This week, we spent most of our time at the Summit Youth Centre. The staff were so wonderful and I could tell that there was a very respectful and positive relationships between the youth workers and the youth that were present at the centre. At first glance, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the youth centre – there was a small sign indicating it’s location, not much to go off of from the outside…
Like a lot of youth centres, the centre is located in the community hall and easily accessible by most youth living in Invermere – many of whom walk, skateboard, or ride their bicycles to the youth centre.
Once we got inside the youth centre, I was truly blown away; there is a shuffleboard, a fooseball table, air hockey, and a pool table, along with leather couches, 3 computers, a massive 50″ T.V., karaoke, guitar hero, a full size kitchen… and everything was donated by the community. It was so fantastic to see that the community clearly supports this youth centre by making contributions to make it an ideal space for youth to go and hang out. I haven’t been to many youth centres in Vancouver, so it is difficult for me to make a comparison… but the impact of the community on this place was clearly evident.
A highlight from our experience at the youth centre was volunteering to help set-up and chaperone a Grade 7 dance. The initiative was started by a Grade 7 girl from Windermere, and the dance was held for all students attending schools in neighbouring towns; Radium Hot Springs, Canal Flats, Invermere, etc. because they would all be attending the same high school in Invermere this upcoming school year. It was very inspirational to see a young girl take initiative and create an event that would help build the foundation for strong peer relationships for the next school year, and for these kids to have some fun!
Building upon some of my observations from the previous week, I’ve noticed that the children and youth here are very well equipped in keeping themselves entertained by using the materials that are around them. For example, the dance had a minor hiccup before it had began… the sound system was a bit late in arriving; but the students didn’t seem to mind at all! They began re-arranging the tables and chairs and created an obstacle course to go through in partners, or used streamers and began their own limbo game. While this was happening, I was wondering if youth in Vancouver would have had the same reaction. I wonder if this imaginative “play” is related to the possibility of less structured play as children, growing up in a rural environment. Whereas in Vancouver, during my practicum I noticed that a lot of my students were playing Pokemon cards, or games on electronic devices; they were lacking a lot of the imaginative play that is very important for young children – if we had more exposure to primary aged children during this experience, that would have been something I would be interested in exploring.
In conclusion, this week was a great educational experience for myself; spending more time with youth has opened my eyes to ways they interact, build relationships, and differences in communication as opposed to the primary focus that I am used to.