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I love the leader that COR and gentle teaching has enabled me to become!
Gentle Teaching has become a main part of my life. During my university career, I have done many presentations and projects based on gentle teaching because it applies to so many different areas of study; whether it be Psychology or Kinesiology and Health Studies. As Assistant Home Team Leader, I dedicated most of my support times (and outside support times) to making sure the people I support are physically healthy. I continue to do activities to keep the guys active and engaged, but allow them to decide which activities are right for them! I pre-cook and freeze meals so that it is easily accessible for the rest of the team. This is done so that supports aren’t tempted to buy unhealthy food! Since this started, I have continued to encourage others on the team to do the same as well. As a result, the team has all begun to contribute to grocery shopping and cooking wholesome meals. This was not so they could be “fit” or “skinny”, but to better compliment one’s overall quality of life. I am a strong believer in how physical health affects one’s mental health, thus my pursuit of a masters degree in sport and exercise psychology.
Although I recently stepped down as Assistant Home Team Leader, I have continued to keep many of the same responsibilities. The title of ATL was not my motivation to be a leader! I will continue to be passionate about caring for the people I support, as that is the foundation of Gentle Teaching. Their companionship and presence in my life is enough to want to help with the quality of it. COR has shown me that I am capable of my own academic accomplishments. Sport and Exercise Psychology is not popular in Canada just yet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t continue to follow my interests and turn them into my passion. Even though I have stepped down from my ATL role, supports still contact me when certain issues arise; they still want to hear my advice and experience. I love this! For the first time, I feel like I am a mentor. I like knowing it is not my leadership status that motivates them to ask me for help. I feel as though they ask because they know I am effective at solving problems while still keeping one’s emotions in mind. It has become a very empowering experience. I love the leader that COR and Gentle Teaching has enabled me to become!
Kyla, COR Support
Comic Book Club Brings Laughs and Lifeskills
COR, in partnership with Inclusion Regina and the Next Chapter Book Club is hosting a weekly Comic Book Club at Comic Readers Downtown!
Recently featured in the SARC Spring Update, Ben Morris, Comic Book Club Facilitator, had this to say:
“Comic Book Club has been a breath of fresh air. Not only do we get to reacquaint ourselves with our favorite characters and stories old and new, but we get to share them with like-minded friends in a fun and creative environment. Whether we’re reading, story-telling, or just taking out an hour of the day to let loose and laugh, The Club is where it’s at!”
For more information, contact Ben: ben@creativeoptionsregina.ca
Partnering to Deliver Sexual Health and Wellness Education in Saskatchewan
COR, in partnership with a number of talented folks, has worked to develop Tell It Like It Is, a Sexual Health and Wellness Educational Curriculum for diverse learners. In an effort to bring it to a wider audience, COR has partnered with the Saskatchewan Association for Community Living (SACL) and the Saskatoon Sexual Health Center to assist in the delivery of Sexual Health and Wellness Training across Saskatchewan.
Using a compassionate approach and taking into account the diversity of learners, each module of the curriculum offers various learning strategies, worksheets, and activities. The curriculum covers sexual health topics including, but not limited to, the physical body and changes, boundaries, healthy relationships, dating, intimacy, sexual orientation, safer sex practices, and understanding sexuality.
Providing honest and clear sexual health education to individuals living with a disability enables them to make informed choices and decisions about their lives. Being equipped with the knowledge of personal rights and an understanding of consent helps individuals recognize signs of coercion or abuse and provides the tools required to protect themselves. Through Tell It Like It Is, our aim is to empower organizations serving people with disabilities to provide sexual health education and information to those individuals they support.
“This project has been a journey…. we hope that through partnership we can continue to build on the course content while continuing to provide a rich educational experience for diverse learners across our province.” – Michael Lavis, COR
Check out an article about the initiative in SACL’s Spring Edition of Dialect and download the course curriculum here for FREE!
For more information, email Marlene Yaqub at: marlene@creativeoptionsregina.ca
Nothing makes me happier than hearing about someone’s success at work
I once heard a George Lucas quote that stuck with me – “Dreams are extremely important. You can’t do it unless you imagine it.”
When I begin a job search, the first question I always ask a job seeker is, “what is your dream job?” Somewhere in that dream is the perfect job for each person, whether it’s the head coach of the Riders, a free-lance writer for a social media campaign, a chef, a firefighter or Celine Dion’s manager (each of those are real answers I’ve received!). While I will admit, I’m quite skilled at my job, I may not have the strings to pull to hook someone up with Celine Dion, but I do recognize that within that dream probably lies an interest in popular music, a passion for an instrument, an outgoing and organized personality. From those traits, a real and meaningful job can be sought. 4to40 prides itself on thinking outside the employment box – focusing on each individual’s uniqueness. No one should be forced to work in a job or an environment that doesn’t make them happy or fuel their passion. For people who experience disability, work generally is a dream that is accepted as whatever is given to them. I work hard every day to change that. When I take individual interests, skills, talents and personalities into account, and then customize and carve roles out within workplaces that are of interest to the job seeker, I open up a whole world of potential for employment.
Nothing makes me happier than hearing about someone’s success at work, whether that’s an increase in hours, learning a new set of tasks or being invited for beers on Friday after a shift. The feeling of success at work is so much more than just the job itself. Gaining independence, financial freedom, being a contributing and valuable member of a team, forging real and meaningful relationships. We all seek these outcomes from our workplaces. Why wouldn’t the success of 4to40 be measured in the same ways?
For the people I support, becoming employed leads to independence, self-confidence and a feeling of self-worth. But wait, my role doesn’t end there. 4to40’s partners, the employers we work with, not only see the great value the employees bring to their workplace efficiency, they also recognize how workplace culture changes. When committed to inclusion – that is, embracing the diversity of every human – employers see that their entire workforce can be more welcoming, patient and empathetic. Workplace culture becomes more supportive of everyone, ensuring that all talents and successes are celebrated and acknowledged. 4to40 encourages employers within our community to create an environment where all employees feel connected, valued and safe. Through the support of our project, job coaches and willing peers in the workplace – all these important needs can be met, and dream jobs can be achieved!
Miranda Klinger
Employment Partnership Consultant, 4to40