Profile: Davenport/Perth Youth Experience Placement Summer Leadership (YEP)

DSCN0139 — Focus on Youth leaders starting off the day with some puzzles

The Davenport/Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre holds a Youth Experience Placement Summer Leadership program (known as YEP) for students between the ages of 13 and 16. It is a transition program for students who may be too old for camp, but too young to work.

DSCN0165 — The organization is held at Pope Paul VI Elementary School

It is a seven week program that begins with two weeks of training, consisting of workshops where participants learn and practice employment skills. The next five weeks are volunteer placements in one of a variety of different programs (ex. summer camps, senior’s home, Mural Xpress, Early Years, etc.). The fourteen participants this summer have weekly trips for team building and practicing social skills, which include the beaches, City Hall, rock climbing, swimming, High Park, and others, to get the participants used to using the TTC, and traveling around Toronto.

DSCN0162 — Some of the guidelines set out for the camp

The organization originated in a church in 1984, and this particular program has been running for seven years. It is a free program, advertised through Outreach programs at school, but mostly through word of mouth. The Focus on Youth leaders help with the planning and facilitation of the program, take initiative, and are seen as staff to the participants. At the end of the program, the students leave with a reference letter, honorarium, and volunteer hours to use at their high schools, and end with a graduation day with parents to celebrate.