After months of anticipation, the team at Power To Be is excited to unveil our new yurt. The new structure, tucked in among the trees of our campsite and trails, was built as part of a larger plan to open more accessible programming spaces at our Prospect Lake site.

Our facilities team, Nick and James took the lead on the construction of the yurt assembly kit. According to James, “it is a well designed product from Pacific Yurt Co. It was a cool opportunity to build something that none of us had ever built before, every step of the way was participant focused.” Nick agreed and explained that “it was actually really easy; the kit was super simple!”

The yurt is constructed with several key functions in mind. As with all projects at Power To Be, inclusive design is a top priority. A custom ramp and covered doorway were designed to invite our participants into the fully accessible space. Trap doors in the floors allow for hidden storage while maintaining easy movement throughout the space. A dome-shaped skylight channels natural light and frames the trees above.

Power To Be‘s program staff are eager to explore the potential uses for the space which include inclusive yoga, indoor programming during our wetter months, meeting spaces for collaboration, and quiet space for reflection. Our first program use came at our December Holiday Have-A-Go. Participants had the opportunity to tour through the yurt and spend some time getting to know the space. They were all very excited about the potential opportunities the yurt will provide. Long-time program team member Sarah reflected on the new amenity, “I love that the yurt is going to provide space for different kinds of experiences while still being immersed in nature.”

We are so grateful for the contributions we received from The McLean Foundation, The Nickle Family Foundation and the Hylcan Foundation to make this incredible asset a reality. Please stay tuned for more updates from the yurt; we anticipate it will become a key part of our future nature-based programming initiatives.

This blog was written by Sylvia Storry, Power To Be‘s Youth and Family Practice Coordinator. Living her own philosophy of “inspiring everyone around me to focus on the positive, be not afraid to try new things and challenge those that tell them they can’t do something,” Sylvia’s commitment to more than 10 years of working in child and youth care is matched only by her unwavering love of time spent outside.