Experience
Take on something unfamiliar alongside people with different backgrounds and perspectives.
Our Approach
Leadership takes practice.
Participants practice leadership through shared responsibilities, public speaking, reflection and service. Each young person works on individual goals while contributing to the group.
THE IDEA BEHIND THE EXPERIENCE
Our approach to leadership
A young person who learns to face a challenge with others can begin to see themselves differently.
FFI builds on that experience through reflection, feedback and opportunities to contribute. As participants develop skills and a stronger sense of what they can do, they practice using those abilities in their communities.
That is our theory of change: connect with yourself, with other people and with the earth, then turn learning into responsible action.
Reflect
Name what happened, listen to feedback and recognize the habits or assumptions you want to change.
Act
Use what you learned in the next challenge, a team responsibility or a project in your community.
SKILLS YOU CAN PRACTICE
Learning through experience
It might be the first time someone speaks to a room of strangers. A moment of disagreement handled with care. Or the decision to keep trying when an activity feels difficult.
These are opportunities to develop the abilities that matter in school, work and community life. The experience becomes useful when participants can explain what they learned and apply it again.
Explore the course librarySIX VALUES. ONE RECIPE.
The RECIPE values
Resilience, Empathy, Communication, Impact, Playfulness and Effort guide FFI’s programs and curriculum. Open each value to see what it can look like in practice.
RResilienceTry. Struggle. Try again.
Trying unfamiliar activities and making mistakes are part of learning. Participants practice facing a challenge, reflecting on what happened and returning with a different approach.
In practice
A new challenge is followed by reflection: What was difficult? What helped? What will you try next?
EEmpathyMake room for another story.
Service learning, meeting community members and hearing different experiences create opportunities to understand people beyond first impressions.
In practice
Listen to someone whose experience differs from yours. Ask a question before making an assumption.
CCommunicationSpeak honestly. Listen fully.
Storytelling, creative expression, public speaking and dialogue give participants repeated practice in sharing ideas and hearing others.
In practice
Prepare a speech, deliver it to an audience, and use feedback to make the next one stronger.
IImpactTurn an idea into action.
Community Action Projects ask participants to identify a need, design a response and work out what it will take to deliver it.
In practice
Move from “someone should do something” to a proposal with goals, a budget and a practical next step.
PPlayfulnessLeave space for possibility.
A playful environment helps people experiment, connect and imagine different ways forward. Humor and creativity have a place in serious work.
In practice
Take part in a creative or team activity where trying something unfamiliar matters more than getting it perfect.
EEffortGive the work your attention.
Participants are supported as individuals and held accountable as teammates. Leadership requires preparation, participation and a willingness to keep working.
In practice
Show up for a shared responsibility, contribute to the team and reflect honestly on the effort you gave.
A SHARED EXPERIENCE. A PERSONAL PLAN.
Your Individual Leadership Plan.
An Individual Leadership Plan (ILP) is a personal plan for what you want to learn and practice. You and the FFI team identify goals, reflect on your progress during the program and review what comes next.
Someone may want to become more confident speaking. Another person may be working on listening, responding to setbacks or taking initiative. Shared activities can create different learning opportunities for each.
The curriculum adapts to the group and the individual. Program objectives are discussed with partners when designing a tailored experience.
Learn about the curriculumPASSION + PURPOSE + PLAY
Individual goals and interests
FFI uses passion, purpose and play as a way to explore inner peace. These are invitations to discover interests, contribute to something beyond yourself and keep your imagination active.
Passion
Discover what holds your attention. Share an interest, try a new activity and find ways to bring that energy into everyday life.
Purpose
Connect what you care about to something useful. Service and community projects give participants opportunities to contribute.
Play
Experiment, laugh and explore. A sense of possibility can help a group move beyond familiar ways of thinking.
THE ORDINARY MOMENTS MATTER
Learning with other people
The learning is not confined to a workshop. Shared responsibilities, time outdoors, creative activities and community service give participants repeated opportunities to practice their values.
Connection with the earth is part of the philosophy too. FFI’s environmental and plant-based learning invites participants to consider how everyday choices affect the world around them.
Explore environmental leadershipFROM PERSONAL GROWTH TO COMMUNITY ACTION
Community Action Projects
Immersion participants develop Community Action Projects around needs they identify at home. Workshops support planning, budgeting, proposals and presentations, with feedback from community members.
Alumni can continue through training, leadership roles and fellowships. They help shape the next generation of FFI experiences while continuing their own development.
See community projectsCOME PRACTICE WITH US
Choose a program
Explore a program for yourself, or talk with FFI about a learning experience for your group.
Explore the programsLeadership through practice
“The activities in this program gave me the tools and confidence to step up, listen more, and support others in meaningful ways, even through small actions.”
Participant · 2024–2025 New Hampshire programs