What happens when young people are given the tools, encouragement, and platform to lead? Change: real, powerful, world-shaping change. 

This lesson plan is designed to inspire students by exploring youth leadership and empowerment through the lens of real-world movements led by people their own age. With International Youth Day on August 12th, it’s the perfect opportunity to spotlight the passion, creativity, and courage of youth around the world. 

Through engaging discussions, personal reflection, and an interactive experience like a Goosechase scavenger hunt, students will explore what it means to be a leader—and discover how they already have what it takes to make an impact.

Grade: 8 - 12

Subject: Youth Empowerment & Leadership

Learning Objectives:

• By the end of this lesson, students will:
  • Understand the importance of youth leadership and empowerment
  • Explore real-world examples of youth-led movements globally.
  • Reflect on their own potential to lead and make a difference.
  • Demonstrate their understanding through interactive Goosechase Missions.

Materials:

• Mobile devices (tablets, phones, or laptops) with the Goosechase app installed
• Projector or screen for slides/video
• Printed or digital reflection handouts (optional)

Preparation:

• Create an Experience on the Goosechase app with a series of Missions focussed on youth leadership, empowerment and youth-led movements.
• Develop Missions that require students to demonstrate their understanding of what they have learned. Example Missions:
  • Future Leader Alert: Take a video saying what issue you'd speak up about if you were on a world stage. Be bold!
  • Youth Hero Highlight: Find or draw a picture of a youth leader who inspires you. Submit it with one fact about what they’ve done.
  • Change Starts Here: Take a photo of a place in your school or community where change is needed—and share your idea to make it better.
  • Speak Up, Stand Out: Write a short slogan or message for a campaign you'd lead. Submit it as a photo, text, or video.
  • Leadership in Action: Perform one small act of leadership—helping someone, picking up litter, starting a positive conversation—and document it.
  • My Movement Pitch: Text submission: Imagine you're starting a youth-led movement. What's your cause, and how will you inspire others to join?
  • Poster Power: Design a campaign poster for a cause that matters to you. Submit a photo of your drawing or a screenshot of a digital version.
  • Vision of Leadership: Create a mini vision board or collage that shows what leadership means to you. Submit a photo with a one-line explanation.
  • Youth Vision Speech: Share a photo or quick video of you delivering a quick speech imagining a future led by youth change-makers.

Find Example Missions in the Goosechase Template below

• Adapt the difficulty of the Missions based on the proficiency levels of your students to keep the activity inclusive and engaging for everyone.
• Prepare hints or resources that might help students solve the Missions if needed.
• Divide students into teams and assign each team a mobile device with the app, or have students complete the scavenger hunt individually.
• Run your Experience during one class period or longer.
• App Set-Up 
  • Dedicate time to ensuring all students have the Goosechase app downloaded and joined to the Experience to avoid any tech issues.

Lesson Outline:

• Warm-Up Discussion
  • Prompt: “What does leadership mean to you?” Students respond in writing or in small group discussions. 
  • Ask:
    • Can anyone be a leader?
    • What are traits you think good leaders have?
    • Have you ever taken the lead on something big or small?
• Mini-Lesson: Youth Leadership & Global Movements
  • Introduce International Youth Day and its purpose.
  • Highlight real-world examples of youth-led movements:
    • Greta Thunberg & Fridays for Future (climate action)
    • Malala Yousafzai (education advocacy)
    • March for Our Lives (youth-led gun reform movement in the US)
    • #EndSARS protests in Nigeria (police reform)
  • Discuss what makes these leaders impactful. What do they have in common? What challenges do they face?
    • Optional Media:
      • Short video clips of youth speaking at global summits or rallies.
      • A slideshow with movement snapshots and short bios.
• Reflection Activity
  • Ask students to reflect on:
    • What issue do you care most about?
    • If you could lead a movement or start a project, what would it be and why? 
• Goosechase Scavenger Hunt
  • Read through Missions with students, emphasizing the importance of evidence and analysis in their responses.
  • Monitor progress and provide assistance as necessary.
  • If working in teams, encourage them to strategize and collaborate to solve the Missions.
  • Sit back and enjoy watching your students collaborate and demonstrate their learning.
• Debrief and Reflection
  • Review the activity, discussing which missions were the most challenging or fun.
  • Discuss how teams collaborated and solved problems together.
  • Discuss what students learned about leadership?
  • Discuss one way they can be a leader?
  • Optionally, award prizes to the team(s) with the highest score.

Optional Post-Experience Activities:

• Written Report or Presentation 
  • Students choose a youth leader from around the world and create a short profile. Profiles could include:
    • Youth’s background
    • The issue they advocate for 
    • The impact they made
    • Why they inspire you 
• “My Movement” Pitch 
  • Students imagine they are starting a youth-led movement. They write a short pitch answering: 
    • What is your cause? 
    • What is your mission? 
    • How will you inspire others to join? 
    • What challenges might you face? Personal Reflection 
• Vision Board or Digital Collage 
  • Using magazines, paper, or digital tools, students create a vision board for their future as a leader, including:
    • Causes they care about
    • Values they stand for
    • Visuals or quotes that represent leadership
• Persuasive Letter 
  • Students write a persuasive letter to a local government official or school administrator advocating for a youth-led initiative or change in their school/community.

Assessment

• Participation in discussion and reflection
• Creativity and thoughtfulness in Goosechase responses
• Assessment of the Post-Experience Activities (can be submitted digitally or in writing)

Ready Made Experience

Lead the Way: Youth Voices in Action

Celebrate International Youth Day by exploring youth-led change and showing your leadership in action through creative missions and reflection!

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