Educational Programs

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Terracentric Coastal Adventures:

Examples of our Programs

The Powell River Youth Advisory Council - Educational Program

The Brooks Outdoor Adventure Tourism Training Program - Educational Program

Paha Kwagen - Therapeutic Program

NEW! Jade Coast Discovery Program - Therapeutic Program

The Powell River Youth Advisory Council (YAC)

Since its beginnings in 2001 until recently, Terracentric coordinated the activities and ongoing development of the Powell River Youth Advisory Council. This innovative education based program uses experiential learning to build self advocacy skills in youth aged 13-19 years. Working in partnership with many local community agencies, Terracentric staff provided consistent adult mentorship and support through workshops, weekly activities, summer events, and also in fundraising so that the youth have a vehicle for self development and for learning valuable life skills.

The Powell River Youth Advisory Council (YAC) was initiated in response to feedback from youth that clearly indicated a desire to have a voice in community planning around health and social issues. Since its beginnings in April of 2001, the YAC has dedicated thousands of volunteer hours working to empower Powell River Youth to make healthy, informed choices in their lives by coordinating and participating in by-youth for-youth activities including workshops, teambuilding retreats, drug & alcohol free events, talent contests, community fundraisers, and peer education programs. The YAC serves as an organizational platform from which young people are supported to test out the power of their own voices, to develop their personal capacity and understanding of community issues, to build healthy connections and a strong sense of personal responsibility/ citizenship.

Using an experiential by-youth for-youth approach, our YAC program facilitators challenge participants to step out of their comfort zones and learn by doing. Currently sponsored and run by the Powell River Child Youth and Family Services Society, this program works with funds from a range of public and private sector agencies.

Goals & Objectives:

Involve a diverse cross-section of youth in regular meetings and activities that identify and address current health and social issues affecting youth
Engage community youth in healthy and creative activities
Provide leadership training and opportunities that will empower youth to directly affect their health and social circumstances
Develop opportunities for youth to act in an authentic advisory capacity to local decision making bodies, such that the youth perspective is considered in social and health planning
Develop and pursue strategies to ensure the sustainability of an ongoing YAC

Please contact us directly at 604.483.7900 to learn more about our past involvement with this program and our consulting services related to developing by-youth for-youth programming. For current information on the Powell River YAC, including details on meetings, please contact Powell River Child Youth and Family Services Society, 604 485 3090.

Please download a copy of our toolkit that details how to start a Youth Advisory Council.(pdf)

**Brooks* Outdoor Adventure Tourism Training Program**

The Brooks* Outdoor Adventure Tourism Training Program (BOATT) is a full semester credit program that introduces students to the exciting world of career possibilities within the adventure and Eco tourism industries. Coordinated and delivered by Terracentric students have opportunities to combine practical and theoretical learning while being exposed to the natural beauty of the Powell River and Desolation Sound areas.

*(the name of our local secondary school)

History of the Program:

In January of 2004 Terracentric Coastal Adventures Ltd. was asked to consult with Powell River School District #47 on designing a full time Outdoor Education Program. The School District and its Board of Trustees is very interested in experiential education programs that offer students a jump start on employment opportunities that can dovetail with post secondary education and even more importantly, that can offer the development of valuable life skills.

Program Overview:

BOATT is a full five-month semester program which combines four curriculum courses with two Terracentric developed courses: Adventure Tourism 11 & Adventure Tourism 12. This program has been developed to equip students with some of the necessary skills and certifications (at least ten different certificates) to find entry level employment in this fast-growing industry. High priority is placed on developing solid leadership, life and interpersonal skills. Students are given hands-on experience in a variety of outdoor activities and are exposed to guest speakers from various sectors in order to gain a solid understanding of the myriad of opportunities available. Towards the end of the program students work at completing 120 hours of work experience in the Adventure Tourism industry and earn credit for this once complete.

Goals and Objectives:

To provide students with opportunities to gain valuable leadership, intra- and interpersonal skills to provide students with building blocks for life
To increase post secondary employment and educational opportunities through the provision of certifications
To provide students with building blocks to increase lifelong physical and mental well being through exposure to outdoor activities
To provide greater enrollment opportunities by attracting students from other jurisdictions within our province and Canada
To provide an opportunity to increase high school retention rates through offering diverse / healthy programming
For participating students to obtain skill / proficiency certification in a selection of hard and soft skills (e.g.. Sea Kayaking, Canoeing, Wilderness First Aid, VHF Radio Operators, Safe Boating Certification, Belaying, Orienteering, Leadership, Environmental Ethics, Avalanche/Snow skills)
For participants to gain greater awareness of environment stewardship
For participants to gain greater awareness of environment stewardship for participants to gain an awareness of adventure / eco tourism industry employment opportunities.

For information on registering for this program as a student from either inside or outside the Powell River School District click here.

Paha Kwagen Yik Meh Thote: “One in spirit, taking care

of others”

Tla’Amin Community Health Services Youth Program

Since 2003 Terracentric has been working intensively with youth aged 9 to 18 years and their parents in the reserve community of Tla’Amin BC. Funded through Vancouver Coastal Health’s SMART Fund and sponsored by Tla’Amin Community Health Services, this innovative youth centered therapeutic program has four key objectives;

1) Facilitate youth groups, single sex and coed, to discuss issues and concerns that help youth to

recognize and identify the triggers that set them on paths to unhealthy behaviors. This objective is accomplished by using workshops, group and individual counseling sessions and traditional talking circles to facilitate the youth to process as a peer group, strategies in managing their social, school, and family and community life.

2) Develop peer advocacy skills in the community through the use of the Youth Advisory Council (YAC), format. Within this objective, the Tla’Amin Youth Advisory Council addresses peer issues and concerns in a by-youth for-youth format. As well, the YAC leads programs and activities that promote healthy lifestyles that support their mental, physical, and spiritual health.

3) To mentor and educate community members and parents to be supervisors, advocates or chaperones of youth led programs, Tla’Amin Health Service programs, and a community led initiatives led by Chief and Council.

4) To open lines of communication for parents and community members to develop neighborly supports for positive healthy choices made by the youth and to further educate the community as to underlying factors leading to harmful behaviors.

The Paha Kwagen program builds on the strength and assets of the community by helping the community re-build coping and parenting skills. Please contact us for further information on this and other examples of our Therapeutic Adventure Learning programs.

Jade Coast Discovery Program

NEW! The Jade Coast Discovery (JCD) program is a new program for troubled teens that combines change base counselling with leading edge outdoor curriculum.

The Jade Coast Discovery Program operates with the intention of providing a holistic approach to facilitating change by means of a therapeutic wilderness program for young people (age 13-18). Through an experiential education program we support the development of mind, body and spirit, and the skills and attitudes for improved family functioning and pro-social living. We are committed to ensuring that all our services operate in a manner, which places the safety and security of our students, staff and community as first priority.

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