"Tell me, and I forget; show me and I remember; involve me and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

This program will enable your community to set up its own G-Force -- a highly trained group of youth and adults to design and deliver powerful, professional, experience-based trainings to school, business, and community groups.

Remember the exhilaration...

Childhood games of hide and seek, kick the can, or capture the flag

Complete immersion in the quest... leaving the real world far behind

Your teammates became fast friends

Imagine it happening in your community... now.

Youth and adults playing side by side, laughing, growing, learning

High on life

Building bridges of understanding, respect and trust

Since the dawn of civilization, games have played a vital role in building and sustaining healthy community:

• Instilling and reinforcing primary social values
• Providing opportunity for healthy competition, outlet, release, and celebration
• Developing the qualities of the warrior... and the hunter... and the citizen
• Sharpening the skills essential for success in life: the ability to communicate, to plan a strategy, to implement it... and adapt it... together.

What happens in our modern age?

Most of us experience games from the stands... or from the couch. Including our youth!

Most young people today do not feel like important players in our communities; they don't feel valued... or necessary.

So it's no surprise that more youth engage in unhealthy behavior: substance abuse, lack of physical activity, crime and violence.

But we can recapture the flag

We can rekindle the spirit and keep the tradition alive... right in your community.

Watch young children playing. Skin color doesn't matter. They don't know about prejudice and hatred... because we haven't taught them yet.

Imagine the world in 20 years if we forgot to teach them that and instead reinforced their natural inclination

• To share and cooperate
• To respect themselves, others and their environment
• To love

We can.

Wouldn't it be nice? No . . . it's essential.

If you still believe that our communities need more of what games have historically provided,

And agree that games are a vital part of a comprehensive strategy to build a healthier and safer community for yourself and your family,

then...

we invite you to create...

your very own G-Force!

What's a G-Force?

A team of 10-20 youth and adults who are trained to use games and other accelerated learning strategies to help school, business and community groups to:

• Build in individuals vital skills and pro-social values
• Develop in groups and teams a greater capacity to work together effectively
• Unleash the positive energy, laughter and spirit of your community

What your G-Force could do:

• Create age-appropriate games days for young people in school, to help them develop the positive social skills that they'll need for success in school and life, and that you'll want in your future neighbors
• Lead team skills development playshops for civic, government and business groups, so your community can have a common language and common experiences, and can work together more effectively to meet the challenges it faces
• Provide participatory entertainment for your community at festivals, special events and celebrations (like the 24 HOUR RELAY CHALLENGE)

What are the benefits? Why bother with a G-Force?

1. Games are important for individual development, especially for young people. To glimpse a child's future, skip the crystal ball and skip out to the playground. You'll see those who are learning to

cooperate	or	dominate
be adaptable	or	inflexible
persevere	or	quit
show empathy and compassion	or	be mean and bully
honor agreements and play by the rules	or	cheat
work together to resolve disputes nonviolently	or	fight

So if you want to see more pro-social attitudes and behaviors, doesn't it make sense to provide more opportunities for the people in your community to learn them?

2. Games are essential for healthy community. As with individuals and families and companies, playfulness correlates to the health of the organization. In the context of community, games provide opportunities for:

• Meeting and interacting with fellow citizens, building relationships that can withstand the tests of working together to solve complex community problems
• Healthy release of aggression and testing of limits
• Celebration of what we have in common
• Good fun and humor, so we don't take each other too seriously

3. The G-Force provides young people with a meaningful role and a place to belong, to feel vital, needed, important. The majority of young people today do not find their niche in the traditional places -- academics, athletics, appearance or activities -- so they seek other ways to be noticed. The G-Force is a way to tap under-involved youth -- the ones who don't thrive in the classroom, who don't excel in organized athletics, who aren't especially pretty or handsome, who don't really want to join the Debate Team. The G-Force can help these young people meet their basic developmental needs in positive and healthy ways... before they choose other avenues that benefit neither themselves nor their community.

4. Establish a(nother) service program. Make it the norm to learn and serve. Members of the G-Force will learn critical skills and habits (leadership, public speaking, conflict resolution, accountability, respect, time management, and more) and teach them to others. They give back to their community much more than they receive.

5. Bridge the generation gap. The G-Force involves adults, as members and in support roles. The resulting intergenerational interaction builds bridges of understanding, respect and trust, bridges that youth need in order to become adults, and bridges that a community needs if it is to integrate its youth.

To get started: Community Matters will be your partner as you establish and sustain the G-Force in your community. Working with us means you'll receive:

• Strategic assistance with start-up, including guidelines and materials for obtaining school and community support, and for recruiting your G-Force
• A games experience - to build interest, understanding and enthusiasm, and help with recruiting your G-Force, we will create for your community a experience of fun and frolic that is irresistible
• A games training - to build upon the experience of your G-Force, and meet the needs of your community, we'll customize 12 hours of direct contact time with our games trainer, so participants leave enthused and prepared to fulfill their mission. We usually cover:
  • The Anatomy of a Game - so you can adjust a game to meet the needs of any particular situation
  • The Art and Science of Games Leadership and Facilitation - so others will follow your lead, and enjoy it
  • Safety and Risk Management - so you can create experiences that are safe and comfortable for participants
  • Designing a Games Experience - so you can weave a tapestry of games and activities that achieve any of a wide range of objectives, for almost any participant group
  • Sustainability - a specific strategy session on how to plant and nurture this seed in your community so it bears fruit year after year
• A Games Leader's Manual, which includes documentation of the training content, instructions for dozens of games and experiences, a bibliography and resource guide
• Post-training coaching and support as you establish this new program in your community

Buy people a meal,
and they are hungry tomorrow...
Help people learn to farm and cook,
and they will be fed all year long.

The G-Force is an investment in the future of your community, one that will pay big dividends year after year. Your initial expenses for start-up create a community development resource you can tap continually.

Investing in a G-Force also creates opportunities to bridge the gap between adults and youth, showcase young people in a more positive light, and provide members of your community with invaluable skills and experiences that will serve them throughout their lives.

How much is that worth?

When we better understand your community and how the G-Force would fit in, we can make a proposal to get the ball rolling and include a price quote.

It's your move.

To recapture the flag and rekindle the spirit with a G-Force in your community, contact us.