Since the New Year, The Leadership and Resiliency Program has been busy working with our three youth groups in Lake Cowichan, Chemainus and Duncan. The LRP is a three component program which includes workshops on various resiliency topics, providing service learning through volunteer opportunities in the community and partaking in healthy risk taking adventure activities.
Over the past three months, the resiliency groups have included themes around substance abuse, healthy relationships, boundaries, personality types and learning about the different conflict resolution styles. The Lake Cowichan and Duncan youth group participated in creating and designing masks reflecting the contrast between how the youth perceive themselves and how others may perceive them. The outer layer of the mask was intended to illustrate the self we show to the world compared to self-inside the mask.
All three groups have been working incredibly hard in creating positive impacts in their communities through service work. The Lake Cowichan group had great success in organizing a bottle drive where all the proceeds were donated to the Lake Cowichan Animal Rescue Society. Once a month in Duncan, the group spent their time visiting Khowhemun Elementary school to develop and strengthen their roles of youth leaders. The Chemainus group worked very hard in creating a “Draw my life” video on Youth Mental Health which specifically focused on depression. The group presented their hard work in front of their school and invited rapper SirReal, to come along and preform a few of his greatest hits.
Some of the awesome adventur
es the groups have experienced include going rock climbing, visiting the IMAX and museum, and exploring the World Parrot Refuge and the North Island Wildlife Recovery Association. Over spring break, the Chemainus and Duncan groups visited Spirt Gate Farm where they practiced mindfulness through interactions with horses. All of these adventures create opportunities for the youth to be challenged outside of their comfort zone. The students learn to support, encourage and work together while reinforcing positive risk taking behaviours and healthy recreation activities.
Stay tuned, for further updates about the amazing work the LRP team will be doing over the next few months J
