YMCA Youth Leadership beach cleanup

 

By Alisha Badwal 

The Toronto Island Youth Leadership Program is a unique program offered by YMCA Summer Day Camps for campers 12 to 16 years old. The program allows participants to develop and build leadership skills such as team-building, trust, cooperation and communication through various initiative-based activities. The Service-Learning Project is a participant-favourite activity in which youth plan and implement an initiative to give back to the Toronto Island community. This summer, our participants planned an amazing beach cleanup.

Cerys B. is a Leadership Camp Counsellor who describes the Service-Learning Project as an awesome opportunity to practise translating skills discussed throughout the program, such as being a confident leader and a good team member, into a successful project. The goal of this project is to give campers space and freedom to come together to choose a goal, plan, and then implement their plan with limited guidance from staff. “We saw them working together as a collective team really well and since the counsellors stepped back, we really saw them take the lead on the project — which meant they needed great communication.” 

Cerys B. explained that campers took the project a step beyond just cleaning the beach area. They also sorted the collected items into garbage and recycling so that everything could be correctly disposed. “They all had suggestions, were listening to each other, and taking initiative,” said Cerys B., who oversaw this service project.

Campers realized the difference they made not only to the cleanliness of the beach, but also how community members were now able to use the beach. Cerys B. shared that the campers felt immensely proud of their hard work and for having completed the Service-Learning Project as a team: “They did a really fantastic job and we couldn’t be prouder!”