We were all dressed in our togas, laurel wreaths on our heads, with bouncy Greek music playing in the background. We dialed in a few heroes over Zoom, and after a few fun dance moves were finally ready to begin our “taste of Greece” party. We had completed our last session called “Acton Athens” and were ready to celebrate!

The excitement was vibrating in the air. I couldn’t help but smile as I heard the heroes’ expressions and thought back to our experience over the past three weeks.

“I LOVE these olives!” one hero said with bursting excitement, as the others looked at her with surprise. “My favorite is the Greek flatbread,” someone else shared.

“…and this CHEESE!” another interjected.

“I’m just really enjoying this baklava!” one hero exclaimed with a confident smile as he went for an extra helping.

“I just love tasting Greece!” a 7-year old shared, her whole body squeezing together for a smile.

It’s amazing how a few concrete experiences of a different culture can spark such a zest for exploring the new.

These heroes felt what it was like to write Greek characters in an ancient Greek wax tablet, while wearing a leafy laurel wreath. They discovered which ancient Greek god was most like them and created a sculpture, along with their own version of an ancient Greek myth. They enjoyed the simple pleasures of building their own yo-yo – ancient-Greek style – and explored how mountainous ancient Greece was as they created their salt clay maps. Some explored math using an ancient Greek abacus, while others assembled their own sistrums – ancient Greek musical instruments. Music, clothing, culture – so much immersive fun!

A guide’s role is a game maker and a storyteller. To inspire through story, to equip with processes and to connect the tribe through immersive experiences. To create a game that matters to the heroes and then invite them to play.

As our tribe matures and they engage in more and more games and challenges, I’m seeing their curiosity coming to life. They are discovering how much fun it is to learn alongside their friends – as they build a project or accomplish a task that matters to them.

Learning to learn. Learning to do. Learning to be.

It’s happening!

P.S. – Check out these pictures of our Studio Exhibition! The heroes led the whole thing, including a surprise rendition of “The 12 Days of Christmas” with each playing instruments! Their favorite! 🙂