Personality Islands: A Session on Psychology and the Mind
The session opened with an exercise that immediately drew everyone in – each young person was asked to draw their own personality island, mapping out what matters to them and what makes them who they are. Football, reading, family, creativity – the range of answers across the room reflected just how distinct each young person is, and the exercise gave them a language to articulate that.
From there, Anna and Amaan took the group into deeper territory. They explored how authority figures shape behaviour and decision-making, and how social influences operate – often invisibly – on the choices we make. A brain teaser activity demonstrated how the same sound can be interpreted in completely different ways depending on how the mind processes it. The room was gripped.
What happened after the session said everything. Children crowded around Anna and Amaan asking where they could read more about psychology. That kind of curiosity – self-directed, unprompted – is exactly what BYO is trying to ignite. When a young person leaves a session wanting to know more, the session has done its job.
Parents and guardians noticed too. The feedback from families afterwards reflected what was visible in the room – genuine engagement, real learning, and an afternoon that felt different from anything the school week offers.
Thank you to Anna and Amaan for volunteering their time and making psychology accessible, exciting, and relevant to young people who deserved to encounter it.
