Adolescence offers ample opportunities for teenager’s personal development, and for them to acquire skills that will become part of their future toolbox. In practice, the systems charged with instilling these skills (formal and non-formal education systems), encounter barriers and resistance stemming from the teens tremendous emotional changes, hierarchical and inadequate teaching methods, and an ever-growing generational gap. Teens perceive themselves and their environment in ‘rating’ terms, they have difficulty practicing in general and particularly over an extended period of time. As a result, their sensitivity spectrum towards themselves and their environment is constantly diminishing.
In her work, Jaeger re-examines the characteristics of adolescence and the values that arise from practicing skills over time. Studies show that continuous practice shifts the focus from the end result to the journey. It is an empowering process, that builds resilience and a sense of competence, in a developmental phase of overwhelming emotional and neurological chaos. Following these insights, Jaeger developed Bali Board: a tool that facilitates and encourages the practice process starting with goal-setting - the dream, moving to triggering into action, coping with mundane routine and overcoming crises.
According to Jaeger, the purpose of the tool is to develop imagination and creativity as a way of life. These traits enable finding solutions in moments of crisis and developing a variety of sensitivities in evaluating one’s self and the surrounding world. Expanding the range of sensitivities and metrics would eventually lead to the creation of heterogeneous and inclusive communities. Bali Board is managed by the teenagers themselves and builds intrinsic motivation to achieve goals. It incorporates a variety of inspirational boards around topics chosen by the teenagers and allows running private boards or collaborating on shared ones. Bali Board offers an immersive experience, which harnesses a variety of senses and enables the teens to broaden their horizons while they further explore a field, and lets the two coexist in a manner that is in line with today’s learning characteristics and youth motivation.