to our future self, thinking about our future aspirations that we discussed earlier.  You will be given writing paper and an envelope to write your final version of your letter, so that you can seal it and take it home as a keepsake to open when you get older.

And finally, we will use post-it notes to write one word that you would use to describe the workshop. 

Refreshments will be provided. 

And at the end of the event you will be given your letter and activity sheet and a copy of the story that we read, to take home as keepsakes.

This is a free event aimed at young people aged 7+ years, (supervising adults, parents or carers will be required to attend with their child/ren). 

Only children and young people attending the event will need a ticket.  Supervising adults, parents or carers will not require a ticket.

What’s it about?

We are delighted to invite you to Our Possible Future Selves, an event organised by Dr Danna-Mechelle Lewis, at Northumbria University. This workshop aims to empower young people by using community-based storytelling as a tool for positive thinking about their future aspirations. The event will provide opportunities to engage in meaningful and fun activities that will help them focus on their possible future selves; motivate them to realise their aspirations and lifelong potential; and help them avoid the ‘feared self’ they do not want to become.  Developing thinking in this way will help to provide the attendees with lifelong skills to shape who they are and who they want to become. 

Our Possible Future Selves is designed as an interactive experience, allowing participants to explore their own potential through creative expression and collaboration with peers. We believe that this type of learning can have a lasting impact on how young people view themselves and the world around them. By attending this event, participants will gain valuable insights into how they can shape their own future and be inspired by the stories of others.

Encouraging young people at this age to imagine their future aspirations, in a fun and engaging way, will help develop their thinking about their future, help shape their decision-making, provide positive goals to focus upon, and motivate them to achieve these goals.  In turn, thinking positively about our future aspirations and how we can realise these goals can help contribute towards our well-being.

Who’s leading the event?

Dr Danna-Mechelle Lewis

Open to

Children, Young People, and their families

Of particular interest to

Children, Young People, and their families

Event booking deadline