Who Holds the Power? - An Activity about Power Dynamics, Empathy and Influence

A reflective activity that helps young people explore power, empathy, and how everyone can use their influence for good.

This activity helps young people explore how everyone has their own power, not just leaders, celebrities, or people in charge. Through discussion and reflection, participants learn that no matter who we are or where we come from, we each have the power to make a difference. By understanding how power can be used - for fairness, for kindness, or for standing up for others - we can all play a part in creating a safer, more inclusive society.

How To Use

This activity is flexible and can be used in lots of ways, individually, in pairs, small groups, or as a whole-class discussion. You can use the worksheet or the discussion cards, or combine both.

Using the Worksheet

• Choose a Role Card.
• Place it in the centre of the worksheet.
• Work through each box, answering and discussing the prompts.
• Encourage students to think about how this person’s power works, who it affects, and how it could be used for good.

Discussion Cards

• In small groups, take turns drawing a Role Card.
• Use the discussion prompts to explore each role’s influence, responsibilities, and choices.
• Encourage everyone to share their opinions respectfully, there are no right or wrong answers, just ideas and perspectives.

End Discussion / Key Message

The answer to the question is; Everyone holds the power! Guide the discussion to end by helping your students realise that we all have power, through our words, our actions, and the way we treat others. Whilst some people may hold more visible or formal power, everyone has power within them to make choices that affect those around them. Encourage young people to reflect on how they can use their power to help and include others, and create positive change in their community. What might the world look like if we all used our power for good?

Tips

• Feel free to adapt this activity to suit your age group or learning style, there’s no right or wrong way to use the cards.
• Add your own roles or people who hold power in your school or community to make it more relevant and personal.
• Invite students to rank the cards by how much power they think each person has, it’s a brilliant way to spark deeper discussion and reflection.
• Keep things upbeat and uplifting, this should be a powerful but fun discussion!