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youth empowerment programs
Let's help our youth to build an armour of skills so that they know how to protect themselves and move forward no matter what life throws at them. When our youth learn they consistently have choices, they also learn self-awareness through the powerful teacher, the horse.
These experiential programs for youth are not only educational but have been designed for youth to acquire strength-based life skills (i.e., developmental assets) such as effective communication, enhanced problem-solving, a better understanding of body language, respecting personal boundaries, among others.
These life skills programs, that are approved by the Calgary Board of Education, gives the youths an experience to pull from when they are faced with choices in everyday life as they build strong solid skills working with their teacher. Our youth curriculum programs range between 8-12 sessions. This allows the effectiveness of the course but also to track the advancements in each of the youth within it.
HORSES? what can a 1200 lb teacher do for your YOUTH?
Horses are ideal teachers for youth. They don’t judge, they don’t care about race, size, or gender… Each of us is equal, with each other and with our teachers – the horses. The value of giving young people, especially teenagers, an opportunity to work with horses as their teachers have been proven time and time again.
Our equine assisted learning programming is a unique and powerful way to teach young people who are fortunate enough to participate in Double T Ranch’s Youth Interactive Development Programs. Equine Assisted Learning acts as an important educational tool to help develop empathy and kindness, as well as help overcome behavioural disorders, low self-esteem, bullying, drug abuse, emotional issues, poor communication skills, and the inability to work with others.
EDUCATIONAL TOOLS THAT DELIVER FAST, EFFECTIVE RESULTS.
Albert Wright studied methods of education extensively and concluded a need for change from the traditional classroom and lecture format to an educational alternative called "participative method." This method focuses on the experiential process of learning rather than the mere transmission of information. Experiential learning has recently been termed "the natural way of learning," and defined as the process by which the experience of the learner is reflected upon, from which new insights emerge.
Once a child is taught the basics of working safely with a horse, he or she can become the leader the horse seeks. When the horse feels safe, cooperation is natural and the youth can easily get the horse to do what is asked of it. Bringing that piece back to their lives as everything is a parallel to how to work with people and themselves in their own lives.
experiential & educational.
The youth participants quickly learn that their teachers, the horses, are unable to judge, scold or lie. This builds a very natural trust that many of today’s youth haven’t had consistently offered to them in their life. Having a horse as a teacher provides the participant instant feedback, clear direction and an opportunity to parallel each lesson to life. The horse allows "loud teachable moments" that the youth attendees will never forget.
All of these experiential programs for youth are not only educational but have been designed for youth to acquire strength-based life skills (i.e., developmental assets) such as effective communication, enhanced problem-solving, a better understanding of body language, respecting personal boundaries, amongst many other skills.
Give our young people the skills necessary to ultimately better prepare them to take on the challenges that life throws at them.
Double T Ranch's youth programs are designed to ensure the learning and retention of important life skills to aid in each youths personal growth. One of the many bonuses of working with horses vs a classroom setting is the component of interactivity because we all learn differently, but we can all take away lessons that we learn through our experiences. Every person has the opportunity to take away lessons learned through their own experiences.
Because of the consistent weekly interactions with their teachers, the horses, the youth will have the ability to continually learn new skills and gain a better understanding of themselves in a safe and trusting environment. Each program has an objective that is interlaced into the next program so that your participants keep learning and building stronger skills each week, hence, creating an armour of skills to take into the world and that is proven to work. This consistency also allows our facilitators to not only ensure the effectiveness of the course but also to track the advancements in each of the youth within it.
Straight from the youth themselves: "It made me feel better about myself, I can do stuff without people judging me." "It made me feel more active." "I thought that if I could do that [horse program], I could do anything."
SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Duration: 8 - 12 WEEKS
Our interactive school programs for youth are specifically designed to ensure the learning and retention of necessary life skills to aid in each youths personal growth. This specific life skills BuildingBlock™ Curriculum Series is a great alternative to traditional education. One of the many bonuses of working with horses vs a classroom setting is the component of interactivity because we all learn differently, but we can all take away lessons that we learn through our experiences.
Each of our objectively driven exercises is custom designed to maximize learning potential and focus on developing individual skills as youth work through fun interactive group challenges, in an experiential environment.
Emphasizing self-responsibility, participative education involves the students in experiences relevant to his or her future and provides the students with the opportunity of learning from these experiences.
Teams will work to; develop self-reliance, accept responsibility and accountability, overcome barriers to find change, be encouraged to be creative and innovative, find opportunity in working together, realize the benefits associated with effective communication, recognize the value of mutual trust, respect, and personal integrity… All while having a blast!
ANTI-BULLYING
Duration: 8 WEEKS
The best way to help children not become victims of bullies is by teaching them bully-proofing skills. Victims of bullies usually exhibit poor communication skills and tend to be left out of activities, leaving them isolated.
Our equine assisted learning programs have proven to be ideal for a child who exhibits anti-social communication skills as they provide training in social skills which improves communication skills, emotional, physical, mental and spiritual wellness, self-esteem, and encourages sensory stimulation and ultimately, integration.
A child with bullying issues may be just as much a victim in his own life as the child he directs his aggression towards. Many bullies are children who have been overlooked, misdiagnosed, suffering from neurological disabilities, or abused children themselves. Our equine skills development programs are ideal for a child who exhibits aggressive behaviour by promoting positive leadership skills, empathy, developing kindness and choice-making skills and encouraging responsibility, creativity, and laughter.
The youth that teachers, counsellors, and the principal feel display behavioural issues, or who are withdrawn, will benefit most from the program.
YOUTH POTENTIAL
Duration: 8 - 12 WEEKS
This program is developed for young adults, high school students & pre-teens.
Youth are our future. It’s critical that we support them as they grow and learn. Exciting and creative minds are waiting for unique and interactive ways to flourish!
Youth who are prepared for adulthood are comfortable demonstrating fundamental life skills. They each need to have a strong sense of self, and a variety of tools in order to manage the difficulties and opportunities they will encounter.
Through participation in Double T Ranch’s Youth Potential weekly curriculum, each young adult will learn new skills such as communication, active listening, focus, problem-solving, negotiation, relationship building and many more.
Youth programs can help young people release the patterns of “learned helplessness” and work toward developing self-efficacy - a belief in their own capacity to succeed.