Welcome, and thank you for stepping into this role today.
What you're about to run isn't just an activity, it's a chance for someone to give themselves permission to imagine a future they haven't let themselves consider yet, maybe for the first time in a while. You don't need to have all the answers. You just need to show up, follow this guide, and be genuinely present with the people in front of you.
Your role matters more than you might think. The person leading the group shapes how safe people feel to dream out loud, how much they're willing to imagine, and whether today becomes something they actually remember. That's you. Whatever happens in this group today happens because you chose to hold it well.
If this is your first time facilitating, that's okay. This guide has been designed to support you through every part of the session, from what to say to what to do. Follow it one step at a time, and you'll do just fine.
This guide is written primarily around the Printable PDF, since that's the most common way to run a session. Everything below still applies if you're using the Group Dream Board instead, just adapt the SAY lines and instructions to whichever format is in front of your group.
Three things to hold onto the whole session:
Your main adjustment for this group: protect the imagining before the realism. This age group will jump straight to "but how would that actually work" if you let them. Your job is to hold the space open long enough for them to name what excites them, before anyone, including them, starts poking holes in it.
The future is full of possibilities no one can map out in advance. Participants may not know what job they'll have, who they'll meet, what opportunities will come up, or what the world will even look like by the time they get there.
But they can get better at knowing:
That's what this module practises. Every round is really asking one of these four questions in a different way.
Your job as facilitator is simply to help participants move through these four steps. You don't need to be an expert on careers or life planning, you just need to run the steps.
This module isn't really about dreaming. It's about expanding possibility.
You're not just asking "what do you want?" You're showing each participant: you are allowed to imagine, you don't need all the answers yet, you don't have to do this alone, and your circumstances today do not define your entire future.
This helps participants practise:
For youth, this can help when choosing subjects, CCAs, part-time work, or just figuring out what kind of person they want to become before someone else decides it for them.
The words in the SAY boxes are written at a level any participant can follow, including younger or less confident ones. You can read them exactly as written, or put them in your own words as long as the meaning stays the same.
Optional: if it feels natural to you, share a small personal example of your own uncertainty at their age, for example: "When I was your age, I thought I'd definitely become ___. Life didn't go exactly that way, but I'm glad I started somewhere." Keep it in your own words, don't force it if it doesn't feel true to you. Young people don't need a role model with a perfect life. They need one who kept moving despite uncertainty.
| Round | What Happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Future Deck — Mandatory | Everyone ticks one box on their Future Deck grid and imagines their life | 10–15 min |
| 2. Dream Draft — Optional | The group gives Resource Cards to each other's dreams | 10 min |
| 3. Possibility Chain — Optional | The group connects all the dreams into one story | 10–15 min |
| 4. Final Reflection — Mandatory | Each person writes their declaration and first action | 10 min |
Short bridge moments between rounds (about 1–2 minutes each) aren't listed as separate rows above, but they matter. They're what makes each activity feel connected rather than random, and they're written out in full at the point you need them below.
You are working with youth from a range of backgrounds, including some who may have experienced difficult things. You are not expected to handle everything alone. Your job is to notice, respond calmly, and get the right person involved.
| Signal | Looks like | Do |
|---|---|---|
| STOP | Someone discloses self-harm, abuse, or is in acute distress or disconnected from what's happening around them | Stop the activity and get the lead adult. Signal your lead facilitator or the on-site teacher right away. Do not ask follow-up questions about what happened. |
| SLOW | Someone looks upset, withdraws, or shares something unexpectedly personal, but is not in crisis | Reduce pressure. Let them pass. Check in later. Ease off, let them skip a turn, and check in with them quietly and privately after the round. |
| MONITOR | Someone seems flat, checked out, or their mood shifts and you're not sure why | Keep going gently. Tell the lead adult afterwards. Reduce the pressure on them to speak, and mention it to your lead facilitator afterward. |
You are the first person in the room. What you do in the first 30 seconds of a difficult moment matters more than having the perfect words. Stay calm, stay warm, and hand it to the right adult. A school teacher should be present at every session, if for any reason they're not in the room, know who you'd go to instead before you start.
Purpose: Every participant looks at the same grid of future-facing options and picks the one that excites them most, before worrying about whether it's realistic. This round makes permission to imagine visible and shared. Round question: what excites me about my future?
Opening welcome: "Hi everyone, I'm [your name], and I'll be facilitating today's session. I'm really excited to be here because I've found these activities genuinely helpful in thinking about my own future. The world is changing faster than ever with AI, new technology, and changes in society, which means none of us can predict exactly what the future will look like. But what we can do is build the ability to find our own direction. When you have that ability, you're able to make decisions with greater confidence, recognise opportunities that align with who you are, adapt when plans change, and keep moving towards a future that feels meaningful to you. That's what today's session is about. I'm not here to tell you what your future should look like or what career you should choose. I'm here to create a space for you to discover what matters to you and help you build the ability to navigate whatever future comes your way."
Starting the round: "Look at the grid in front of you. Don't worry about whether it feels realistic today, choose what excites you if nothing was stopping you. Tick the ONE box that excites you most. There's no wrong answer, and it's okay if someone else picks the same box as you."
After ticking: "Once you've picked your box, write your answer to this: if you really lived this, what would your life look like?"
Before anyone shares: "Some people dream about changing the world. Some dream about taking care of family. Some dream about having peace. All of these count, no dream is too big or too small."
If writing feels like "school" to some participants, offer an alternative: ask them to show their excitement from 1 to 5 with their fingers, or point to the corner of the room that matches how they feel. This gives you a quick read on engagement and lets quieter participants join in without speaking or writing.
"You may not know exactly what your future looks like yet. But knowing what excites you gives you something to steer by. Plans can change, but what matters to you can still guide your next step."
"Whenever you feel stuck on a decision, a subject, a CCA, a part-time job, ask yourself which box on your grid it moves you toward. If it doesn't move you toward any of them, that's useful information too. Revisit your ticked box once a month, if it still excites you, keep going, if it doesn't, that's normal, pick a new one."
"You don't need to know your entire future today. Having a sense of direction is often more valuable than having every step planned out, and telling one person close to you what you picked makes it more real."
Closing question: "If you told one person close to you what you picked today, what do you think they'd say?"
This is optional. Use your judgment for your group, but it's worth considering after this first round.
"Some of us have had more opportunities than others. Some of us have had to think about money, family responsibilities, or other challenges much earlier than most people. Those experiences are real, and they can make dreaming feel harder. Today isn't about pretending those challenges don't exist. It's about giving yourself permission to imagine what matters to you before worrying about how you'll get there."
This validates real experience without turning the session into a discussion of hardship. It separates "what do I want" from "how will I get there," two questions many participants collapse into one, which can shrink what they're willing to imagine before they've even explored it.
"Something interesting just happened. Even though everyone picked something different, every single person here had something that excited them. A dream doesn't become stronger because it's bigger. It becomes stronger because someone believes in it. Let's see what happens when we help each other.
Many people didn't know exactly where they were going at your age either. What made the difference wasn't having the perfect dream, it was taking one small step, meeting people who believed in them, and being willing to keep learning. You don't need the perfect dream today. You just need a starting point."
Purpose: Every dream on the board gets support from the group. This is a required go-around, not a free choice of how much to give. Round question: who's around me that can help make this more possible?
Opening: "Now we're going to help each other's dreams. When it's your turn, pick a Resource Card and give it to someone else's dream, not your own. Finish this sentence out loud: 'I think this will help because...'"
Setting expectations: "We'll keep going around so that everyone's dream gets the same number of cards."
"Other people can see strengths in you that help your dream happen, even ones you don't notice in yourself. You're not building your future alone."
"Notice who in your life already gives you 'Resource Cards' without knowing it, a friend who believes in you, a teacher who checks in, and say thank you to them this week. If you're ever stuck on your own dream, ask someone who knows you well what strength they'd give it."
"You don't have to figure everything out alone. Every dream needs different kinds of support, and learning to receive that support is part of building your future."
Closing question: "Which Resource Card would you want someone to give your dream right now, and why?"
"Look at your dream now. A few minutes ago it was just your idea. Now other people have already added things you didn't think about. Dreams rarely grow because of one person, they grow because different people contribute different things. So let's imagine what happens when all of our dreams start helping each other."
Purpose: This is the most demanding round, so only run it once the group is warmed up. All the dreams get connected into one shared story. Round question: how does my dream connect to everyone else's?
Opening: "Now we're going to connect all of our dreams into one story. It doesn't need to be realistic, it needs to be creative. Every dream needs to show up somewhere. It's okay not to know yet, there's no one right way to get there."
If the group gets stuck, sentence starters: "One dream that could help another dream happen is ___, because ___." / "If ___ happened first, it would make ___ easier." / "These two dreams connect because they both need ___." / "Here's one way all of these dreams could happen at the same time: ___." / "Yes, and..." — take whatever was just said and add to it, instead of shutting it down.
"Your dream doesn't need one fixed path. Seeing how it connects to other people's dreams shows there's more than one way to get there. If one way closes, another can open."
"When your plan hits a wall, ask 'whose dream or plan could connect with mine here?' instead of assuming there's only one path forward. Look for one person this month whose goals overlap with yours, even a little, and find one small way to team up."
"Your direction isn't only about what you achieve for yourself. Your dreams can create opportunities for others, just as theirs can create opportunities for you."
Closing question: "Which other person's dream did yours end up connected to, and how?"
"We've imagined lots of possibilities today. Some of them might happen. Some might change. That's okay. The important thing isn't predicting your future, it's deciding what kind of future you're willing to move toward. Before we go, let's choose one small step."
Purpose: Every participant lands what came up today into their own written declaration and first action. Round question: what's my first step?
Building up to it: "Before we write anything, let's answer a few questions together, starting simple. First: what matters to you? Next: what kind of person do you hope to become?"
Writing: "On your worksheet, finish this sentence: something I'm working toward is ___. Then write down one action you'll take this week."
Before they write: "You don't have to know your whole future today. If you leave today with one clearer idea than when you came in, that's already progress."
"Put your declaration somewhere you'll actually see it, your phone lock screen, a mirror, a notebook cover, not just on the worksheet. Break your first action this week into something small enough to do in under 15 minutes. Small and done beats big and delayed."
"A direction only becomes real once you take a first step. At the end of each week, reread your declaration and ask 'did I move toward this, even a little?' That's the whole habit, repeated."
Closing question: "Looking at everything you imagined today, what's the one step you're actually going to take this week?"
Close warmly. Thank the group for their honesty and effort today. You don't need a big speech, a simple and sincere thank you lands better than a long one.
Welcome, and thank you for stepping into this role today.
What you're about to run isn't just an activity, it's a chance for someone to give themselves permission to imagine a future they haven't let themselves consider yet, maybe for the first time in a while. You don't need to have all the answers. You just need to show up, follow this guide, and be genuinely present with the people in front of you.
Your role matters more than you might think. The person leading the group shapes how safe people feel to dream out loud, how much they're willing to imagine, and whether today becomes something they actually remember. That's you. Whatever happens in this group today happens because you chose to hold it well.
If this is your first time facilitating, that's okay. This guide has been designed to support you through every part of the session, from what to say to what to do. Follow it one step at a time, and you'll do just fine.
This guide is written primarily around the Printable PDF, since that's the most common way to run a session. Everything below still applies if you're using the Group Dream Board instead, just adapt the SAY lines and instructions to whichever format is in front of your group.
Three things to hold onto the whole session:
Your main adjustment for this group: don't assume everyone communicates or participates the same way. Build in time for different response methods, AAC devices, a support person relaying, gestures, and treat all of them as equally valid answers.
The future is full of possibilities no one can map out in advance. Participants may not know what job they'll have, who they'll meet, what opportunities will come up, or what the world will even look like by the time they get there.
But they can get better at knowing:
That's what this module practises. Every round is really asking one of these four questions in a different way.
Your job as facilitator is simply to help participants move through these four steps, in whatever way works for each person. You don't need to be an expert on careers or life planning, you just need to run the steps.
This module isn't really about dreaming. It's about expanding possibility.
You're not just asking "what do you want?" You're showing each participant: you are allowed to imagine, you don't need all the answers yet, you don't have to do this alone, and your circumstances today do not define your entire future.
This helps participants practise:
For PWD participants, this can help when deciding what support they want, what they want to say yes or no to, and how to communicate what matters to them.
The words in the SAY boxes are written to be plain and simple. You can read them exactly as written, or put them in your own words as long as the meaning stays the same. Where useful, back up spoken instructions with something visual or written, not everyone will pick up an instruction from hearing it alone.
Optional: if it feels natural to you, share a small personal example of your own uncertainty about the future. Keep it in your own words. Participants don't need a role model with a perfect life. They need someone who keeps learning, adapting, and moving forward.
Everyone should be able to participate in a way that works for them. Success is not about completing the activity in one specific way. Success is engaging with the ideas using the communication and participation method that suits each participant best.
| Round | What Happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Future Deck — Mandatory | Everyone chooses one option on their Future Deck grid and imagines their life | 10–15 min |
| 2. Dream Draft — Optional | The group gives Resource Cards to each other's dreams | 10 min |
| 3. Possibility Chain — Optional | The group connects all the dreams into one story | 10–15 min |
| 4. Final Reflection — Mandatory | Each person shares their declaration and first action | 10 min |
Short bridge moments between rounds (about 1–2 minutes each) aren't listed as separate rows above, but they matter. They're what makes each activity feel connected rather than random, and they're written out in full at the point you need them below.
You are working with participants with a range of disabilities and communication styles. You are not expected to handle everything alone. Your job is to notice, respond calmly, and get the right person involved.
| Signal | Looks like | Do |
|---|---|---|
| STOP | Someone discloses self-harm, abuse, or is in acute distress, sensory overwhelm, or a shutdown | Stop the activity and get the lead adult. Signal your lead facilitator or support worker right away. Do not ask follow-up questions about what happened. |
| SLOW | Someone withdraws, needs more time to process, communicates differently than usual, or shares something unexpectedly personal, but is not in crisis | Reduce pressure. Give extra time. Check in later. Ease off, let them skip a turn or pass, and check in quietly and privately after the round, in whatever way they communicate best. |
| MONITOR | Someone seems disengaged, is stimming more than usual, or their mood or energy shifts and you're not sure why | Keep going gently. Tell the lead adult afterwards. Reduce the pressure on them to respond, and mention it to your lead facilitator or support worker afterward. |
You are the first person in the room. What you do in the first 30 seconds of a difficult moment matters more than having the perfect words. Stay calm, stay warm, and hand it to the right adult. Remember: distress doesn't always look like distress, quiet withdrawal, stimming, or avoiding eye contact can all be signals worth checking in on. A support worker or lead facilitator should be present at every session, know who that is before you start.
Purpose: Every participant looks at the same grid of future-facing options and chooses the one that excites them most, before worrying about whether it's realistic. This round makes permission to imagine visible and shared. Round question: what excites me about my future?
Opening welcome: "Hi everyone, I'm [your name], and I'll be facilitating today's session. I'm really glad to be here because I've found these activities genuinely helpful in thinking about my own future too. None of us can know exactly what the years ahead will hold, but what we can do is build the ability to find our own direction. When you build that ability, you become better at making choices, recognising opportunities, adapting when things change, and finding meaningful ways to move towards a future that matters to you. That's what today's session is about. I'm not here to tell you what your future should look like. I'm here to create a space for you to discover what matters to you, in whatever way works best for you."
Starting the round: "Look at the grid in front of you. Don't worry about whether it feels realistic today, choose what excites you if nothing was stopping you. Choose the ONE option that excites you most, however works for you: tick it, circle it, point to it, or tell me. There's no wrong answer, and it's okay if someone else picks the same one as you."
After choosing: "Share your answer in whatever way works best for you: if you really lived this, what would be different about your life?"
Before anyone shares: "Some people dream about changing the world. Some dream about taking care of family. Some dream about having peace. All of these count, no dream is too big or too small."
If writing or speaking is difficult for any reason, participants can point, draw, dictate their ideas, use pictures, or tell a facilitator what they'd like recorded. You can also offer a verbal 1-to-5 excitement scale, or invite them to indicate yes/no in whatever way they normally do. This gives you a quick read on engagement without requiring writing or speech.
"You may not know exactly what your future looks like yet. But knowing what excites you gives you something to steer by. Things can change, but what matters to you can still guide your next step."
"Whenever you feel unsure about a decision, learning a new skill, joining a community activity, or finding meaningful work, ask yourself which option on your grid it moves you toward. If it doesn't move you toward any of them, that's useful information too. Revisit your choice once a month, if it still excites you, keep going, if it doesn't, that's normal, pick a new one."
"You don't need to know your entire future today. Having a sense of what you're moving towards is often more valuable than having every step planned out, and telling someone close to you what you chose makes it more real."
Closing question: "If you told one person close to you what you chose today, what do you think they'd say?"
This is optional. Use your judgment for your group, but it's worth considering after this first round.
"Everyone starts from a different place. Some people face barriers because of disability, health, money, family responsibilities, accessibility, or other life circumstances. Those experiences are real. Today's session isn't about pretending those barriers don't exist. It's about discovering what matters to you and exploring the possibilities available to you."
This validates real experience without turning the session into a discussion of hardship. It separates "what do I want" from "how will I get there," two questions many participants collapse into one, which can shrink what they're willing to imagine before they've even explored it.
"Something interesting just happened. Even though everyone chose something different, every single person here had something that excited them. A dream doesn't become stronger because it's bigger. It becomes stronger because someone believes in it. Let's see what happens when we help each other.
Many people didn't know exactly where they were going either. What made the difference wasn't having the perfect dream, it was taking one small step, meeting people who believed in them, and being willing to keep learning. You don't need the perfect dream today. You just need a starting point."
Purpose: Every dream on the board gets support from the group. This is a required go-around, not a free choice of how much to give. Round question: who's around me that can help make this more possible?
Opening: "Now we're going to help each other's dreams. When it's your turn, pick a Resource Card and give it to someone else's dream, not your own. Share why, in whatever way works for you: 'I think this will help because...'"
Setting expectations: "We'll keep going around so that everyone's dream gets the same number of cards."
"Other people can see strengths in you that help your dream happen, even ones you don't notice in yourself. You're not building your future alone."
"Notice who in your life already gives you 'Resource Cards' without knowing it, a friend, a family member, a support worker who checks in, and thank them this week. When someone shares something they're working toward, try giving them one specific strength you see in them, the same way this round worked."
"You don't have to figure everything out alone. Every dream needs different kinds of support, and learning to receive that support is part of building your future."
Closing question: "Which Resource Card would you want someone to give your dream right now, and why?"
"Look at your dream now. A few minutes ago it was just your idea. Now other people have already added things you didn't think about. Dreams rarely grow because of one person, they grow because different people contribute different things. So let's imagine what happens when all of our dreams start helping each other."
Purpose: This is the most demanding round, so only run it once the group is warmed up. All the dreams get connected into one shared story. Round question: how does my dream connect to everyone else's?
This round asks for abstract, multi-step thinking. Depending on your group, feel free to simplify: instead of connecting every dream into one big story, you can ask "which two dreams could help each other?" as a smaller, more concrete task. Use your judgment, there's no requirement to run the full version.
Opening: "Now we're going to connect all of our dreams into one story. It doesn't need to be realistic, it needs to be creative. Every dream needs to show up somewhere. It's okay not to know yet, there's no one right way to get there."
If the group gets stuck, sentence starters: "One dream that could help another dream happen is ___, because ___." / "If ___ happened first, it would make ___ easier." / "These two dreams connect because they both need ___." / "Here's one way all of these dreams could happen at the same time: ___." / "Yes, and..." — take whatever was just contributed and add to it, instead of shutting it down.
"Your dream doesn't need one fixed path. Seeing how it connects to other people's dreams shows there's more than one way to get there. If one way closes, another can open."
"When your plan hits a wall, try asking 'whose dream or plan could connect with mine here?' instead of assuming there's only one path forward. Look for one person this month whose goals overlap with yours, even a little, and find one small way to team up."
"Your direction isn't only about what you achieve for yourself. Your dreams can create opportunities for others, just as theirs can create opportunities for you."
Closing question: "Which other person's dream did yours end up connected to, and how?"
"We've imagined lots of possibilities today. Some of them might happen. Some might change. That's okay. The important thing isn't predicting your future, it's deciding what kind of future you're willing to move toward. Before we go, let's choose one small step."
Purpose: Every participant lands what came up today into their own declaration and first action, in whatever format works for them. Round question: what's my first step?
Building up to it: "Before we finish anything, let's answer a few questions together, starting simple. First: what matters to you? Next: what kind of person do you hope to become?"
Writing: "On your worksheet, finish this sentence: something I'm working toward is ___. Then choose one action you'll take this week. You can write it, draw it, say it, or ask someone to help record it."
Before they write: "You don't have to know your whole future today. If you leave today with one clearer idea than when you came in, that's already progress."
"Put your reminder somewhere you'll notice it, your phone, a picture board, a calendar, a favourite notebook, or somewhere at home where you'll see it. Break your first action this week into something small enough to do in under 15 minutes."
"A direction only becomes real once you take a first step. Regularly asking yourself what matters and what your next step is helps you stay true to yourself, whatever the future brings."
Closing question: "Looking at everything you imagined today, what's the one step you're actually going to take this week?"
Close warmly. Thank the group for their honesty and effort today. You don't need a big speech, a simple and sincere thank you lands better than a long one.
Welcome, and thank you for stepping into this role today.
What you're about to run isn't just an activity, it's a chance for someone to give themselves permission to imagine a future they haven't let themselves consider yet, maybe for the first time in a while. You don't need to have all the answers. You just need to show up, follow this guide, and be genuinely present with the people in front of you.
Your role matters more than you might think. The person leading the group shapes how safe people feel to dream out loud, how much they're willing to imagine, and whether today becomes something they actually remember. That's you. Whatever happens in this group today happens because you chose to hold it well.
If this is your first time facilitating, that's okay. This guide has been designed to support you through every part of the session, from what to say to what to do. Follow it one step at a time, and you'll do just fine.
This guide is written primarily around the Printable PDF, since that's the most common way to run a session. Everything below still applies if you're using the Group Dream Board instead, just adapt the SAY lines and instructions to whichever format is in front of your group.
Three things to hold onto the whole session:
Your main adjustment for this group: give people more time to think and share. Slow your own pace down, don't rush to fill silences, and expect stories to take longer than the suggested time.
The future is full of possibilities no one can map out in advance, at any age. Participants may not know what the years ahead will hold, who they'll meet, what opportunities will come up, or what their health and circumstances will look like.
But they can get better at knowing:
That's what this module practises. Every round is really asking one of these four questions in a different way.
Your job as facilitator is simply to help participants move through these four steps. You don't need to be an expert on ageing or life planning, you just need to run the steps.
This module isn't about starting over. It's built around a different idea: "I have already lived a rich life. What kind of next chapter do I still want to create?" Growth, purpose, relationships, contribution, and joy can continue at every stage of life.
This helps participants practise:
For seniors, this can help when deciding how they want to spend their time, what relationships to invest in, what to pass on to younger generations, and what they want their next chapter to look like.
The words in the SAY boxes are a starting point. Feel free to simplify further in the moment, a shorter sentence that lands is better than a complete one that doesn't.
This runs longer than the standard 50–65 minutes to allow for slower reading, more discussion, translation between participants, and any hearing or mobility needs.
| Round | What Happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Future Deck — Mandatory | Everyone chooses one option on their Future Deck grid and imagines the next chapter of their life | 15–20 min |
| 2. Dream Draft — Optional | The group gives Support Cards to each other's dreams | 15 min |
| 3. Possibility Chain — Optional | The group connects all the dreams into one story | 15–20 min |
| 4. Final Reflection — Mandatory | Each person shares their declaration and first action | 15 min |
Short bridge moments between rounds aren't listed as separate rows above, but they matter. They're written out in full at the point you need them below.
You are not a medical professional, and you are not expected to handle everything alone. Your job is to notice, respond calmly, and get the right person involved.
| Signal | Looks like | Do |
|---|---|---|
| STOP | Someone discloses acute distress, a health scare, or becomes disoriented or confused | Stop the activity and get the lead adult. Signal your lead facilitator or on-site staff member/caregiver right away. Do not ask follow-up questions about what happened. |
| SLOW | Someone becomes emotional discussing a loss (a spouse, a friend, their health), withdraws, or shares something unexpectedly personal, but is not in crisis | Reduce pressure. Let them pass. Check in later. Ease off, let them skip a turn or pass, and check in quietly and privately after the round. |
| MONITOR | Someone seems confused about where they are in the activity, or their mood shifts and you're not sure why | Keep going gently. Tell the lead adult afterwards. Reduce pressure to speak, mention it to your lead facilitator afterward, and check whether they simply need a short rest. |
Grief, health scares, and memory lapses come up far more often with this group than with younger participants. None of this means something has gone wrong, it means you're doing this well. Stay calm, stay warm, and hand anything beyond a listening ear to the right person. A staff member or family caregiver should be present at every session, know who that is before you start.
Purpose: Every participant looks at the same grid of options and chooses the one that speaks to them most about the years ahead, before worrying about how realistic it is. This round makes permission to imagine visible and shared. Round question: what still excites me about the years ahead?
Opening welcome: "Hi everyone, I'm [your name], and I'll be facilitating today's session. Every stage of life brings new possibilities. Retirement, becoming grandparents, volunteering, learning new skills, making new friends, caring for loved ones, and taking better care of ourselves all bring opportunities to discover new directions. Today isn't about looking back at what you've already done. It's about looking ahead at what still matters to you. I'm not here to tell you what the years ahead should look like. I'm here to create a space for all of us to explore what still matters to you."
Starting the round: "Look at the grid in front of you. Choose the picture or idea that speaks to you most. There's no wrong answer, and it's okay if someone else picks the same one as you."
After choosing: "Think about this: if this became part of your life, what would be different?"
Before anyone shares: "Some people care most about family. Some about health. Some about learning something new, or helping others. All of these matter, there's no right answer here."
If writing feels difficult, participants can point, describe it aloud, or ask someone at their table to write for them. Keep the grid visual where possible, pictures carry more than words for many participants, especially those less comfortable in English.
"You may not know exactly what the years ahead look like. But knowing what matters to you gives you something to steer by. Things can change, but what matters to you can still guide your next step."
"Whenever you're deciding how to spend your time, finding meaningful activities, staying active, or learning something new, ask which option on your grid it moves you toward. Revisit your choice from time to time. If it still matters to you, keep going. If something else matters more now, that's fine too, dreams can update."
"Having a sense of what you're moving towards, even loosely, is often more valuable than having every step planned out. Tell someone close to you what you chose, saying it out loud makes it easier to act on."
Closing question: "If you told one person close to you what you chose today, what do you think they'd say?"
This is optional. Use your judgment for your group, but it's worth considering after this first round.
"Every person has lived a different life. Some have faced illness. Some have cared for family members. Some have experienced loss. Some have had many opportunities, while others have had fewer. Today is about looking at what is still possible from where you are today."
This acknowledges real life experience without turning the session into a grief discussion. It separates "what matters to me now" from "what I've been through," which lets participants explore possibility without having to relive difficulty first.
"Something interesting just happened. Even though everyone chose something different, every single person here had something that mattered to them. A dream doesn't become stronger because it's bigger. It becomes stronger because someone believes in it. Let's see what happens when we help each other.
You've already built a rich life, with people who believed in you along the way. That doesn't stop now. You don't need everything figured out today. You just need a next step."
Purpose: Every dream on the board gets support from the group. This is a required go-around, not a free choice of how much to give. Round question: who's around me that can help make this more possible?
Opening: "Now we're going to help each other's dreams. When it's your turn, pick a Support Card and give it to someone else's dream, not your own. Tell them why: 'I think this will help because...'"
Setting expectations: "We'll keep going around so that everyone's dream gets support."
"Other people can see strengths in you that help your dream happen, even ones you don't notice in yourself. You're not building this alone."
"Notice who already supports you without being asked, family, friends, neighbours, and thank them this week. When someone shares what they're working toward, try giving them one specific strength you see in them, the same way this round worked."
"You don't have to figure everything out alone. Every dream needs different kinds of support, it's about recognising who and what can help you move forward."
Closing question: "Which Support Card would you want someone to give your dream right now, and why?"
"Look at your dream now. A few minutes ago it was just your idea. Now other people have already added things you didn't think about. Dreams rarely grow because of one person, they grow because different people contribute different things. So let's imagine what happens when all of our dreams start helping each other."
Purpose: This is the most demanding round, so only run it once the group is warmed up. All the dreams get connected into one shared story. Round question: how does my dream connect to everyone else's?
Opening: "Now we're going to connect all of our dreams into one story. It doesn't need to be realistic, it just needs to bring us together. Every dream needs to show up somewhere. It's okay not to know exactly how, there's no one right way to get there."
If the group gets stuck, sentence starters: "One dream that could help another dream happen is ___, because ___." / "If ___ happened first, it would make ___ easier." / "These two dreams connect because they both need ___." / "Here's one way all of these dreams could happen at the same time: ___." / "Yes, and..." — take whatever was just said and add to it, instead of shutting it down.
"Your dream doesn't need one fixed path. Seeing how it connects to other people's dreams shows there's more than one way to get there. If one way closes, another can open."
"When your plan hits a wall, try asking who else's dream or situation might connect with yours. Look for one person whose goals overlap with yours, even a little, and find a small way to support each other."
"Your years ahead are connected to other people. This isn't only about what you achieve for yourself, your experience can create opportunities for others, just as theirs can for you."
Closing question: "Which other person's dream did yours end up connected to, and how?"
"We've imagined lots of possibilities today. Some of them might happen. Some might change. That's okay. The important thing isn't predicting exactly what lies ahead, it's deciding what kind of life you're willing to keep building. Before we go, let's choose one small step."
Purpose: Every participant lands what came up today into their own declaration and first action. Round question: what's my first step?
Building up to it: "Before we write anything, let's answer a few questions together, starting simple. First: what matters to you? Next: what kind of life do you want to keep building? Or, what do you want people to remember about you?"
Writing: "On your worksheet, finish this sentence: one thing that matters to me now is ___. Then write down one action you'll take this week."
Before they write: "You don't have to have the years ahead all figured out today. If you leave today with one clearer idea than when you came in, that's already meaningful."
"Put your reminder somewhere realistic, your calendar, the refrigerator, a family photo, your diary, near the kettle, or next to your medication. Keep this action small enough to do in under 15 minutes."
"What matters to you may shift over time, but regularly asking yourself what still matters, and what your next step is, helps you stay true to yourself, whatever the years ahead bring."
Closing question: "Looking at everything you imagined today, what's the one step you're actually going to take this week?"
Close warmly. Thank the group for their honesty and effort today. A simple and sincere thank you lands better than a long speech.