What is Dream Leader?

Dream Leader is a game, book and workshop that offers a better way for teens to learn how to lead themselves and others.

The philosophy of the Dream Leader products is: You can lead your expectations, your actions and your dreams – for life.  Teens hear a lot about what they can’t do, should do, shouldn’t do, must do and will do. Dream Leader focuses on what young people can do.  Self-leadership and self-belief strengthen character and form a foundation for leading others.

Why do students need Dream Leader?

To learn the self-leadership skills that raise personal expectations for a positive future.

This product series – a book, workshop and interactive board game – is aimed at solving a problem for millions of 13-18 year olds who don’t learn self-leadership skills formally and don’t interact with others who use these skills. These teens enter adulthood with less capability for self-reliance and creative contribution, resulting in lower expectations, jobs that waste their talents and lives that contribute less to society.

What is the book Dream Leader about?  

To lead your dreams and others - you have to learn to lead yourself.

The new teen book Dream Leader (© 2007 by Jill Esplin, founder of Leading for Life) – currently in its second printing – is supported by presentations and workshops through schools and national /international youth education organizations. The book is for young people who want to discover their passions and lead a life that fits their interests and dreams. It features stories of 22 teen and adult leaders who demonstrate with actions and consequences the behaviors of self-leadership for life.

What is the Dream Leader game about?

The game gets teens talking and thinking about what they can do to lead their dreams.

The Dream Leader board game is developed by Jill Esplin and interactive learning designer Sue Baechler of Originaliti®. Like the book, the game’s self-leadership content includes self-belief, direct communication, getting past fears, choosing kindness, teaming up with peers and mentors, making and achieving goals, changing thinking, self-pride, failing to succeed and building yourself up. The game accomplishes what many educators say they can’t: Engages any group of teens – peers or strangers – in relevant conversations that build teams around their dreams.

What age group is Dream Leader for?

The Dream Leader series is designed for teens in middle and high school.

How much time does it take to play Dream Leader the game?

The game is designed to be played in about 50 minutes (a class period) to set up, play and debrief the experience.

You can play faster if you have played before, or you can take more time if you have it, and conversations go longer. There are 84 unique scenarios in the game which means you can play the game up to six different times with new challenges.

What does the Dream Leader Game include?

Six games in one box for a classroom of 36.

One game box has six ready-to-use game packs (for six groups of six players), a teacher set-up and debrief, and 144 scenario cards (84 are unique) for multiple play and continued learning. Playing, scoring and winning requires players to act their way in and out of success and failure, respond positively to others, and consider creative ways to turn their interests and passions into dreams and contributions.

What are some of the benefits of the Dream Leader?

The benefits of playing or reading Dream Leader include:

• Students pursue interests and dreams with pride and confidence, knowing the value of their special strengths
• Students connect with other students and learn they are more alike than different
• Students understand self-leadership and expect to actively lead themselves in and out of successes and failures
• Teachers enhance curriculum with goal setting, self-leadership and positive self-talk
• Teachers enrich student learning and relationships when teacher is out of classroom
• Schools raise expectations and encouragement for under-achievers
• Schools engage students in productive activities during testing days and teacher absences

What do teens learn from Dream Leader?

Twelve Ways to Think and Act Like a Dream Leader:

What makes Dream Leader different from other learning games?

Two things:

1. Teens lead the entire self-leadership game experience.
2. The concept that teens who lead themselves will be more successful at leading others.

Dream Leader provides a safe and fun forum for teens to think and talk about topics that matter to them - their interests and their futures.  The game is engineered so that each student has their own experience and personal learning – while the group forms a team of peers around each other’s interests. This game is self-facilitated and can be played multiple times, with a unique experience each time.

Where can people buy Dream Leader the book and game?

Dream Leader is being sold online at www.dreamleadergame.com

Herff Jones, Inc. scholastic sales representatives sell the game and book through their Impact series of motivational programs.

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) sells the game and book in the NASC and NHS/NJHS catalogs.

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