Diving Deeper
When Pi Beta Phi announced they were launching a new Leading with Values® program, I pretty much said “oh boy.” After becoming familiar with how Leading with Values seminars have been run in Montana Alpha, I was cautious about the implementation of a new curriculum. Lucky for me (and for you too), these seminars are easy to facilitate, adaptable to any facilitation platform and extremely applicable to our values.
For me, connecting to our values means a lot more than acting with integrity, participating in philanthropy events or staying committed to Pi Beta Phi after our time as collegians. Our commitment is so much more than defining and executing the six values we live by, but instead the simple things like being a sincere friend, talking about mental health, practicing self-care, and learning more about ourselves to be better communicators with others.
The Leading with Values seminars are engaging resources that can help address real issues chapters are facing. We can address these issues by focusing on how we live our values. Instead of general resources on friendship, we are able to dive deeper into our values by learning how to “be a sincere friend when it truly matters” or learn more about ourselves to be more respectful and supportive of others.
Pi Phi makes it easy by classifying these Leading with Values (as of when I’m writing this blog, into Communication, Health and Wellness and Sincere Friendship) and then having a virtual lesson plan that is simple to click through and present.
When we rolled around to the eighth week of school, I knew a conversation about mental health and how to best help ourselves and our sisters navigate their mental health needs was something Montana Alpha could benefit from. Because of this, we chose to facilitate the “Navigating Your Mental Health Needs” seminar. It took us through the warning signs of potential mental health conditions in teens and young adults, how to identify resources in our community, the understanding of barriers people might have with access to mental health support, and an action plan on how we can individually support mental health for our sisters and what our chapter can do to support mental health.
At Montana Alpha, we are operating in a hybrid setting. So far this semester, we have found the Leading with Values seminars to be just as effective when conducted virtually! We chose to facilitate this seminar virtually, so to start preparing for it, I went through the seminar and started thinking about engaging ways to keep the activities effective. The new seminars have two options on how to facilitate activities, which often have virtual components! We have also utilized the Zoom breakout room feature to help facilitate small group conversation.
This seminar was incredibly effective for our chapter. “This seminar and other Leading with Values seminars we have had this semester have pushed me to see beyond the generality of our values, and look into what makes us the sisters, friends and people we are.” Montana Alpha Jaedyn Birchmier said to me after our seminar.
Overall, these seminars have helped me provide the support my chapter needs right now. We all need good friends, communicators and sisters (in and out of a pandemic), and these workshops have created a great reflectional and informational environment where we are able to dive deeper into what makes us who we are, and how we can continue our growth as women.
For me, connecting to our values means a lot more than acting with integrity, participating in philanthropy events or staying committed to Pi Beta Phi after our time as collegians. Our commitment is so much more than defining and executing the six values we live by, but instead the simple things like being a sincere friend, talking about mental health, practicing self-care, and learning more about ourselves to be better communicators with others.
The Leading with Values seminars are engaging resources that can help address real issues chapters are facing. We can address these issues by focusing on how we live our values. Instead of general resources on friendship, we are able to dive deeper into our values by learning how to “be a sincere friend when it truly matters” or learn more about ourselves to be more respectful and supportive of others.
Pi Phi makes it easy by classifying these Leading with Values (as of when I’m writing this blog, into Communication, Health and Wellness and Sincere Friendship) and then having a virtual lesson plan that is simple to click through and present.
When we rolled around to the eighth week of school, I knew a conversation about mental health and how to best help ourselves and our sisters navigate their mental health needs was something Montana Alpha could benefit from. Because of this, we chose to facilitate the “Navigating Your Mental Health Needs” seminar. It took us through the warning signs of potential mental health conditions in teens and young adults, how to identify resources in our community, the understanding of barriers people might have with access to mental health support, and an action plan on how we can individually support mental health for our sisters and what our chapter can do to support mental health.At Montana Alpha, we are operating in a hybrid setting. So far this semester, we have found the Leading with Values seminars to be just as effective when conducted virtually! We chose to facilitate this seminar virtually, so to start preparing for it, I went through the seminar and started thinking about engaging ways to keep the activities effective. The new seminars have two options on how to facilitate activities, which often have virtual components! We have also utilized the Zoom breakout room feature to help facilitate small group conversation.
This seminar was incredibly effective for our chapter. “This seminar and other Leading with Values seminars we have had this semester have pushed me to see beyond the generality of our values, and look into what makes us the sisters, friends and people we are.” Montana Alpha Jaedyn Birchmier said to me after our seminar.
Overall, these seminars have helped me provide the support my chapter needs right now. We all need good friends, communicators and sisters (in and out of a pandemic), and these workshops have created a great reflectional and informational environment where we are able to dive deeper into what makes us who we are, and how we can continue our growth as women.
Have you facilitated one of the new Leading with Values seminars? Contact Pi Beta Phi Headquarters to share your experience!
Published March 14, 2021
