The YW can set up a 3-hour time slot on a Saturday before Christmas that they can babysit for Moms to do their Christmas shopping!! The YW can set up fun stations (games, music, crafts, etc.) for the children.

Good Works Value Experience #6

"Spend at least three hours giving service outside your family. Ask your ward or branch Relief Society president or a community leader for suggestions for service. For example, you might take care of children while parents attend the temple; collect, make, or recondition toys or games for a nursery; accept an assignment to clean the meetinghouse; or perform errands for or read to a homebound person or others in need. Record in your journal the reactions of the person you served and possible goals for future service opportunities."

We have created a bookmark (left-click to open, right-click to save) for you to give to your YW. It lists all Personal Progress Value Experiences in order by how long they take to complete. It also has a box for the YW to check off what they have accomplished so far.

This bookmark is a great way to see at a glance what they need to work on.

Mandatory experiences are colored in with the Value color. Optional experiences are outlined in the Value color. Enjoy!

We keep a small vase (you can use a jar of any kind) and a baggie of little plastic "gems" on our table every Sunday and every Tuesday. Right before the prayer, we have the girls add whatever "beads" they've earned since the last time.

• 2 beads for bringing their books every Sunday and Tuesday.
• 5 beads for every experience they finish.
• 20 beads for each 10-hr project they complete.

Our reasoning behind giving them beads just for bringing their books, is because 1st - they have them when we need them for parts of lessons, etc. and 2nd - if they KNOW where their book is and have looked at it recently, it's seriously half the battle of getting things accomplished. Plus everyone has theirs in hand and they see each other getting things signed off and they see all the highlighted areas in the other girls' books and it motivates them.

When the vase is full we have a Personal Progress Pizza Pigout Party (5p party), where they all wear their PJ's and bring a treat the starts with "P". We provide 2 $5 pizzas and just play games and enjoy each other. The wonderful part about this activity is that it gives us leaders a chance to bring each girl into the other room for a quiet 5-8 minute interview and copy all of their progress into our tracking sheets and really chat with each girl about school, friends, home-life, etc. They think it's all about fun, and we get our PP interviews done. It's perfect. This happens about twice each year! You may have to play with the size of the jar and the size of the beads to make sure they get rewarded often enough, but not too often. Twice or three times a year works really well for us.

Thanks to Vonda Dastrup for this idea!


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Assorted Mini Gems

We may assume that all the YW know how to play the common sports: softball, volleyball, and basketball. However, many do not, and a lot of times they are scared to admit that they don't know or that they're afraid of making mistakes so they don't play. They may not know the rules or the proper stance (batting, or volleyball), how to properly shoot or swing a bat. They may have never played before. Have a sports night where you not only play a game of the chosen sport, but you go over rules and techniques as well. This can help girls gain confidence, especially if your stake is active with these sports! Have a YW who excels in the sport help with the planning. This could pass off a personal progress goal.

You can also include other sports the girls are interested in like field hockey, tennis, soccer, golf, bowling, etc.

Recently we had a sister in our ward come visit with the YW about homemaking skills. She talked with them for a few minutes about how everyone has different talents, etc. and we don't all have to do all of the homemaking crafts. She talked about cooking and cleaning and their importance and then discussed other skills.

Then we all went upstairs and tied lap quilts. The Sister who spoke helped the YW with the quilting instructions. We borrowed frames from the Relief Society.

We had set up two frames and had the edges already bound so that once they tied them, they were finished. The YW them presented these quilts to the two graduating seniors. These quilts could be given to new mothers in the ward or donated to a local shelter.

There are several areas of Personal Progress where the YW could use this skill, including Knowledge Experience #2.


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Lap Quilting Lives!

Most towns have a museum of some kind. Take a trip to a local museum or two. Take time with the girls to discuss what is in the museum, and help them understand the importance of what they see. Discuss history, art, etc.

A fun idea is to pick up some postcards of specific art before you go. Give one to each YW and have them research the artist or work of art before you go. Then, when they spot that piece of art at the museum they can give a report about it - sort of like a tour guide!

Also, remind the YW that this activity can go towards Personal Progress Knowledge Experience #3. They must have the 13th Article of Faith memorized ahead of time so remind them in advance!

For an activity focused on prayer you could begin with a speaker (5-10 minutes) with a personal experience and testimony of the power of prayer.

Then you could have the YW make one of the following crafts:

Make a prayer rock:

Spray paint some appropriate-sized stones ahead of time and have craft paints for the YW to paint the word "prayer" as well as other embellishments onto their rocks. Then let them dry as you lead a discussion about prayer. You could give them a copy of this poem to go along with it.

MY PRAYER ROCK

I'm your little prayer rock
And this is what I'll do...
Just put me on your pillow
To stay till day is through.

At night turn back the covers
And climb into your bed
And Whack! Your little prayer rock
Will hit you on the head.

Then you will remember
As the day is through
To kneel and say your private prayers
As you're supposed to do.

When your prayers are finished
Just drop me on the floor.
I'll stay there all throughout the night
to give you help once more.

When you get up the next morning -
Ouch! I'll stub your toe,
So you'll be sure to say your
morning prayers before you go.

Put me back upon your pillow
When your bed is made
And your little prayer rock
will continue in your aid.

Because your Heavenly Father
cares and loves you so,
HE wants you to remember
And talk to HIM you know.

Make a Prayer Pillow Case:

Purchase plain white pillow cases and craft paints or permanent makers and have the YW decorate their pillowcases with "Did you think to pray?" Encourage them to use them on their beds so they have a constant reminder to pray morning and night.

Make a Prayer Rug/Mat:

Ask around local carpet supply companies for some old carpet sample and have the YW decorate them. They can use stencils and craft paint or permanent markers to decorate them.

This activity can motivate the YW to accomplish their Personal Progress Faith Experience #1.


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Prayer

I saw this on the Idea Door and loved it so much we handed out the sheets to our YW before general conference. I reminded them that in order to do a Value Project, they must first complete the Experiences associated with that Value.

The concept of this Project is that you make/decorate a General Conference notebook, listen to all eight hours while taking good notes, review your notes and journal according to what Value you have chosen for this project.

This project reminds me of something Sister Dalton said in the recent training in Salt Lake City, "Give yourselves credit for Personal Progress." Reminding us that we are accomplishing things all the time in our lives. We just need to remember to make the goals ahead of time and journal and give ourselves credit! This goes for the YW and the leaders.

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Young Women Fun-Tastic! Personal Progress Motivators

1. Purchase an inexpensive small purse or make one.
2. Inside: notebook or journal (to record accomplishment and/or words of encouragement), For the Strength of Youth pamphlet, mini notebook (to share a favorite scripture or quote), highlighter, post-its, pen, snacks.
3. Each week one YW takes the purse home and utilizes the tools to help with her Personal Progress. She eats the treat and puts a new one in - store bought or homemade!
4. She brings it back Sunday and share what she has done in Personal Progress that week. 

*Idea submitted by Tabitha Danson. Thanks, Tabitha!

I recently learned that the Young Women General Board will send out a congratulatory letter to Young Women when they complete their personal progress. In order to request this letter, simply email the following information to youngwomen AT ldschurch DOT org along with your request...

1. Full name of the young woman the letter is for.
2. Full mailing address of where you'd like the letter sent.
3. Ward & Stake
4. Date she completed the Personal Progress program.
5. Leader name & calling (or state that you are the parent of the YW)

As the girls prepare for their future, learning to cook is very important!! Many girls are learning how to cook at home, or perhaps you've had a cooking night for an activity. A fun activity is to have a tasting night and recipe swap to encourage the girls to try new foods, and to learn to enjoy cooking.

Have each girl bring 5 recipes (you can have them bring less if you have a lot of girls in your group), and have them cook and bring one for everyone to taste. For the 5 recipes, have them bring them in different categories: drinks, salads, main dish, cookie, dessert, etc. Either purchase cute recipe cards, or bring the large size index cards for the girls to copy recipes on. Or, have the recipes typed up and copied so they can cut out and glue or tape the recipe on the card.

For a craft, the girls can paint their own recipe box.

Once the dust clears from Youth Conference and Girls Camp (whew!) this Summer, we will be starting a Relief Society mentoring program.

We have had our Young Women sign up and tell us a specific skill that they would like to learn. We have YW interested in photography, car repair, cooking, needlework, etc.

We are planning to take that list and pass it around Relief Society and ask that sisters volunteer to help mentor a young woman in an area they are comfortable with. We will explain to them that they have the opportunity to work on their Personal Progress if they would like, but if nothing else it will be a good bonding experience and a great way to help with the transition between YW and RS!

After 6-8 weeks we plan to have a dinner to thank the sisters who have helped with the skills. We will have the YW display the projects they have been working on with their mentors.

Have a banker, financial adviser, or other person with a good knowledge of finances come talk to the girls about money: how to manage it, save it, and how interest works, and the like. This activity should include things like: paying tithing first, how to manage a check book, how interest works when you save, and credit interest, budgeting, and how to save etc.

Here's a link to some Church resources on this topic! Here's a link to a lesson in the Young Women manual (Manual 2) on this topic!

See Personal Progress Choice & Accountability, Value Experience #7 and Knowledge, Value Experience #2

One of our young women had tested, compiled, and published a book of recipes for one of her value projects. Quite an accomplishment! For another value project, she taught a combined mutual activity on the basics of cooking. She had the girls put together a meal of chili, cheese biscuits, and a homemade punch. As she helped each group with their tasks, she talked about basic kitchen skills such as measuring, reading a recipe, quick pantry meals that they could do without help, and how to use kitchen equipment and utensils. At the end of the evening, they were able to sample their work! (which was quite yummy!)