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The pilot project Aim High, a March Break leadership camp offered by Waterloo Regional Housing, may soon be offered in some of the region's 53 other community housing facilities. Designed to teach leadership and conflict resolution, the camp was the result of a partnership between Regional Housing, Community Justice Initiatives and the Waterloo Pentecostal Assembly.


By Carrie Debrone
Kitchener Citizen​
  When Waterloo Regional Housing realized there were problems with bullying in some of its local community housing developments, it approached Community Justice Initiatives for help to design programs that could help.
   The result was the pilot project Aim High, a March Break leadership camp that was offered free to kids aged six to 14 currently living in the 21-unit High Street complex in Waterloo.
   The success of this pilot camp may allow Waterloo Regional Housing to run similar camps this summer in some of the other 53 community housing projects it operates.
   ”We’re going to be active in every community housing building that they own. We are already working with seven locations,” said Wendy Meek, community Mediation Services Coordinator with Community Justice Initiatives.
   Community Justice Initiatives, a non-profit organization, helped design the camp curriculum using its expertise in conflict resolution and mediation.
   The Aim High Leadership Camp ran from the Waterloo Pentecostal Assembly, which donated the space and some of the resources.
   Designed to teach leadership and conflict resolution skills,
​the camp included fun activities that build self-esteem.
​Each day, a new theme was introduced through activities
​and exercises taught by representatives from Waterloo Region
Housing and Community Justice Initiatives.
   “We’re excited to help teach local youth about working together while giving them basic problem and conflict solving skills,” added Deb Schlichter, Director of Housing at the Region of Waterloo.
   “This camp will help create a safer, healthier community,” said Wendy Meeks, Community Mediation Service Coordinator at Community Justice Initiatives.
   Identified by the 27 families in the High Street community as something they would like for their children - especially during March Break when kids typically get bored - about 20 children attended the camp.
   Tsighereda Haile, who immigrated from Ethiopia to Canada in 2008, brought her four children aged 5, 7, 8 and 10 to the program.
   “They really liked it. They learned more about sharing and respect. They can take what they learned and use it at school, too,” she said.
   The end of the week-long camp was capped off with a barbecue and the presentation of graduation certificates by Resource Officer Cst. Matt Halliday from Waterloo Regional Police Services (WRPS)
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PROACTIVE PROGRAM TEACHES CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Regional housing communities aim high with new leadership camp