Young Muskokans have benefitted from youth programs offered by YWCA Muskoka for almost 20 years. But now, those programs are at risk due to a funding shortfall and some may not run in 2017.
The youth programs began in 1998 with GirlzUnplugged, a school-based self-esteem and confidence skill-building program for grade 5-8 girls, which then expanded into GirlzChoice in the early 2000s for grade 9-10 girls. YWCA Muskoka also runs a program for boys – QUEST.
“What we found is that our GirlzUnplugged programs were so successful that the girls were wanting other chances to continue to discover their talents and to learn life skills,” said Stacey Schat, Youth Program Coordinator at YWCA Muskoka. “So we approached the high schools and developed the GirlzChoice curriculum to support grade 9 and 10 girls.”
In the GirlzChoice program in particular, the themes explored depend in part on what the girls want to know about.
“One of the first things the facilitator does is ask the girls what do you want to know, where are the gaps in your life, what supports are you lacking?” said Schat. “It’s a bit different every year but it has similar themes: what healthy relationships look like and feel like and how to find them; identifying their inner power and their talents and how to use them; how to set goals and intentions for their life. It helps them to realize that they can create the life they want.”
It covers more difficult themes, too: how to cope with stress and anger; positive use of technology and its darker sides like sexting; and where to get help for mental health, suicidal thoughts and substance abuse for themselves or their friends.
Girls come into the program by recommendation from student success teachers or classroom teachers, or they can sign up on their own.
Thanks to the YWalk for Women and Girls, a fundraising walk conducted annually by former YWCA Muskoka executive director and women’s wellness advocate Beth Ward, and a CIBC Community Initiatives Grant, GirlzChoice will be in all four of Muskoka’s high schools this year. Funding for the GirlsUnplugged programs is not faring as well.
“We are having a funding crisis right now,” said Schat. “We are unsure whether there will be any youth programs in the spring term. We have applied for a lot of grants and we have received a few small ones, but they are hard to get. We don’t have any core funding and we don’t have any government funding for these programs.” A four-year grant from the Canadian Women’s Foundation ended last year.
The lack of funding means that the program is only running in four schools this fall instead of the usual eight. Schat is hopeful that the community will step up to help fund the program for the spring term.
YWCA Muskoka will be rolling out some fundraisers this fall and their 15th annual Women of Distinction fundraiser is coming soon. Other groups have offered to do third-party fundraisers, and Schat said they are open to other creative fundraising ideas, too.
The first fundraiser – the GirlzUnplugged 100 campaign – aims to raise $30,000, enough to fund 100 girls for the program.
“There is a lot of need in the schools because they are underfunded and understaffed themselves and we are one of many resources that they use. The feedback we are getting from principals and staff is that they count on us every year to be in their school to help them.”
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