The cackles of 20 alarm clocks sing in unison across the Sunshine Coast and startle into awakening the Canada World Youth (CWY) team for Sunshine Coast/Indonesia. Another day of fun, adventure and hard work is about to begin.There is a brief hazy, yawn-filled period after waking when the participants remind themselves of where they are and what they are doing. Then they head out to start their work placements (WPs) for the day.WPs are exercises in volunteerism spanning many different settings and are part of CWY's community-based learning approach.This approach centres on practical projects with the aim of teaching lessons of global citizenship, development and life. CWY believes that by immersing participants in a community, they can truly understand the great opportunities and areas of need through the eyes of community members. WPs are also areas of cross-cultural exchange, as each Canadian is paired with an Indonesian as their WP counterpart.Participants work in a variety of places. There are the many community schools between Halfmoon Bay and Gibsons where participants spend their days assisting teachers or sharing cultural songs or games with eager students. There are local community services: the regional district water conservation initiative, Totem Lodge/Shorncliffe seniors' centres, Sunshine Coast Association for Community Living, Sunshine Coast Salmon Enhancement Society, the Town of Gibsons' Bear Aware program and Sunshine Coast Community Services Food Bank and Women's Resources.As busy and incredible as this may seem, WPs are just Monday to Wednesday. On Thursdays and Fridays the participants take part in community service projects and educational activities.You may have seen these young people gardening at St. Hilda's Church or restoring green spaces around Gibsons municipal hall.Ê When they have their days of learning they cover important global topics such as recycling, fair trade and food security.The day finishes with quality time spent together with family, other participants or in the community. As well, during these times the group may perform traditional Indonesian dances as part of their cultural performances.All the organizations or schools listed above have formed relationships with the group here on the Coast. There are stories and experiences that will last a lifetime. That means that a "day in the life" of these young people can be summed up in one way: "life altering."For more information about CWY, contact Terance or Pri at 604-741-1877, email [email protected] or see www.cwy-jcm.org.Editor's note: Paul Bien hails from Kingston, Ont., and is completing his studies in the nation's capital. He is currently on the adventure of a lifetime and can be contacted with ideas, witty comments or praise at [email protected]. Bien will be writing this column about CWY every two weeks in Coast Reporter from now until the exchange ends on Nov. 25.
