SURPASS An inspiring, life-changing program for teens, 13 - 17 years July 11 - 18, 2010 (Camp Byng) Sunshine Coast  Coming in early 2010:  Surpass registration information. Info below refers to our Surpass 2009 program, which was highly successful! Click here to see the Surpass 2009 flyer If you are the kind of teen who relishes challenges and wants to make meaningful connections in your world, then Surpass may be an exciting program for you. Building on the success of the first two years of Surpass, we are now planning for this year's program. Our location this coming summer (2009) is again at  Camp Byng, located nearby to Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast (just northwest of Vancouver). The Sunshine Coast and Camp Byng offer many opportunities for activities and we are excited about the possibilities.              Some pics above from Surpass 2008 (Camp Byng) and Surpass 2007, (Bowen Island). We had a good time each year! Below are some comments from Surpass participants: "It was AMAZING, an incredible experience, I learnt an unbelievable amount and have made many many new friends." "It was one of the most inspirational, fun weeks I've ever had. I enjoyed all the activities and meetings and I also tried and learned a lot of new things." "I discovered many things about myself and made lots of new friends. I also accomplished a lot during the week like climbing the Mountain or little things like learning to play Ultimate Frisbee." "All the activities were great and everyone was respectful.  I liked it that we - the participants - were treated like people who had valuable thoughts and feelings, instead of a bunch of teens who had to be kept out of trouble for a week." Why SURPASS?  Young people, and teens, especially, want to live meaningfully and powerfully in ways that reflect their heartfelt interests, concerns and passions. Wondertree Foundation believes that the best way to assist teenage youth to this end is through opportunities and experiences that enable them to reach beyond - to surpass their own personal limitations of what they know, and believe they can do, starting now. For this we draw on insights from the well-established fields of personal development and coaching and our experiences developing and successfully guiding teens through this work in our Virtual High, SelfDesign and Wondertree programs. We are confident that SURPASS will provide knowledge and skills of immediate and lasting value to participants, families, communities and beyond. Mission / Purpose -  SURPASS will provide a unique and energizing experience for teenage youth through which they will develop leadership and empowerment skills and participate in creative and invigorating activities. Overall Goals - Each youth enrolled in SURPASS will participate in individual and group-oriented activities through which they will: * learn various techniques and strategies for improving personal resourcefulness in the face of challenge(s) * gain important insights about achievement and excellence, based on their own natural genius, that they can apply in their own lives * be validated and valued for their own unique approaches to learning and living * introduce participants to creative, healthy group activities Specific (*'SelfDesigning') strategies, techniques and experiences on which SURPASS is based: - Goal-setting - Positive reinforcement - Teamwork - Various outdoor and indoor physical activities - Personal wellness - Exceptional language and communication strategies - Organizational excellence - Modeling / shadowing / mentoring / buddying (personal support) / coaching - Self-reflecting (*'SelfDesigning' refers to a unique methodology developed and pioneered by Wondertree Foundation for Natural Learning through its Wondertree, Virtual High and SelfDesign Learning Community programs. SelfDesigning methodology is aligned with insights from Holistic Learning, Neuro-biological [AKA 'Brain-Based'] Learning, Multiple Intelligences, Positive Psychology, Emotional Intelligence and Constructivist Learning. Other references include sources such as 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens', 'SelfDesign: Nurturing Genius through Natural Learning', 'The Teenage Liberation Handbook', 'What Smart Students Know', etc.) Activities tentatively planned for Surpass 2009   - swimming (Camp Byng has some wonderful swimming available on-site, and a sandy Roberts Creek beach is just a few km up the road) - arts and crafts - theatre/drama/improv (as guided by acting specialist/coach [professional] Ann-Marie Lindell) - music - personal development activities - film & video-making (as guided by experienced filmmaker [professional] Kevin Crofton) - hiking, including the option of completing an overnight hike   - storytelling / campfires - on-site games & activities (ultimate frisbee, badminton, yoga, etc.) - cooking (with gourmet-trained chef Niko Muellner) - writing - more ... Who is best suited to participate in SURPASS?   - This is a tricky question. While the ideal SURPASS participant might be considered as fairly self-motivated, enthusiastic and interested in challenging her/himself with new ideas for self-empowerment, other youth who don't necessarily exhibit these characteristics may be ready for, and value this adventure. If you want to participate in SURPASS, we want to hear from you (our application process asks you to describe why you wish to participate). Let no one tell you what your limits are because the truth is no one knows. - Dr. Lee Pulos, 'Beyond Hypnosis' Suggested Program - Schedule * Part ONE - Introduction / Intake   Day 1:   Early-mid afternoon arrival at Camp Byng, orientation, dinner, group gathering, evening introductions/overview, sleep Day 2, 3:    breakfast, group gathering, including presentations, discussions, nutrition and activity breaks; meals, sleep Focus - Personal ecology, personal resourcefulness, various strategies for optimizing personal resourcefulness, meet other youth (models of resourcefulness) * Part TWO - Pause / Energize! Day 4, 5:  Activities such as canoeing, hiking (possibly overnight up Mt. Steele in Tetrahedron Provincial Park), dancing, yoga, Qi Gong, swimming, badminton, etc., meals Focus - Personal awareness and health, personal resourcefulness, teambuilding, self-reflection * Part THREE - Exhale / Create Day 6, 7:   breakfast, group gathering; including presentations, discussions, nutrition and activity breaks, meals, sleep Focus - Preparing your 'Personal Life Plan [PLP] to Create the Future You Want - Starting Now!, various strategies for optimizing personal resourcefulness, sharing your plan, strategies for receiving feedback, resolving further challenges, listening to and assisting others in activating their PLPs. Day 8:  Breakfast,  closing circle, discussion;  depart from Camp Byng * Additional information for parents and participants - SURPASS is intended as a confirming experience for young people emerging from childhood and merging into adulthood. They will be presented with some new information about human being, some of which they will (hopefully) find invigorating and inspiring and some of which they may find challenging. SURPASS is meant to embrace all sensibilities, religions and spiritual disciplines without bias and without any intent to indoctrinate or favour any path except that leading to personal empowerment. All participants will be encouraged to contribute their own ideas toward this end and they are free to accept or reject any of the ideas shared with them, without fear of censure or rejection. As well, all participants will be treated as intelligent, self-reflecting (young) adults and supported in opportunities that contribute to this end. The overall group ethic will be guided toward respect, support and honest reflection in addressing and surpassing challenges in the quest for personal empowerment. Finally, SURPASS presumes that each participant already has the (personal) resources needed for empowerment; accordingly, we will not be attempting in any way to "sell" any particular product or resource nor will we attempt to influence any participant toward a particular ideology. * SURPASS Management Team - The SURPASS workshop team is multi-faceted, skilled and experienced. They also care deeply about helping participants feel comfortable about being involved in this process, including supporting people who are feeling challenged in any way. Here's a listing of the key team: - Michael Maser -  Michael has worked with youth for 20 years as a co-founder, Director and learning consultant of SelfDesign Learning Community (2002-2008), 'Virtual High' Learning Community (Vancouver, 1993-1997), as a (school) teacher (1987-1990), and in other roles, too. Michael's personal professional interests include holistic learning, personal development, epistemology ('how we know what we know') and communication. Michael is an enthusiastic parent, lifelong learner, scientist, writer, dog-owner, and he loves a good joke, too.     Michael pointing to SURPASS location! Verena Gibbs - Over the past seven years, teaching has brought Verena to many different corners of the world, including London, Belfast, Sweden and Kenya. She has been gratefully and enthusiastically part of the Wondertree Learning Centre (Vancouver) community for the past five years. Verena is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Integrated Studies at the University of Athabasca. She loves to travel, cook, dance and create anything artsy or crafty. Lisa Housden - Lisa has worked as an actress, a high school English and drama teacher, a children's Librarian and as a SelfDesign Learning Consultant. She is a lifelong learner who is committed to supporting the learning paths of young people and inspiring them to uniquely express their own vision and goals. Lisa enjoys painting, gardening, cooking, and reading to her daughter. * Food - Our goal is to provide SURPASS participants and staff with optimal nutrition consisting of delicious organic meals and snacks prepared daily. * About  Camp Byng - Camp Byng is a 200+-acre camp setting owned by Scouts Canada, located about 15 minutes north of the Langdale ferry terminal, between Gibsons and Roberts Creek on BC's Sunshine Coast. The camp offers dining, meeting and sleeping facilities (gender-separate) as well as excellent recreational opportunities. (check out Camp Byng by clicking here)   * Cost and Registration -  The cost of SURPASS is $450 per participant. The retreat fee includes meals and snacks, lodging and on-site activities. Travel costs to Langdale are NOT included, though we will likely arrange a group pick-up in Vancouver on July 12th at a specified location, and a return trip to Vancouver on July 19th. We will also provide a pick-up at the Langdale ferry terminal, and participants/families may also travel to the Camp Byng for drop-off by late-afternoon, July 12th, and they may pick-up on July 19th.   To register for SURPASS please complete the form found at  Register now Payment in full is required at the time of registration for those registering after May 1st. * Refund Policy - If you have not paid registration fees in full by May 10th, your spot may be relinquished to someone else, and we will return to you all but the non-refundable portion of your registration fee ($50). If your plans change after registering and you are unable to attend, please advise us as soon as possible and we will return to you all but the non-refundable portion of your registration fee ($50).   Other conditions applying to refunds include the following: - Illness or Special Circumstances:  registrants who are contagiously sick at the time of the SURPASS retreat are encouraged NOT TO ATTEND!  In this situation, we will provide registrants with a refund of all but the non-refundable portion of their registration fees ($50). We may require a written and signed statement from a healthcare provider to verify your illness. We will likewise accommodate unforeseen special circumstances (personal issues and significant accidents) but we will NOT provide a full refund for non-contagious illnesses or issues not considered particularly significant or acute unless another registrant is easily found. - someone choosing or wishing to leave the SURPASS retreat part-way through:  whether due to illness, homesickness, or other special circumstance, we may provide a partial refund; this decision will be left to the discretion of the SURPASS management team. * Fundraising I -   This winter and spring, Wondertree Foundation will be approaching various individuals, organizations, businesses to help us offset some expenses for SURPASS. Any financial or in-kind donations are eligible for a tax credit that can be applied toward income tax. If you know of someone or an organization that may be interested in supporting SURPASS would you please ask them to contact us (or we can contact them). II - For youth who wish to register for and attend SURPASS, but feel they are unable to pay the complete fee, we suggest that you be creative in your own approach to fundraising. Print off our flyer and program information, then approach other members of your family, friends and/or local organizations and inquire if they are willing to help sponsor you in attending SURPASS. Be clear about why you wish to attend and what you feel you may gain by attending. * Special needs - If you have special needs please educate us about your needs in your registration form and we'll do our best to anticipate your needs so that your SURPASS experience is comfortable, safe, and satisfying.  * Health and Safety - We will not be providing a nurse or equivalent medical person on staff for SURPASS. There will, however, be at least one staff person trained in basic first aid and CPR. In case of serious emergency, we will contact St. Mary's hospital in Sechelt (20 minutes away) for ambulance services. Participants are responsible for providing their own  (regular) necessary medications, etc., if required. SURPASS registration fees do include insurance for accidents/injuries that take place during the regular course of retreat activities. * Responsibilities for all SURPASS Participants Each SURPASS participant contributes to the retreat in the following ways: i.  Fun, important insights, and new relationships and friendships will arise for SURPASS participants - beyond the programming that we are organizing - only to the extent that you are open to taking responsibility for co-creating these outcomes. In other words, if you come, please be prepared to participate and engage! 2) Participants are expected to contribute to keeping our entire retreat space reasonably clean and tidy throughout the duration of our program. This will include sharing in clean-up of lodging rooms, bathrooms, dining space, retreat and activity spaces.    3) Respect, support, honesty (see Additional Information for Parents and Participants, above) * More information later Approximately 6-8 weeks before the start of SURPASS your registration will be confirmed and you will receive a handbook including a list of what to bring and some additional information to help you prepare. - Thank You! - Michael Maser & Lisa Housden, your Surpass 2009 Co-Pilots!