The Beginning of the End

Here we are, writing our final blog post, trying to think of ways to summarize what this amazing experience has included. We can say with confidence that this initiative has been one of a kind, and we are forever grateful for all that it has taught us, the relationships we have built, the people we have met and the connections we have made.

Shayna and Grace with their Business/Science class at Sophia

Training Centre after the final class 

Week 6 consisted of lots of teaching, mixed in with the beginnings of preparations for our departure. We taught numerous lessons covering a wide variety of subjects. We continued to welcome the development of relationships with students and enjoyed some of our one-on-one chats and girl talk boy talk sessions at the end of each lesson. Engaging with the students in a peer to peer environment has continued to prove successful in facilitating difficult discussions amongst youth. We have loved and valued every question asked by the students and hope that our discussions have shed light on some hidden areas of health.

Squad on-air at NTN-Radio! 

Tuesday evening, we were welcomed on to the NTN-Radio Show entitled Reality Check. Facilitated by the wonderful host Frederick Rampersaud, we spoke of mental health, mental illness, stigma, depression, self harm and suicide. It was a wonderful experience and we thoroughly enjoyed connecting with the listeners who called in!

At the Ruimveldt Children's Aid Centre, we broadened our repertoire of hand games, refreshed our memory on hopscotch and played a version of cricket in the rain! We continue to be amazed by the enthusiasm of all the children and the dedication of the centre's staff.

St. Margaret's Grade 6 Students 

Looking back on the past 6.5 weeks, it is crazy to think back to where it all began. We are excited about this year's developments and are look forward to seeing how these partnerships continue to develop in the upcoming years. While days may have felt like weeks, weeks undoubtedly felt like days, leaving us here at the end of our journey searching for where the time went. To all the people we have met, the organizations and groups we have fostered partnerships with, the schools that welcomed us, and the students and youth that continue to amaze us, thank you. This has been a once in a lifetime experience and it could not have been done alone.

Signing out,

The Georgetown Squad 2016

Rebeca, Andrew, Grace + Shayna