For over a year now, I have been working for Relance des Loisirs tout 9, a community recreation centre. I have held several positions there, including as a companion for children with special needs and as a day camp counselor.

I am an undergraduate psychology student, and child development, as well as peer relationships, are particularly important to me. 

The mental health awareness workshop offered by the Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health proved to be very relevant and useful in improving counselors’ behavior over the summer. The training was easy to follow, dynamic, and well-structured, providing a wealth of information and useful insights into child development and the appropriate responses to different situations encountered in a day camp counselor’s daily work. 

Various workshops and activities, such as role-playing, discussions, and knowledge games, lightened the training, even though it covered topics that can be challenging to discuss. The trainers emphasized key “golden rules” to follow when working with children and offered various tips to help youth feel as comfortable as possible with their counselors. Additional resources were also provided to participants as further support.