From Participant to Leader: Bev’s Story

When I first met Bev in the fall of 2024, she was 11 years old and participating in our Youth Yoga and Nature Mindfulness programs. What struck me about her was her calm, quiet and gentle presence. She moved through yoga postures with ease and would sit quietly in the forest, observing and noticing the world around her.

While her sister might have been telling a joke that had everyone laughing, or her friend was attempting a backflip on her yoga mat, Bev brought a quiet steadiness to the group. She was gentle and thoughtful, and seemed perfectly content in the stillness.

As time went on, she kept coming back. Rain or shine, hot or cold, Bev, her sister and her best friend joined us as we practiced yoga, played games and explored the forest together. Some weeks, there were only four of us-the three girls and me. Those early programs were small, but looking back now, they were the beginning of something much bigger.

From participating to leading

When we began preparing for our very first Wellchild Niagara summer camp, I started wondering whether Bev and her friend might be ready for a different kind of experience. Instead of participating in the program, what if they had an opportunity to begin exploring leadership?

With their families' support, Bev and her friend joined our very first summer camp as Leaders in Training. Our beginnings were humble: a few children, a wagon and a dream of what Wellchild Niagara could become. Even in those early days, though, something stood out-the younger campers connected with Bev.

Her calmness, the same quality I had noticed when she first joined our programs, became one of her greatest strengths. Children trusted her and wanted to be around her, and one camper in particular formed a special connection with Bev during that first summer.

For Bev, it was an opportunity to experience our programs in a completely different way. After spending the year participating, exploring and building connections of her own, she was now beginning to create those same kinds of experiences for younger children. It marked the beginning of a new chapter for Bev-from participant, to Leader in Training, and eventually, to volunteer.

Coming back, again and again

When we began preparing for March Break Camp, Bev's mom reached out to ask whether she could come back and help again. The answer was an easy yes.

Once again, we watched Bev naturally connect with our young campers. One child in particular talked about Bev at home and arrived at camp looking for her each day. There is something special about watching a young child seek out a particular person because that person has made them feel comfortable, welcomed and cared for, and Bev seemed to build those relationships naturally.

Then, as we began preparing for this year's summer camp, her mom reached out again. Could Bev help out? Of course.

This time, Bev was returning with more experience behind her. She knew our programs and our approach, and she understood what it meant to be part of the team. Throughout the summer, we've watched her settle more fully into that responsibility and become increasingly confident.

Growing alongside Wellchild Niagara

One of the most meaningful parts of Bev's story is that her growth hasn't happened separately from Wellchild Niagara's. In many ways, we've grown together.

Bev was there when our programs were small enough that sometimes there were only four of us exploring the forest together. She was there for our first summer camp, when we had a few children, a wagon and a big idea of what this organization might someday become. Now, she's part of the team helping us create those experiences for younger children.

Our Lead Camp Counsellor, Esther, had the opportunity to work closely with Bev this summer and see that growth firsthand.

“Bev is incredibly kind, compassionate and diligent when it comes to her work at Wellchild Niagara. She is a strong leader who is always attentive to the needs of our campers.”

Esther describes Bev as someone who takes the time to explore alongside campers and never hesitates to join in the fun, while also remaining attentive to the safety and inclusion of the children around her. Over the course of the summer, she watched Bev become increasingly comfortable navigating the more challenging parts of working with children, from comforting an injured camper to maintaining strong supervision during busy transitions.

Those moments are an important reminder that leadership with children isn't always loud or obvious. It can be found in noticing when someone needs help, knowing when to step in, remaining calm when things get busy, or making sure a child who is standing on the outside of an activity feels invited in. Sometimes, it is simply being the familiar person a child looks for when they arrive in the morning.

The quiet steadiness I first noticed in an 11-year-old yoga participant hasn't disappeared as Bev has grown.

It's become leadership.

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Growing in confidence

The growth we've seen at Wellchild Niagara has been noticed at home, too. When we asked Bev's mom what the experience has meant for her daughter, one thing came through again and again: confidence.

She shared that Bev's confidence and independence have “soared” since taking on a leadership role with Wellchild Niagara, and that helping at camp leaves her feeling capable, responsible and proud of herself. Reflecting on Bev's transition from participant to leader, she shared:

“Seeing her go from enjoying the program herself, to enjoying helping OTHERS enjoy it, was really cool.”

That reflection captures so much of what we hope opportunities like this can offer young people. There is value in participating in a community and finding a place where you feel that you belong, but there is something equally powerful about reaching the point where you begin to recognize that you have something meaningful to contribute to that community as well.

Through her experiences with Wellchild Niagara, Bev has gained practical experience working with children, learned alongside our camp counsellors, completed community service hours for high school and begun babysitting independently. Those are meaningful skills and experiences that she will be able to carry forward with her.

But perhaps the most important growth is harder to measure. It's the confidence that comes from being trusted with responsibility, discovering your own strengths and gradually realizing, I can do this.

From belonging to contributing

At Wellchild Niagara, we want to create spaces where children and young people feel supported, connected and confident, and Bev's story offers a beautiful example of what that can look like over time.

She first came to us as a youth who enjoyed yoga, nature and being outdoors. She spent time exploring the forest, playing games, building relationships and becoming part of a community. As she grew older, she was given an opportunity to experience that community differently by becoming a Leader in Training. She discovered that younger children looked up to her, continued coming back, took on greater responsibility and eventually became one of the people helping younger campers find their own place within our programs.

That progression-from participating and belonging to eventually contributing-is something we hope to create more opportunities for as Wellchild Niagara grows. We want young people to have the chance to stay connected to our community as they get older, to discover their strengths and, when they're ready, use those strengths to support others.

For Bev, that journey is already underway.

In Bev's own words

When we asked Bev to reflect on her experience working with Wellchild Niagara, she shared:

“Working with Wellchild was a very fun and positive experience! I loved getting to know the staff and kids and how everyone was so nice. I liked seeing different ways to handle certain situations and it was a very great learning experience and I learned lots ... during my time with Wellchild.”

For Bev, these experiences are part of growing up. For us, they're a reminder that impact isn't always something that can be captured in a number. Sometimes, it looks like a youth joining for yoga and mindfulness, quietly observing the world around her. Then, a couple of years later, you look across camp and realize that same young person has become someone a younger child searches for when they arrive each morning.

Bev, thank you for growing with us. Thank you for the calmness and kindness you've brought with you from the very beginning, for the care you show our campers, and for continuing to come back ready to learn, grow and take on new challenges.

We are so grateful that Wellchild Niagara has been part of your journey, and even more grateful that you have become part of ours.

We can't wait to see where you grow from here.