Our Approach: Empower, Inspire, Engage and Create Space to Listen to the Voices of Youth and Young Adults
The Three Things team has developed key programs geared to youth and young adults that are rooted in the most up to date research and learnings from academia, practical learnings of those on the front lines and from community knowledge. With years of experience combined between our team we have worked and shared knowledge with youth from coast to coast to coast.
The youth who participate in our programs have been diverse in gender, background, culture and lived experiences. They have included identified youth leaders, youth involved in risky behaviours, youth in government care or custody, street involved youth, 2SLGBTQ+ youth, newcomer youth and Indigenous young people, both living in their home community or those living in urban (or rural settings).
These experiences, complemented by best practices are shared in challenging, informative and fun ways, through large/small group discussions, activities and art (writing, music, etc.) based processes. The programs below are those that we believe will assist young people in making informed and healthy choices and helping with the successful transitioning to adulthood.
Our most popular offering is our in person gatherings held on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation, known as Ottawa, Ontario.
Learn more about them by downloading this tool with 2024 available dates.
Our Workshops
Our workshops, in which we aim to create an experience that matters for participants are 1 – 6 hours long, though any of them can be expanded upon to build a weekly program. Each of our sessions, regardless of length, are started by building a safe community of participants allowing for youth to share as much as they listen. The expertise and lived experiences of the participants is celebrated and called upon when participants are comfortable. The content is tailored to the needs of your organization and community and include relevant information from your territory, community and interests. Below is a snapshot of some of our workshops geared to young people.
- Chillax: Stress Reduction For Youth
- Building Peace Within: Preventing Violence In Young Peoples’ Lives
- Bully No More By Addressing the Roots: Racism, Sexism and Homophobia
- The Magic Mirror: Seeing You As Others See You
- Substances Speak: Let’s Talk
- Growing Up Is Optional: Transitioning To Manhood
- Finding My Voice: Building the Skills to Stand Up and Speak Out
- Who Cares? We Do…
- Everyone is Sacred: Bullying and Positive Self Development
Fuller examples of what Three Things programs include:
LeaderSEED
In the one, three, or five day LeaderSEED Program, youth explore the roots of who they are, unearth hidden strengths, and grow to meet their full leadership potential. Once the seed is planted, young people are engaged, empowered and excited to apply their newly discovered strengths and lead.
The LeaderSEED Program is easily adapted for pre-adolescents, adolescents, and young adults. This is a leadership experience that is fun, engaging, inclusive, and includes opportunities for meaningful dialogue and experiential hands-on learning.
Each participant has the opportunity to deeply explore their personal capacity for leadership, and receives a certificate of recognition upon completion of the program. This supports youth to understand why they matter, they are important, and they belong.
Substances Speak: Let’s Talk
Good practice and research tells us that the ‘just say no’ method isn’t successful in preventing a young persons drug or alcohol use, misuse or abuse. If for no other reason, now more than ever, young people are growing up in a culture that delivers the exact opposite message through advertising, marketing and promotion of alcohol and drugs. Between the marketing, social media and the entertainment industry young people are seeing and hearing messages that child development experts have shared are concerning regarding the possible links between children’s exposure to these messages and the development of positive attitudes about drugs, alcohol and drinking. Youth are exposed to messages that reinforce the idea that drug use and drinking are an everyday activity and that there is no or little risk involved with it.
There is a whole industry talking to youth about substances. We think it’s time we talk…and listen.
Substances Speak: Let’s Talk creates spaces to talk using a harm reduction approach where we do not encourage adults (including ourselves) to direct youth not to use substances. We believe young people require accurate knowledge to make truly informed choices. That said, when working with young people we are honest and authentic: in our dream world youth wouldn’t be using substances that could put them at harm; yet if they choose to, we want them to be making informed choices and knowing how to reduce the risk and harm that substances may have.
Our program series consists of the following components geared to youth and young adults:
- Keynote address about substances use/misuse/abuse geared to youth/young adults
- One day capacity session geared to youth / young adults
- Two-week prevention and intervention program for youth (18 years old and under)
Two-week prevention and intervention program for young adults (19 – 25 years old)
Click here to learn more about our Capacity Building Sessions for adults who work alongside or care for youth and young adults.
Email [email protected] to learn how we can be of service to you and the youth you care about.