Inner city youth benefit from new initiative
Two-year program teaches skills and highlights healthy living.
March 9, 2009
March 24, 2009, Grouse Mountain, North Vancouver, B.C. – During the past month, 75 inner city youth have risen to new heights thanks to a tailored snowboarding program called Zero Ceiling at Grouse Mountain. The resort has partnered with Zero Ceiling and 2010 Legacies Now to provide this program to inner city youth over the next two years. As Grouse Mountain continues to experience the best snow conditions of the season, the students are learning new skills and a new activity that promote greater personal well-being.
“Helping inner city youth develop new skills improves the youth and our community as a whole,” says Snow School director Toby Barrett. “We can all do more in our communities and Zero Ceiling at Grouse Mountain is part of delivering the best possible.”
The 2009 program lessons for the 75 youth, ranging in age from 12 to 18, began on February 16 and end on March 25. The students were divided into groups of 25 per class, each held three nights a week. Grouse Mountain’s contribution to the program includes lift tickets for all the students (plus volunteers and chaperones), rental equipment, a 1.5-hour lesson with the Snow School and the provision of a healthy meal for all the students.
Zero Ceiling works in conjunction with identified Vancouver youth agencies to bring groups of inner city youth to Grouse Mountain for the winter snowboard program. The lessons are themed around the topics of ‘Belonging’, ‘Mastery’, ‘Independence’ and ‘Generosity’, a model of positive youth development created by leading psychologists and educators.
Media are invited to attend closing lessons for all 75 youth this week between 5:30pm to 7:30pm, March 24-25, 2009, at Grouse Mountain. A presentation attended by the students at the resort is also open to media on March 27 at 7pm.
To learn more about Zero Ceiling, visit: www.zeroceiling.org
