Many of the people and organisations we work with deliver training, or educational sessions, for young people and families. In this blog, our experienced trainers from the Scottish Gambling Education Hub share top tips on how to make your sessions as interactive, inclusive, and engaging as possible.

• Agree some ground rules

  This helps participants feel safe and respected, and gives structure to the session. You can record and display the rules for each session, and review them regularly to give a sense of collaboration and ownership.

• Share your plans for the session

  Let participants know what you plan to cover in the session, including breaks and time duration.

• Run an icebreaker activity

  For example, the A-Z game from our toolkit is a fun, interactive way to get participants thinking about gambling. It encourages participation, and opens up discussions which helps set the scene for further conversations and activities.

• Try a 1-to-1 icebreaker

  If you work with individuals rather than groups, you can still break the ice with an activity. Try brainstorming words you associate with gambling by working through the alphabet and recording words on a flipchart.

• Create a fun, interactive experience

  This can help participants feel comfortable, and be more likely to ask questions. Using a mix of interactive activities throughout the session can also help avoid information-overload!

• Consider group dynamics

  Think about how you can mix up the session’s activities to use different group sizes, such as pairs, small groups, and the whole group. This will give variety, and help build relationships in the session.

• Record key learnings of the session on flipchart paper

  This way, you can remind participants of what they covered at previous sessions. This may encourage participants to reflect, and ask any questions they might have thought of.

For more on how to plan and design sessions, check out Chapter 7 of the Gambling Education Toolkit.