Minga Challenge Library

Instructions:

Answer these questions the best you can. 

1. Name / Pronouns (optional)
2. Fav Colour 
3. Fav Sport
4. Fav Food
5. Fav Subject 
6. Fav Celebrity Icon 
7. The thing you’re most excited for this year 
8. The thing that makes you, YOU

Why it works:

This challenge might seem pedestrian but is actually way cooler than it comes off. Because this challenge will be split up by grade, after students meet someone new they can enter the challenge and browse through the responses to check out their new friends’ posts. They can also comment and connect with students with similar interests as them. Students and teachers alike are tired of talking about what they did last summer, so this year you can ask your students to respond to some more exciting questions on Minga and skip the in class introductions, or have students read out their submitted challenges. This is great for the first week of school because it helps build connections between students, and don’t forget, you can always change and tailor the questions to your preference.

Instructions:

Would you rather get a ride to school on an elephant or an ostrich? Write a response and post it.

Why it works:

It’s hard to turn down participating in a This or That, so this challenge is basically just to keep the participation ball rolling. Feel free to change the options to cater to your student body.

Instructions:

In this writing (or video) challenge submit 2 truths and 1 lie. After submitting your answers, swipe through other submissions and reply what you think the lie is in the comments! After lunch, find your post and reveal the lie in the comments!

Why it works:

This challenge is a super simple bonding exercise for the kids to have fun with their peers and learn new things about them. This is a great icebreaker challenge for new clubs and even entire grades (especially 7 and 9).

Instructions:

 Share 1 (only 1) fun fact about someone you just met.

Why it works:

During a pep rally or assembly or even break, launch the let’s be friends challenge. Have leadership students run around and prompt other students to hop on Minga and start mingling. This challenge will prompt students to share 1 (ONLY 1) fun fact about someone they don’t know, which means they have to approach a student they haven’t met yet. This challenge is super simple and a great ice breaker game when trying to foster connectivity in your school. It’s also a great introduction to challenges if your students have never done it before.

Instructions:

Share a fun fact about yourself and see if any other submissions share the same fact or a similar one. If another student has the same fun fact as you, make sure to comment and let them know!

Why it works:

Super entry level, beginner challenge, but we have raised the stakes to commenting on other peoples posts which brings students together and can even help students make new friends this early on in the year.

Instructions:

Find a club, take a selfie, answer these questions, and post in the designated challenge section. 

1. What is the club
2. What do they do? 
3. In your opinion, what is the coolest thing about this club?
4. Would you join this club/ are you already a member of this club?

Why it works:

During club rush while all the club booths are open, launch this challenge. We share a common goal of wanting to get students involved. Some schools may already have an organized expo day where they promote each club with a booth to get students engaged. Minga urges you to take a step further and incentivize students to really pay attention and get to know what each club does. This challenge fosters interest in students and creates massive growth in clubs and after school activities.

Instructions:

Post a rad photo of yourself and friends wearing school colors today! Best outfit will be announced after lunch and win a prize!

Why it works:

Classic spirit day that gets students excited and showing their spirit not only personally but also on Minga to last. Makes pep rallies that much more inclusive.

Instructions:

Write the name of your fav song or share a photo of your fav album. (ONLY 1)

Why it works:

Students love sharing music, they post songs on their instagram stories all the time to show others what they are listening to. I would hope this challenge has a lot of participation and will have students sifting through the responses for new music.

Instructions:

Post 3 hints as to what you are dressing up as tomorrow. After that, see if you can guess what other people are wearing in the comments. Don’t forget to post a pic of your costume tomorrow!

Why it works:

This challenge is awesome for so many reasons. It inspires students to dress up and also takes something cool and brings it to school in a fresh way. It’s also easy to see serious engagement here because when students are prompted to guess it’s hard to say no. Students can easily swipe through the challenge responses and guess in the comments, interacting with students they may have never interacted with before.

Instructions:

Share a cause that you are passionate about.

Why it works:

 This is a low stakes challenge but it is here to bring out some vulnerability in the students.

Instructions:

Post a picture of you when you were a baby or a kid!

Why it works:

This challenge will receive a lot of student attention because they have pictures they want to share and also they will sift through the replies to see what others posted. This will nicely fill up the school photo section.

Instructions:

This week, show your appreciation for your fellow peers or any school staff by giving them a shout out in this challenge for something they’ve done recently that’s impacted you in a positive way. From holding the door open to writing you a great recommendation letter, anything counts!

Why it works:

This is an awesome opportunity for students to feel recognized and valued for their positive behaviour. Studies show that after a validation exercise like this one, students take note of the recognition and increase their own positive behaviour in hopes of similar recognition. Not to mention kind deeds and appreciation builds community and bonds student bodies together.

Instructions:

Post a photo of you and your friends in some PJ day attire!

Why it works:

This is a super easy filler challenge that can be related to any clothing themed spirit day. This fills up the photo gallery and students want to show their efforts so they will participate. 

Instructions:

 Share a photo of yourself at a school event. Potential Prizes for best pic.

Why it works:

This is fun, it adds to the photo gallery, kids love prizes, and it ties directly with spirit. It also incentivizes students to attend events.

Instructions:

If you could make one positive change at your school what would it be and why? Write a response and submit.

Why it works:

This is cool because students feel like they are being listened to and it also creates a bond with students who wish to change the same things. This will receive high engagement because ppl often wanna share their constructive criticism.

Instructions:

Write a written response answering what you think would benefit your community. Get creative!

Why it works:

With this challenge we are attempting to create a sense of community building and bonding. Offering the students a chance to speak up which will in turn foster care.

Instructions:

Dress up the same as your “Twin” (which can be more than one person) and post a photo!

Why it works:

This is a fun spirit day activity to break up some of the more serious ones. It also calls for collaboration.

Instructions:

Tell us your thoughts about classic testing methods. Do you prefer essays over tests? Why or Why not? What method fosters the most learning for you?

Why it works:

This challenge really calls students to action to talk about something that is directly affecting them. It is also a topic that helps them feel heard and get to know themselves and their peers better.

Instructions:

What is the biggest stressor in your life right now and what do you do to help manage? Sift through the challenge to see some ways other students cope with stress that might be able to help you.

Why it works:

This challenge is super effective for helping students with stress and anxiety problems feel like they are not alone, it really helps disable the mental health stigma. This challenge is also a great resource for students who might not have functional coping strategies.

Instructions:

Start the challenge and write what inclusive pronouns mean to you. If you find this difficult, start with your own pronouns and then expand onto the inclusion of other people’s pronouns. (she, he, they, them, hers, his, etc)

Why it works:

This is a great challenge because it fosters meaningful communication between students and helps them talk about serious things without needing a teacher to mediate. It also makes students who may value inclusive pronouns more than others more comfortable in their school environment. This challenge also supports Student Voice and gives students the opportunity to feel heard.

Instructions:

Tell us which sport at our school is better and why. BASKETBALL vs FOOTBALL.

Why it works:

This is a nice break up challenge where it moves away from serious back into fun. There should be a lot of student participation here since there is a tiny rivalry between basketball and football fans. Students who cheer on the same sport will connect. Feel free to change the sports to whatever is most popular at your school.

Instructions:

Guess how many jellybeans are in the jar in the office to win tickets to our next event.

Why it works:

This is a double whammy. It’s a classic school game where students can submit their guesses through the challenge and see what other people said. They also win tickets to the next event if it works out which could give them a reason to attend.

Instructions:

Share your opinion on whether or not healthcare should be free. Why or why not?

Why it works:

This challenge fosters community building and helps students build empathetic tools. It’s a good way for students to have a civilized debate on a pressing issue.

Instructions:

Tell us with a written response what you are looking forward to most in the second half of this school year?

Why it works:

This is a fun challenge because students will share school events that they are excited for and it will get other students excited too.

Instructions:

If you could move anywhere, where would you move and why? If you wanna include a photo feel free!

Why it works:

This is just a nice break challenge that allows students to daydream and think about their future. Plus they can comment on other peoples submissions.

Instructions:

Submit a photo of you and the teacher of your choice, or just a photo of some way they have impacted your life, along with a written response to how they inspired you.

Why it works:

This activity is awesome because it not only helps students feel more positive but it also boosts educator morale and brings teachers back to a place where they remember why they pursued teaching. Students will love this activity because they are finally able to thank their favourite teacher in a tangible way and teachers will receive some well deserved recognition.

Instructions:

Is abolishing the Gender Pay Gap important? On that note, what does Feminism mean to you? Feel free to share any thoughts, this is a safe space to have important discussions.

Why it works:

This is an awesome way of introducing some serious conversations onto Minga. Feminism is becoming more and more mainstream and so this is a great start to some more serious debates.

Instructions:

Post a short video about yourself and family and what you consider to be your heritage. Tell us about holidays, traditions, and culture! If you have a relative that goes to our school feel free to team up!

Why it works:

Now that we’ve gotten deeper into the year and more students are familiar with Minga and participating in challenges, we can slam them with a personal video challenge. 

Instructions:

Tell us what your favourite movie is, make sure to include WHY it’s your favourite AND a screen capture from the movie. (Make sure your response is appropriate).

Why it works:

This is similar to the favourite song challenge, it will receive a lot of student engagement and functions as a fun transition challenge.

Instructions:

Tell us what LGBTQIA+ pride means to you. Please be honest, considerate, and empathetic with your responses.

Why it works:

This is another serious challenge that is mainstream enough to not cause a huge debate. It will bring students together and offer them a platform to bond and have the meaningful conversations that will build a sense of community.

Instructions:

Tell us with a written response why you think empathy is (or isn’t) important in 2021. Empathy can be defined as the ability to share and understand the feelings of someone else.

Why it works:

This is  a great challenge because it’s serious, but unlikely to end up divided. We have also been leaning toward this all year with the kindness, and appreciation challenges. 

Instructions:

Make teams and decorate your car. Drive your car to school on Friday in your decked out vehicle and submit photos here. Best Decorated car wins! Bonus points if you use school colours. Materials include and are not limited to: cardboard, washable paint, balloons, foam, cans, string, etc.

Why it works:

Have seniors team up (groups sizes can vary) to decorate and deck out each other’s cars. Everyone will show up to school with their fun and flamboyant cars on a Friday and submit photos to Minga. Best decorated car wins! – Students can use washable paint, balloons, cans, foam, silly string, and basically anything at the dollar store. This challenge is really fun for students because they are new drivers and usually very excited about receiving their license and so imagine their excitement when they have a reason to advertise their new ride and have fun with some friends. Students can gather in the parking lot during lunch and browse all the colourful vehicles. This is the kind of thing students will remember after they graduate and really creates a sense of school spirit. – Extra fun if you prompt students to use school colours.

Instructions:

Talk with some friends about what bullying means to you and post a video either together or alone explaining the implications of bullying in your life or that of a friend. 

Why it works:

When students open up about bullying they lift a weight off of their back and also create a safe space for other victims of bullying to come forward and share their story. Especially in high school some students don’t even know that they are being bullied by their “friends” until others come forward and share their experiences and all the different ways that bullying can be defined. This also works the other way around where some “bullies” may not know the negative implications of their actions until they hear what other students are going through. This is a great bullying prevention technique that allows students to be vulnerable and builds a sense of community.

Instructions:

Remember those baby pictures from the beginning of the year? Well post a current GLOW UP selfie. Reflect on your own self growth and how you’ve changed this year so far.

Why it works:

This is a callback challenge so students get to be rewarded for participating in the beginning and it’s also fun to brag about how you’ve grown and reflect on positive change.

Instructions:

 Should discussions on race be implemented in the highschool curriculum, why or why not?

Why it works:

This is a serious conversation about race and will be a place where all students can discuss the importance of voice and the tribulations in education. 

Instructions:

Are we, as a nation, doing enough to save the environment? Answer why or why not with a written response. 

Why it works:

This challenge is serious and yet more tame than the one before. It’s a little break from intense debate and more for students who are passionate about the environment to finally have an opportunity to be heard.

Instructions:

What has been your favourite school event this year so far and why. Don’t forget to include a pic! For bonus points make sure to include if it was the event you were looking forward to the most from challenge #24.

Why it works:

This is fun because its another call back as well as super light and school spirited. They also have to include details in their submission.

Instructions:

Give a written response to the question: What does BLM mean to you? This is a safe space to share your thoughts and feelings.

Why it works:

This is a highly anticipated challenge where we have built a foundation of trust and confidence for students to participate. If you feel students are not ready to participate in such a serious challenge, feel free to replace it with a spirit day.

Instructions:

What’s one thing about this school year that you consider a success or accomplishment? Answer with a written response and don’t be afraid to brag! Feel free to include a photo if it pertains to your response.

Why it works:

This is a fun way to wind down the serious conversations at the end of the year and talk about the positives and what’s to come.

Instructions:

Include a video of you answering the question: What was your most memorable experience this year? Make sure to say goodbye to your fellow classmates.

Why it works:

This is an awesome way to end off the year on a positive note and with a jam packed challenge that will give students conclusion to their school year.