Summary | Reflection | Youth Programs
Summary
Over the years, I have volunteered for several organizations to give back by offering my skills in different environments, such as social planning, where my management skills could be utilized; and firefighting, search and rescue, and ski patrol, activities where my emergency services skills could be utilized for what I would consider exciting or fun, but not necessarily fulfilling. My passion has been working with youth at risk, providing experiential education based on group wilderness adventures, incorporating leadership, wilderness, and first aid skills training.
Reflection
Adult education theories, at their core, mostly agree that adults come to education with experience, the filter through which all new learning flows or is compared. Youth, or young adults, have experience, just not as much, and those at risk tend to have a history of negative experiences or a lack of positive experiences. My work in this area involves providing positive experiences through group learning activities in a wilderness environment, where reliance on one another is required and peer learning and support are facilitated.
A recent chance encounter with a previous participant demonstrated the impact of my past efforts. Now a young mother with a new family, the participant relayed that she hopes her daughter will have the same opportunity to have similar experiences when she becomes a teenager. She further elaborated that the experience changed who she was, marking a significant personal growth. Given that participation is short-term and benefits may not be realized for years to come, this was a moment of gratification for me, as it provided evidence of positive results. Transformation wasn't immediate, but the transformational learning journey was initiated with positive results.
Currently, my focus is on promoting the wellness of first responders. I volunteer my time to support first responders and their agencies in the Espanola and North Shore area, serving as both Chaplain and Counsellor. Our experiences inevitably lead to change—sometimes positive, sometimes difficult. My role is to help foster positive transformation and posttraumatic growth amid the challenges many face by exploring their core beliefs and worldviews and how these shape the way they make sense of what they encounter every day. Visit lacloche-institute.ca for more information.
Former Youth Programs