My experience as a youth worker has been eventful and rewarding. One memorable experience is with a shy young woman named “Elsie”. Elsie was new to Canada and could not speak much English.
Elsie was having a hard time coping in her new environment and I asked her if she was willing to talk with me. Elsie agreed and we ended up having a great conversation filled with laughter, hope, and optimism. After our talk I suggested we play a board game together and asked if she knew the game “Jenga”.
“Jenga? What does that mean?” asked Elsie. The next 20 minutes were spent teaching her how to play. After playing a few rounds, laughing every time one of us knocked down the tower, Elsie thanked me for taking the time to teach her the game and for playing it with her.
Over the next few weeks, Elise started coming out of her shell especially while playing games with other youth. This really opened my eyes to how playing games can really help youth open up and connect with others.
Shared by Shannon, Youth Worker at our Crisis Program
