CYCC STUDENTS CONNECT WITH LOCAL YOUTH

First-year child and youth care counsellor (CYCC) students experienced handson aspects of their future careers when they planned and hosted fall break youth programming last semester.

The youth program, which ran Nov. 7 to 9, 2022, was free to local youth between the ages of eight and 14, taking place during the children’s fall break. Participants played games, created crafts and took part in active-learning activities.

The opportunity to work one-on-one with local children provided students the opportunity to put theory into practice, applying what they learned in the classroom to a real-world scenario.

“One concept that we used from class that was really important was presuming competence. It means assuming the kids are capable of doing whatever you have planned and being careful not to undermine their abilities,” Rae-Lee Fleming, a first-year CYCC student who participated in the youth program, explains.

Alongside the lessons learned during the program, planning it also helped Fleming and her classmates work on their communication and leadership skills.