In 2021, I started volunteering with a non profit organization called Chase and Area Young Learners Society. I mostly helped with EverWild Explorers, which is a nature immersion and adventure program for children ages 6-12 which is based on the forest school philosophy and has a focus on nature connection. While volunteering, I made strong bonds with the kids that attended and was asked to join the Chase and Area Young Learners Society as staff.
I absolutely fell in love with working with these kids in such a unique and fulfilling environment. We did so many neat things from fire cooking, learning survival skills, creating beautiful pieces of art from nature and so much more.
I also feel incredibly lucky to have gotten to work with this amazing group of kids for over 3 years. I watched them grow so much and learned as much from them as they learned from me, and I still go and visit the program when I can to catch up with all of the kids.
While I was working with Chase and Area Young Learners, I also started to work part time as a behaviour interventionist where I was working one-on-one with some local families and children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
I learned a ton about the importance of accessible spaces and programs and discovered how rewarding it is to be able to help kids of all abilities gain confidence in their skills and passions.
In 2022, I worked at the Summer Recreation program in Chase as the senior camp leader, where I planned and facilitated the daily camps themes and activities, while overseeing the junior camp leaders and giving them a helping hand as they needed.
During this time, I was fortunate to be able to be a part of the creation of some beautiful murals that were created in partnership with the children of the program and some local artists.
During 2023, Chase and Area Young Learners rebranded to Chase and Area Family Services (CAFS) and expanded their societies scope from children to families.
One of my favourite initiatives that I got to be a part of while I was working with CAFS was the P̓úsme Forest. P̓úsme Forest is a community food garden at Wilson park in Chase which is designed to provide education, enrichment, and opportunities for community connection with the natural world.
P̓úsme Forest features edible plants, food for pollinators, habitat for birds and insects, nature play spaces, and educational signage.
All of these incredible experiences made me realise how important and fulfilling it is to work with children which led me to apply to the Bachelor of Elementary Education at TRU. I feel like working with youth is one of the most important jobs in the world and I want put my time into a career where I’m able to really make a positive impact.
During my first practicum I was assigned to Tessa Watson’s Kindergarten class. Tessa was such an amazing teacher mentor and I feel like I learned so many valuable lessons from her and her lovely students. I loved being in a Kindergarten class where I got to make many different hands on stations, participate in student assessment and teach in an amazing and diverse classroom.
Everything I have learned so far has strengthened my commitment to becoming an educator who priorities connection, creativity, and confidence in every student. I’m continually inspired by the resilience and curiosity of children and I’m so excited to keep learning, growing, and making a meaningful difference as I continue my journey in becoming a teacher.