The Canada World Youth women's exchange team has been on the Sunshine Coast for just over a month.A lot of great opportunities have crossed our path to allow us to become more involved in the community and public outreach. Last week we facilitated a high school leadership class in Sechelt, reproducing a workshop that we participated in not long ago regarding water consumption.
The workshop was interactive, as we conducted activities and posed questions to the students for them to analyze their personal use of water in terms of luxury versus necessity. A documentary of the damages and the scam of the bottled water industry (shockingly less healthy than tap water) was screened to show students how a natural resource, that is a human-born right to have access to, is being marketed into big business.
On Nov. 1, the team went to Sun Haven Waldorf School in Roberts Creek to volunteer and learn how the Waldorf education system operates in comparison to public education. After becoming informed and observing the classrooms, the team went to work with the students on outdoor projects. It was quite fascinating to see how acquainted the children are with nature and how creative the environment is in which they are facilitated.
While hard at work, the team has had some adventures to keep the adrenaline rushing. Our adventures fit into many categories, including embarrassment. It started at the 40th anniversary of CWY in Vancouver.
A few hours into the night it was our team's turn to present to the audience, with the project manager sitting up front, our journey thus far on the program. We proudly spoke of the book we published, Dare to Change, the documentary we screened and various other community work. Our supervisor gave us a signal that we had to leave to catch the last bus in order to get the last ferry. We exited, oddly enough singing a South African song, and then dashed for the door.
It was indeed the wrong door, as we set off the alarm - twice.
The second incident occurred at Christenson Village where we were preparing to have a Dance Your Hat Off event with the residents. We took the elevator downstairs so we could decorate hats for the residents, only to get stuck in the elevator for 20 minutes and have the fire department rescue us. We sound like trouble, but I think it's just technology that battles us at the wrong time and the wrong place.
Mishaps aside, we've been having a great time learning about the Sunshine Coast and sharing our experiences with local people from children to seniors.
