The Delta branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association is offering a program this month designed to help teens increase confidence and positive thoughts.
The free pilot program runs over four days - July 14, 18, 21 and 25 - and includes outdoor activities designed to teach teens how to increase confidence, challenge unhelpful thoughts and build positive ones.
Youth support worker and wilderness instructor Kyle Horvath will facilitate the program.
Being an avid outdoor enthusiast, Horvath revels in the opportunity to connect with youth in a more natural setting.
He says his passion for his work is seen in his dedication to youth in discovering their own sense of curiosity and connection with the world around them. He says the course presents skills that everyone has to learn eventually.
"Not many people are born with the ability to recognize when they are experiencing a vicious cycle of bad thoughts," he says. "More importantly, even if people can identify those thoughts, we don't always have the tools to change those thoughts because no one teaches us how."
The program combines classroom sessions with outdoor activities, giving teens the chance to explore the material in a different setting.
"There is a shift in understanding that some learning happens in a classroom, but self-discovery can occur anywhere," Horvath says.
"This course offers something for everyone. As much as it is not an enticing factor for youth, the reality is that they gain invaluable skills on how to live better," he says.
Horvath describes himself as a dynamic facilitator who engages youth through humour and authenticity.
"I approach facilitation as a reciprocal learning experience, where I engage in conversations with youth and in turn we discover more together. I am a passionate person who is curious about a lot of things, so I ask a lot of questions."
At the end the pilot program, Horvath will also be looking for feedback from participants, especially on the outdoor component of the sessions.
"Most important feedback for myself would be how the time outdoors influences individuals," he says. "I want honest answers, quite frankly."
The pilot program for teens runs from 1 to 4 p.m. on July 14, 18, 21 and 25 at the Delta Manor Education Centre in Ladner.
For more information, or to register, call 604-943-1878 or email [email protected].
