Interested in our garden-to-table social skills and supper program? Here’s what you need to know!

Who Is It For?

Pre-teens and teens from approximately Grade 7 to 10 (some flexibility, please enquire)
Kids who would benefit from an opportunity to work on their social skills in a supportive real-life setting
Those managing diagnosed or suspected ADHD, ASD or Anxiety
Kids who would benefit from engaging in hands-on outdoor projects and interacting with animals
Kids who have been cooped up through these challenging closures and would benefit from soil, sunshine and social exposure
Please talk to us if your youth may need extra support to participate

When Is It Happening?

4.30pm – 6.30pm on Wednesdays (drop-off program; no parent involvement required)
8 week summer course runs from June 23rd to August 11th 2021
Supper provided – prepping and enjoying a meal together is part of the program

Where Is It Held?

Program is based at the NowWhat clinic at 144 Wilson St E, Ancaster, between Halson & Jerseyville
We are based largely in the backyard garden and in our weather protected outdoor canopies with physical distancing and full Covid safety procedures in place during restrictions
We will also be visiting the Ancaster Farmer’s Market a short walk down Wilson St E on selected evenings as part of the program

What Is Involved?

This program combines social skills training with opportunities to practice and use the skills they are learning built in to an evening of outdoor fun.

Our goals is to help kids:

Build and maintaining positive relationships
Develop resilience & flexibility
Learn about brain-body connections
Connect to nature, take a wider view & disconnect from the online world
Try new tastes, textures and sensory experiences, work through the discomfort related to trying new things
Regulate emotions & mange stress as challenges are faced
Consider other perspectives, challenge black and white thinking
Interact with their peers and learn to build healthy friendships in a Covid-safe environment
Work through social anxiety related to re-entry to ‘normal’ life in the coming post-Covid world

We will explore social dynamics using activities such as:

Planning, planting and harvesting vegetables in our backyard garden, building planter boxes etc – focusing on hands-on, physically grounding work
Caring for and interacting with our therapy guinea pigs and rabbits
Preparing and enjoying a meal together
Visiting the Ancaster Farmer’s Market, where we will work to understand where our food comes from, look at budgeting and price comparisons, think about meal plans, and practice expected behaviours and appropriate interactions in a different type of social setting
Putting social skills & strategies they have learned into practice in situations where comfort zones can be safely expanded

How Much Does It Cost?

The 8 week program cost is $600, due on registration
The financial commitment is for the full 8 weeks
Participants are billed for every session regardless of attendance (spaces are restricted due to Covid distancing and number capping requirements)
Course is covered under most benefit plans
A credit card number is required to be kept on file, with paid receipts emailed at the end of each week for submission to your insurance company. Alternately an e-transfer for the full cost of the program can be emailed in advance. Please talk to us if you require alternate arrangements