ESCHS Nish Culture Room

14 years, it seems like a lifetime ago but only yesterday at the same time. I can still remember the fear I felt pulling into the driveway and walking up to th...e front step. I was greeted by a big biker of a man and 8 full grown 17-year-old teenagers. What have I gotten myself into I thought?! I cried on the way to work and again on the way home, questioned my life choices, gave myself ‘you can do it’ speeches and contemplated quitting! Three weeks I said to myself, three weeks, you need to show your children that you don’t give up when it gets tough. It did not even take three weeks! More like three days, by the end of my orientation shifts I was hooked! I loved the interactions with the youth, loved the comradery amongst the staff, loved every minute of it! I would find excuses to go into work on my days off to see the kids, to talk to the staff and find out how everything was going. It had become my second family. The ‘bad’ kids that you hear about in the media turned out to be some of the most genuine, kind-hearted, and loving kids I knew. They were kids with lived experiences that would make you cringe; the things these children have seen and experienced was unimaginable. I remember one young man asking me why I worked there? How can you put up with these behaviours every day? My response to him. No kid is ‘bad’ on their own, kids are ‘bad’ because of an adult a kid witnessed something an adult did, experienced something at the hands of an adult, was abandoned by an adult, or abused by an adult.and I want to be the adult that shows you that things can get better, that you can change, that you don’t have to continue down this path. That young man is now enrolled in Police Foundations! In my 14 years at Mee-Quam, I have met hundreds of teens. Each one brought something different to the table and each one left a lasting impression. There is nothing us Mee-Quamers like more than to sit around and talk about the teens! When you’re sitting at that table listening to others talk about the teens you can’t help but notice the looks of pride, the smiles as we reminisce, the laughter as we retell crazy stories, the tears as we remember those who have passed, the joy over the success stories, and the prayers for those who are still struggling. Mee-Quam was not a youth jail. It was a chance for the teens to see that there are adults who care. It was a chance to reconnect with loved ones, to make new connections, to earn a school credit or two, to engage in addictions treatment, to learn new skills, and mostly a chance to be themselves. Mee-Quam was a new beginning.

What skills can you learn from sports that can be transferred to your employment & every day life? Check out the info graphic below

It is almost day 30 and after many cold days the weather is beginning to warm up and the Landbase Team have been successful at snaring rabbits this week & are reaping the benefits by using both the fur for crafts and the meat for some delicious suppers.

This is a way of life for a lot of students, even myself. I can hopefully change...lol!!!