On March 26th, Crossing Borders hosted a workshop for Ukrainian youth from four different hubs, centered around the theme of Personal Goal Planning. The aim was to provide participants with practical tools and strategies to envision and plan their future, and to bring that knowledge back to their local hubs. We also encouraged each participant to find a “goal buddy” for mutual motivation and support on their journey.

We were a team of four facilitators from Crossing Borders, and we kicked off the day with a light-hearted icebreaker: “Would You Rather?” We scattered a bunch of fun questions on the floor, and each participant picked one. They then paired up with someone who had a different question, took turns answering, swapped questions, and found new partners to repeat the process. The room was quickly filled with laughter and energy, just the kind of vibe we needed to break the ice and build connections!

From there, we moved into a more reflective space with “The Miracle Question”. We invited everyone to imagine their “ideal day”—what life might look like if everything in their life suddenly aligned just right, what would that look like? After writing their scenarios, we debriefed together: What patterns do you notice? What excites or scares you about your imagined future?

The third activity was called “Treasure Hunt of You”, designed to help participants identify what truly matters to them and link those values to their goals. We laid out a set of cards representing different personal strengths, and each person chose two that they felt best reflected them. They then shared their picks out loud with the group.

This flowed naturally into “Values Mapping.” Participants selected their top personal values from a list and arranged them in a pyramid based on importance. It sparked some deep reflection through questions like:

• Why is this value so important to you?
• How do your values guide your choices and goals?
• Have your values shifted as you’ve grown?
• Are your goals really in sync with your values and strengths?

Turning Dreams into Plans

The heart of the workshop was about making those dreams feel doable. We moved into Goal Setting & Vision Mapping, where things got both creative and practical.

Activity 1: Vision Tree: A creative exercise where participants fill out a visual “tree” of their dreams, goals, subgoals, and values.

Activity 2: SMART Goals in Action: We introduced the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), then guided participants to turn one of their dreams into a concrete, SMART goal.

With goals in place, we explored next how to overcome obstacles using the Traffic Light Action Plan:

• 🟥 Red (Stop Doing): What habits or distractions are holding me back?
• 🟨 Yellow (Continue Doing): What am I doing that’s already working?
• 🟩 Green (Start Doing): What new steps can I take right away?

Participants paired up to reflect on which part was hardest, and whether they might need outside help to move forward.

As a practical takeaway, we encouraged everyone to find an accountability buddy, someone they trust, to revisit their plans and check in monthly. Support, encouragement, and community can make all the difference.

To wrap up, we closed with the activity: “Step Forward If…” Everyone lined up, and we read out reflective statements. If a statement resonated, participants stepped forward. This final activity helped us measure the emotional and personal impact of the workshop.

We’re grateful to all the participants for showing up with openness and courage, and we can’t wait to see how their visions unfold in the months ahead.