“The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow. Don’t give up.”
– Robert Tew
Kids On Track has continued to keep a close eye on the requirements for programming. Please see below for any program updates or changes:
Shift Youth Summer
Currently running events Mon-Thurs
Shift Youth Camp
Currently suspended
Active Families
Running Mon-Thurs each week and two Saturdays a month!
L.I.T.E. Program
Running throughout the summer in a modified format
Summer Kids Day Camps and Camp– cancelled for 2020
Now is the perfect time to follow us on social media!
We do contests, announcements, and keep you informed about what’s going on at KOT!
KOT Social Media:
Shift Youth Social Media:
Summer Programs Up & Running
To say it was a challenge would be an understatement, but the Kids On Track staff has gathered their grit, and we launched our summer 2020 programs this past week.
Shift Youth Summer Program:
The youth kicked off the summer with a number of outdoor activities including a bike ride in the river valley, and a Nerf battle, creative circuit training. Youth activities are running Monday through Thursday each week with some of the most creative and exciting events we’ve ever planned! CLICK HERE to see what they’re up to!
The Hike Like A Girl program got creative and have decided to hike the Edmonton River Valley in chunks every Thursday. They completed the first leg of their journey this past Thursday. We cheer you on, girls!
Active Families
Active Families is now running Monday through Thursday each week at only $5 an activity for the whole family! You can’t beat that! We even have free spots to give away. CLICK HERE for the calendar and to register. Let’s get active and build community together!
LITES
The LITE team is our youth who have taken on the challenge of growing in their leadership abilities while serving their community. They launched their first socially distanced training day last Friday in the parking lot, brushing up on their behaviour management skills and boundaries training. We were grateful that the sun was shining! This promising group of youth will be working all summer at learning and growing in different skills and will be ready to launch in to programs in the fall with creative and innovative ideas. New to the training roster this year is a social media and tech group. These youth will be learning all the ins and outs of social media posts, what grabs people’s attention, and how to make viral videos. We can’t wait to see what they create!
Volunteering with Kids On Track isn’t just giving KOT support- it’s a community where you belong!
Check out some opportunities below
BUS DRIVERS: Do you have your bus license and your S Endorsement? We need you!
OFFICE FACELIFT: Do you have great painting skills? Can you cut in like nobody’s business? Have some extra time on your hands? We are giving the office a facelift!
Contact Franc at 780-481-2942 or franc@kidsontrack.org
Active Families: Container Gardening a Huge Success
The Active Families program had an amazing day planting container gardens. The day started in the local Allin Park where families decorated their garden pots then planted a variety of plants. When the skies opened up and the thunderstorm hit, the families headed inside at Kids On Track where they were able to continue their container garden project.
For one family, this was their first time to an Active Families event. Unsure of what to expect, they were blown away by the staff’s positive attitudes and excellent ability to run a family event seamlessly, paying keen attention to all the recommended COVID-19 guidances. Their child wore a proud smile showing off his lavender plant that he planted with “his new friend Sarah,” our Summer Coordinator.
A BIG THANK YOU goes out to a Parks People/Amis des Parcs, TD Canada, and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation for making this event possible. The smiles on the kids said it all as they got to take home what they planted!
Kid: Let’s attack the rain! Everyone grab a bat!
Welcome to the Team
Jessica Campbell- Youth Team
Amelia Hadley- Active Families
Rhoda Osei- Youth Team
Brad Short- Youth Team
Assistant Youth Coordinator
Brendan Visser- Youth Team
We welcomed Emma Fehr, Tim Samson, Sarah Penney, to the summer team in the May Newsletter.
Welcome to the rest of our summer team! These amazing young people are navigating a very challenging and unique summer but are bringing their A-game!
We are excited to see all the amazing and activities you are planning!
Monarch Moments- a Message from Buttercup
There’s a great story that has been told and retold. You perhaps have already heard it. It goes something like this:
There once was a little boy who loved to play outside. He found nature fascinating. He captured bugs, collected leaves, and examined webs with the intensity of a true scientist.
One day, the boy found a caterpillar. He looked at it through his magnifying glass and was captured by all its little legs. He decided to keep it as a pet. He scooped some grass and twigs into his bug catcher, made sure there were enough holes in the lid for air flow, and happily ran home with his treasure.
A few days later, the little boy was delighted to find that his caterpillar had made a chrysalis– a cocoon– as he knew that meant he would soon be getting a butterfly as a pet. He waited and waited, checking each day for signs that the butterfly was ready to emerge.
One day it finally happened! The boy watched as the chrysalis moved slightly as the creature inside struggled to get free. Soon, a small tear was seen in the cocoon. The boy soon became concerned, however, that the butterfly would not be able to emerge on its own. Very carefully, the boy took a pair of scissors and enlarged the tear so the butterfly could come out, taking great care not to cut the butterfly itself.
Soon, the butterfly was out! The boy’s excitement soon turned to worry as the body seemed swollen, and the wings appeared shriveled. The boy’s mother took him to a scientist at the local college who explained that the butterfly was supposed to struggle. In fact, it was the struggle that forced the fluid from the body into the wings to allow for flight. Without the struggle, the butterfly would never fly.
We often look at struggle as something negative, something to avoid, or actively deny in our lives. But it is through struggle that we discover how strong we are, and where our strength comes from. I recently challenged our staff team to look back in their lives and identify times when there was intense struggle. Instead of viewing these times as negative, I asked them to pinpoint what came out of the struggle. These “monarch moments” are pivotal in uncovering inner strength and resiliency.
Remembering our “monarch moments” and celebrating the beauty that emerges from the difficult cocoon can help our outlook on the past situations and can help your posture for future difficult times.
Maybe you haven’t seen your “monarch moment” yet and you’re still in the cocoon struggling. In the middle of the struggle, remember your past monarch moments and the strength you developed because of them. Then, remember that the struggle is part of the growth process and necessary in order to develop the power needed to emerge from the struggle strong and resilient.
Kids On Track wants to celebrate your monarch moments in this season! Email your monarch moments to kristy@kidsontrack.org and you might be featured in our next newsletter!