Ontario Association of Child and Youth CounsellorsA conference to Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the OACYC and the breadth and depth of the CYC profession.
The fortieth anniversary of anything is worth celebrating but when it is for an child and youth care association, it is especially so. Many associations continue to be in the building phase: working hard to maintain a membership base, publishing a newsletter or two and holding an event annually, if they are lucky. The OACYC has the privilege of surviving forty years of association existence and over that time has grown to become Canada's largest CYC association and the most developed.
Perhaps, no better proof of that could be found than in downtown Kingston on the week of the conference. The Mayor of Kingston dedicated the week to Child and Youth Counsellors, a form of public recognition few CYC's ever think possible. The Council of Canadian Child and Youth Care Associations joins in recognizing this achievement with these pages. Their purpose is to provide a general overview of some of the high points of the conference using materials from the conference program, personal recollections and images. Guests who attended the event are welcome to share their impressions which may be added to this record. Please address your comments to beardy@fox.nstn.ca.
Heroes Within was fortunate to have a fine response with
some three hundred and thirty registrants for the conference. A small group of volunteers
helped move things along throughout the conference. Out of town guests staying in
residence at Queen's. Each day throughout the conference, breakfast and lunch was provided
for registrants in the dining hall. The meals were exceptional and allowed residents to
attend the conference and concentrate on sessions and socializing. It was a good time.
Plenary in Grant Hall
Welcome: Joanne Cox, OACYC President (London)
"Therapeutic Activities": Anna Hagerty, Donna Mansfield (The 'Soo")
Respite...Silent Heroes
Friends and Neighbours (FAN) Club: Puppets Reaching Children
The REACH Program-Using CYC's Expertise with ADHD Children
True Colors ~ A Pathway to Self-Esteem
Taming the Toddler
Programs for the Prevention of Youth Crime in Rural Ontario
Community Partnerships in School-Based Initiatives
Famly Reconstruction: Telling Our Stories--Improving our Work
Collaboration Works: Sharing Resources & Expertise for a Parent Education Group
A Day Treatment Level System for Behavioural 6-12 year olds.
Plenary in Grant Hall
Welcome: Jeanie Sawyer, Vice-President Academic, St. Lawrence College (Kingston)
Jeanie Sawywer is a former CYC who worked in group homes both in Hamilton and Kingston. She joined the faculty of the CCW program at St. Lawrence in 1976, served as coordinator of the program for a number of years, and eventually moved on to her present position as Vice-President Academic. She was the founding President of the Kingston Branch of the OACYC in 1978 and Coordinator of the first Provincial Conference held in Kingston (1979). The support of the OACYC at St. Lawrence College has been consistent throughout the Kingston Branch's 21 years and their recent support of "Heroes Within" has been considerable.
Field Practicum Supervision Award of Excellence, Jane Clifton, Humber College
Jane Clifton is a 1972 grad of the Thisteltown CCW Program and the present Coordinator of the CYC Program at Humber College. The inauguration of this Award at "Heroes Within" is very fitting, and the OACYC would like to thank the CYW faculty at Humber for their initiative and creativity. The first winners of this award are:
Churchill Group Home, CAS of Thunder Bay & District, nominated by Confederation College
Mike Goulding, Sampson House (Child and Youth Wellness Centre)
Mary Jo Jaroz, North York General Hospital, nominated by Centennial College
Ann Kulik, Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, nominated by Humber College
Donna Mansfield, Spirit of the North, nominated by Sault College
Nikolaas Nadel, CAS of Hamilton-Wentworth, nominated by Mohawk College
Gail Wilson, Delisle Youth Services, nominated by George Brown College
Speaker: Les Webber, OACYC Founding President (London)
Les Webber is one of the first graduates of the Thistletown CCW program. Besides being the first president of what was to become the OACYC, Les has held many positions both in the CCWAO/OACYC and in the CYC field, here and in British Columbia. Although now retired, he continues to be active in the OACYC.
It was a honor to hear the remarks of one of the true pioneers of the
child and youth care association movement. Les listed the four individuals in Ontario who
were instrumental in laying the foundation of the college system for child and youth care
education in the province. He spoke of the need for the OACYC to become part of the
curriculum of the college programs so all students would be aware of its purpose and place
in the wider system. Les also spoke of the growth of the OACYC noting it has some ways to
go. He offered the mantra of membership, membership, membership, something any promoter of
association growth knows only too well. Les left the OACYC with the challenge of realizing
2000 members for the year 2000. This would be a significant achievement but one he
believed was attainable with the ongoing efforts of present members and Dennis McDermot,
Executive Director. As a guest from an association with fifteen years of persistent growth
to date, I found Les's remarks and achievements very moving and inspiring. His heroic
determination serves as an example to all in the field. Garth
Goodwin
Wraparound: What It Is and How To Do It
Small Steps in a Long Journey: 30 years of School-Based Child and Youth Care Work
Acquired Brain Injury, CYC's and Business--A New Combination
Collaborative Approaches to Group work with Adolescents and Parents
Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions Developed and Delivered by Front Line Staff
Understanding Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Youth
Let's P.A.W. Around"--Play as an Adjunct to the Learning Environment
Creative Interventions for Troubled Child and Youth
These pages were prepared by Garth Goodwin on behalf of the Council of Canadian Child and Youth Care Associations to recognize the 40th Anniversary of the OACYC and Heroes Within. Photography made possible by the Child and Youth Care Workers Association of Manitoba and the support of Marymound, Inc. was appreciated. This page was up-dated December 31, 2004.