The program is being coordinated by Justin Bertrand, an educational counsellor at École-secondaire Sieur-de-Coulonge in Fort Coulonge. He spoke about the initiative at the at the MRC Pontiac Council of Mayors meeting in Campbell’s Bay on June 21. “The basic concept is to be able to offer youth fun activities related to culture exchange and mentorship,” said Bertrand, who has been working in youth mental health for 10 years.

“Current data on psychology of adolescents show that adolescents require mentors.” he explained.

“What is a mentor? An adult they can trust, they can open up to, they can learn from, who can listen to them without judgement or stereotypes, or telling them what to do to fix their problems.”

According to Bertrand, there have been studies demonstrating the effects of mentorship in rural communities in Quebec and around the world for the past 15 to 20 years, which have led the Quebec Ministry of Culture to develop programs to support and encourage this kind of exchange.

“Cultural exchange that allows for fun, no pressure of deadlines or big fancy shows or exams or anything like that,” he explained. “Ways for youth to connect with various culture means arts, certain sports and also the chance to discover new interests and passions outside of Facebook and video games.”

The summer program consists of various workshops with activities in fine arts, theater arts, juggling and balloon making and is being offered collaboratively by the municipalities of Fort Coulonge and Mansfield with support from the Ministry of Culture.

“The activities are intended to be fun and promote interest, expression and cultural engagement,” said Bertrand.

“When we applied for funding, we were trying to think of something to keep our teenagers busy during the summertime, get them away from the computer. So, when the project presented itself, we said, ‘okay, this might be a great idea’,” Fort Coulonge Mayor Christine Francoeur said.

The workshops are offered primarily in French but, according to Bertrand, all instructors are bilingual.

For more information or to register for workshops, contact the Fort Coulonge or Mansfield municipal offices.

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