Programs

Connection is at the heart of every Power To Be program; connection with nature, ourselves and others. This has been the impetus behind our program planning. On a late May program, a group of youth and adults met in a park in North Vancouver nestled in an inconspicuous place off the highway. Alli has lived in the area for a decade and had never ventured to this special park. This was the 2nd of 3 “Activity Sampler” programs offered and focused on Hiking.

Despite the rain and chilled winds, our Vancouver Program Adventures Lead, Alli, led a large group of youths through Stanley Park. They took part in nature sculpting, hiking and some great conversations. The group had a wonderful program full of reflection and sharing that ended in lots of laughter and self-discovery!

Over the last 3-4 years Power To Be has had the opportunity to do multi/ progressive day programs with a class from North Saanich Middle School. For most of them simply being outside for the whole day is quite the adventure. It’s an opportunity for them to explore, be challenged, and grow. Adventure squad is all about exploring the natural environment.

At the end of fall 2021, youth from the Wilderness School were offered an opportunity to work alongside a Power To Be volunteer, to help track the habitat and lifecycles of the Western Screech owl. Being able to be a part of and contribute to important ecological work such as this is a beautiful way in which we can honour the lands and waters we are so fortunate to dwell on.

At Power To Be, we are always looking for new community partners to work with that share our passion for connecting people with nature. And often we seek out those who can help to offer a new or unique way of making those connections. Perched high atop the Saanich Inlet, a breathtaking 250m above sea level, sits a relatively new feature to the forested and mountainous skyline of south-eastern Vancouver Island – the Malahat SkyWalk.

2021 marks the thirteenth year of the Family Roots program, where we hold space, alongside our partners at Human Nature Counselling Society, for families to come together in nature to nurture family bonds and build community.

In a special virtual program offering earlier this month, Power To Be virtually travelled with one of our community groups, Spinal Cord Injury BC, to the majestic peaks of the Himalayas. What made this program particularly special was that it was led by dedicated Power To Be volunteer, Karun Thanjavar, and Pippa Blake. As our humble tour guides, they shared their personal story of an epic journey to Everest Basecamp using a TrailRider.

Gathering as a community became increasingly important in 2020. We have had to forge new ways of connecting, building our community online, and remaining flexible during changing times. Despite being online, our year-end celebration still felt as magical as ever.