There is so much more to life than meets the eye if you choose to seek it. The seeker becomes the finder, the finder of so much more than we thought was possible. — Wim Hof
This spring, over the course of ten full school days, 100 vulnerable youth, ages 12 – 14 living in Barrie, Ontario, were seekers and finders of more than the eye can see. They found that they could think out of the box; designing, creating and sharing more than they thought was possible.
Their days, filled with experiential learning, encouraged them to explore their community on foot; to slow down, connecting with, discovering and celebrating their relationships to themselves, one another and to their community. They began each day with a circle, reviewing LEAD values and ended the same way, with an added sense of community, having developed confidence and voice after a day focused on visual art (self-portraits and symbolism), drama techniques, poetry and performance. Much of the day was spent outside. Seeking the ideal self or community portrait, youth climbed trees, kicked soccer balls, shot hoops, ran across fields and hung off of playground equipment. The results were both creative and astounding.
On Day 3, they accomplished an 11 km community walk, from the school to Barrie’s spectacular waterfront to capture photos, then spent Days 4 and 5 writing poetry to accompany their photos and creating slideshows using technology. Additionally, the youth sketched or constructed 3D sculptures of the LEAD values and the Grandfather Teachings.
On Day 5, youth hosted two Open Studios, entitled, “This is Us” that showcased their creativity and empowered them to engage with their visitors: from school classes to parents and friends. The room was filled with energy, pride and the roar of conversations!
The impact on participants was immediate and evident.
• Youth who did not show up for class, showed up.
• Youth who did not do assignments took extra work home
to complete and share the next day.
• Youth who did not talk broke the barrier and began
talking and working with others.
• Youth who had suffered trauma were able to express it
through photography and poetry.
• Youth who do not write were excited to discover they
were poets.
In their own words, here is what some of these young seekers found:
“We got to know not just our friends but classmates we see every
day but don’t acknowledge.” Mohammed
“LEAD empowered me to look at the world through a different
lens. It emboldened me to ask questions to see different
perspectives.” Aidan
“I am capable of much more, especially when I think outside the box.” Justin
“I didn’t see the beauty in my town until I went on our walk. Now I see an intricately woven community. I got to capture that. It also helped me grow as a leader by being so inclusive.” Riley
The school saw such value in LEAD that they want to host the program ASAP in the fall for impact earlier in the school year.
“As a participating schoolteacher, I cannot say enough about LEAD. It drew out students, encouraged them to challenge themselves, and transformed students who are introverted to become proud presenters, full of confidence and a new belief in themselves….”
Special thanks to teacher, Terry Jay who applied for and received an Experiential Grant through the Simcoe Board of Education, and to the MacDonald, Moore and Sherritt families who provided billeting and transportation.