Life Skills

Many youth who arrive at our doors lack the life skills that many of us take for granted. Our life skills coordinators help with everything from self-care to living in the community. Here are some of the life skills that are taught, either in workshops or in one-on-one sessions:

Cooking

We have a fully operational teaching kitchen where we help youth learn everything to do with cooking, from shopping within your budget and knife skills to preparing meals and the proper handling of food
We work with La Tablée des Chefs which runs the Cook Up Your Future program that offers youth the opportunity to connect with a professional chef, to learn how to make simple and seasonal meals, in a supportive environment

Budgeting

Youth are taught how to budget for rent and bills, and how to save to indulge in hobbies and leisure activities

Communication

Youth are given support to communicate their needs when dealing with services out in the community, both verbally and digitally

Renting

When moving out of CHV and into the community, youth are given an overview of tenant’s and landlord’s rights and responsibilities, to protect them in the competitive rental market
Youth are taught how to safely navigate the rental market to avoid being scammed or placed in an unsafe environment

We also work with a variety of community organizations, who play a valuable role in helping youth with educational needs, or for those who wish to learn new skills, or advance their current skillset. Some organizations include:

Pacific Autism Family Network (for autistic youth to learn job skills)
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (for developing musical skills)
VanDusen Botanical Garden (for self-care)