A group of 20 young people recently visited Toronto to improve their skills as summer camp youth leaders, attend a Blue Jays game and to see the sights.
It was a transformative experience for participants, according to Dawn Currie, executive director of the Recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut (RPAN), which helped arrange the event.
One participant, 22-year-old Moses Audla from Sanikiluaq, even told her it was the best week of his life.
SA国际影视传媒淭o hear that a kid classified this as the best week of his life means it was a good week,SA国际影视传媒� Currie said from Iqaluit, where RPAN is based. SA国际影视传媒淗e had the biggest grin on his face.SA国际影视传媒�
RPAN visited Toronto as part of a partnership with the Jays Care Foundation, the Major League Baseball teamSA国际影视传媒檚 official charity. Throughout the seven-year partnership, the foundation has supported RPAN with grants, equipment donations and trips like the June 21-25 visit to Toronto.
One of the key features of the itinerary was training.
Participants, ranging from 15 to 22 years old, attended workshops with fellow youth leaders from Toronto, where they exchanged knowledge and taught one another new games to play with the children in their care. They also partook in sessions on inclusivity and SA国际影视传媒渉ow to deal with kids with different behaviours,SA国际影视传媒� according to Currie.
SA国际影视传媒淎 big part of our program SA国际影视传媒� and same with the Jays SA国际影视传媒� is making sure that all kids, regardless of ability, feel welcome at the camp, and that thereSA国际影视传媒檚 things for them to do at the camp,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
The group had plenty of time for leisure too. The enduring memory for many participants will be attending a June 24 baseball game between the Jays and visiting Oakland Athletics. They were hosted in the teamSA国际影视传媒檚 clubhouse, fed by stadium catering and met the teamSA国际影视传媒檚 mascot.
They even made it onto the Jumbotron, a giant screen in the stadium.
SA国际影视传媒淭he Jumbotron was the big highlight,SA国际影视传媒� Currie said. SA国际影视传媒淔or everyone that was there, that was the first time that they were at a major league baseball game.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淪ome of their families back home are big fans of the Jays, so theySA国际影视传媒檙e sitting there trying to videotape parts of the game, and themselves, and the video screen, to share their experience with family members back home, which I thought was very cool.SA国际影视传媒�
The Jays beat the ASA国际影视传媒檚 7-3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Danny Jansen both hit two-run homers for the home team as the RPAN group held a banner high above the field, which thanked the Jays Care Foundation for its support and greeted the world from Nunavut.
SA国际影视传媒淲e like to think we brought them Nunavut luck,SA国际影视传媒� Currie said.
The group also visited the CN Tower and RipleySA国际影视传媒檚 Aquarium of Canada, and worked their way out of an escape room. Many of the participants had never been to Toronto before, but they all SA国际影视传媒渓ovedSA国际影视传媒� seeing the city, Currie said, even if some had difficultly with the stifling heat and humidity.
SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 think they loved it enough to move out of Nunavut to Toronto,SA国际影视传媒� she laughed.
