YWCA Metro Vancouver is excited to announce that its youth program is expanding its reach and is now inviting Grade 7 students from across the Lower Mainland to register for weekly online sessions starting in November.
The free online afterschool program, Guide to High School, has been designed to support Grade 7 students in the transition to high school and has been adapted from existing programs which have been running successfully for more than 15 years in partnership with the Vancouver School Board and Surrey School District.
Due to COVID-19, the transition from elementary to high school may come with additional challenges for many families, as some Grade 7 students are separated from their broader peer, family, and community networks of support.
Grade 7 students who attend will have the opportunity to connect with peers and caring adults for games, group discussions, and activities about managing stress, making friends, peer pressure, social media and other topics related to the high school experience.
A pilot of the online program was conducted in May during the initial school shut down and feedback from participants and families was extremely positive.
Participants said, “I liked how you could feel very comfortable during the Zoom sessions, and it was your choice to make whether you wanted to speak or not”… “I liked that it was a very positive atmosphere and no one judged one or another”… and, “I think it was a good experience and definitely made some aspects of high school seem a lot less scary.
“We appreciate the support of our volunteers, donors, and community partners to allow us to deliver programs that offer transformative experiences and safe spaces for youth at a critical time in their development,” said YWCA Youth Education Programs Manager, Elske Katz. “As our programs adapt to the challenges of COVID-19, we remain committed to providing high-quality programs that attend to the social and emotional needs of young people.”
For more information or to register, families can visit: ywcavan.org/grade7register.
Multiple schedule options are available. Registrations close Oct. 21.Spaces are limited.
