I have been volunteering and tutoring at Parkdale Community Information Centre (PCIC) before the newcomer summer program was initiated. I, being a jobless youth, decided to join the newcomer youth summer program as this program is informative, educative and fun.
When I am interested to join the program, Kalsang, the Youth Coordinator, gave me the opportunity to be a mentor. I experienced and learned that being a mentor can also mean we can continue to learn. I learned many new things from the program, to mention some areas, I learned about art; health and peer networking. This summer program is also refreshing and has outdoor recreational activities. I experienced going along with peers to High Park, Central Park, and Farmer’s market. We played Frisbees, soccer and swam during these trips. These trips were fun and refreshing.
The summer program, I met new youths and made friends with them. I want to say to my peer youths that the experiences I learned are very useful for my future. The Newcomer Youth Summer Program helped me to grow up as a more knowledgable person and I now think that I can use these experience to help my peers. I am more confident than before, so I can speak out with new youths and help them out.
Although I mean to help my youth peers, I still cannot completely reach them out as I want and think in my head. It is challenging for me to directly speak out easily. But I am a positive person and I think I will overcome this problem slowly as I already am working on it and I am progressing.
My advice to other newcomer youth is that they should have fun of course, as youth is a precious time to have fun, but also, they should build up their knowledge, information and skills they will need for their future. As youth-time is like crossing a bridge. If safely crossed, then the new place is beautiful, but there is dangerous river if not cross by the bridge carefully.
When I am interested to join the program, Kalsang, the Youth Coordinator, gave me the opportunity to be a mentor. I experienced and learned that being a mentor can also mean we can continue to learn. I learned many new things from the program, to mention some areas, I learned about art; health and peer networking. This summer program is also refreshing and has outdoor recreational activities. I experienced going along with peers to High Park, Central Park, and Farmer’s market. We played Frisbees, soccer and swam during these trips. These trips were fun and refreshing.
The summer program, I met new youths and made friends with them. I want to say to my peer youths that the experiences I learned are very useful for my future. The Newcomer Youth Summer Program helped me to grow up as a more knowledgable person and I now think that I can use these experience to help my peers. I am more confident than before, so I can speak out with new youths and help them out.
Although I mean to help my youth peers, I still cannot completely reach them out as I want and think in my head. It is challenging for me to directly speak out easily. But I am a positive person and I think I will overcome this problem slowly as I already am working on it and I am progressing.
My advice to other newcomer youth is that they should have fun of course, as youth is a precious time to have fun, but also, they should build up their knowledge, information and skills they will need for their future. As youth-time is like crossing a bridge. If safely crossed, then the new place is beautiful, but there is dangerous river if not cross by the bridge carefully.