Report written by Nicole Cheng, TDN Youth Affairs Coordinator. May 3, 2015

The April session of the RIPPLE Program was definitely unique, but it yielded very interesting and satisfying results. Because of problems regarding the logistics of the workshop, I was forced to resort to another means of holding the session, which was doing through the internet. At first, I was hesitant because I was not sure how it would work out. However, due to inevitable and extenuating circumstances, I had to hold the session through an online group chat. It sounds weird at first, because it limits the level of interaction between us, but it was quite an experience. I held it through Skype, which meant that we could video-chat, as well as text-chat. Since it was done online, more people were able to attend, as it could be done in the comfort of their own home. Furthermore, it meant that we did not have any restrictions that we would have had at school. Thus, those who were comfortable with video-chatting could turn on their webcam. Those who were not could send messages to the group by typing them out. This way, they could voice their minds without actually using their voices.

Although some people joined the chat late, and some had to leave early, the chat consistently had about five or six people in it at any given time. I got feedback from them indicating that they really liked this flexibility. Personally, I can see that this made them more willing to participate, since I saw new faces that did not show up to the in-person meetings at school. If willing, in future sessions, maybe every other session could be done through electronic means so that there is a balance.

We started off the session by making small-talk: talking about how our day went, how the commute was, and anything that crossed our minds. Later, we played a very fun icebreaker. It was like a trivia game: I would ask a question about HIV/AIDS, and they would have to use their research skills to find the correct answer as quickly as they could. This would not have been possible in person, since they would not have computers in front of them. At the end of this game, they had gained a lot of information about HIV/AIDS, and they seemed to have a lot of fun doing it. After this introduction to the factoids of HIV/AIDS, they were more understanding when it came time for the discussion. While I previously planned to spend this session talking about drug and alcohol abuse, I did not think that it fit. In the heat of the moment, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to segue into the big topic: HIV/AIDS. The discussion was not very information based – it was about self-expression. I find that in today’s day and age, teens are more comfortable when protected by their computer screen. It was obvious that it was a lot easier for them to talk about this topic through the computer, whether it is video-chatting or just typing it out, than to have to face each other in person and talk about it.

At the end of the discussion, about two hours had elapsed. They still had a couple of questions, so I gave them my email to contact me. I felt great about this session because I left them with something to really think about – their future, and how they are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. I am proud to say that they are no longer oblivious to the matter, but rather, are slowly understanding that HIV/AIDS is not a joke, and that they have the care and support that they need to prevent it.