Program Policies
Flourish Education and Mentorship Society is committed to providing a safe, supportive, and developmentally appropriate environment for all youth participants. The organization recognizes its duty of care to young people participating in Flourish Education and Mentorship Society programs and activities. This policy establishes standards for supervision, consent, safety planning, and adult responsibilities in all youth-facing programming.
This policy applies to all Flourish Education and Mentorship Society employees, contractors, volunteers, youth mentors, and board members engaged in or supporting programming involving youth participants.
Youth / Participant
A child or youth person enrolled in a Flourish Education and Mentorship Society program.
Facilitator
A trained adult responsible for leading programming and holding primary responsibility for youth safety and supervision.
Youth Mentor
A past participant returning in a leadership role who supports programming under the direct supervision of a facilitator.
Volunteer
An individual supporting programming or operations who does not hold primary supervisory responsibility for youth.
Parent / Guardian
A legal guardian or caregiver authorized to provide consent for a youth participant.
The purpose of this policy is to:
• Establish clear supervision standards for youth programs.
• Define roles and responsibilities of adults involved in youth programming.
• Set requirements for consent and permissions.
• Outline youth safety planning, risk mitigation, and incident response procedures.
• Support the physical, emotional, and psychological safety of all participants. not possible for us to be the same! Every youth is different and we want that represented in our group. We all learn from each other and recognize the strength in our diversity.
Flourish Education and Mentorship Society maintains a minimum supervision ratio of one (1) adult to six (6) youth participants (1:6). This ratio represents the maximum number of youth per supervising adult.
Supervision ratios may be adjusted to provide additional oversight based on participant age, activity type, environmental conditions, and accessibility or support needs.
Youth participants must remain within the sight or awareness of supervising adults at all times. Youth will not be left unsupervised during program hours, including arrival and departure periods.
Facilitators
Facilitators hold primary responsibility for youth safety and supervision. This includes planning and delivering programming safely, monitoring participant wellbeing, enforcing behavioural expectations, responding to incidents, and ensuring compliance with Flourish Education and Mentorship Society policies.
Youth Mentors
Youth mentors support facilitators by assisting with activities, modeling respectful behaviour, and supporting group engagement. Youth mentors do not replace adult supervision and may not be left solely responsible for youth participants.
Volunteers
Volunteers may assist with logistics, program support, and supervision but do not hold supervisory authority. Volunteers must immediately report any safety concerns to a facilitator.
Written consent from a parent or legal guardian is required prior to participation in any Flourish Education and Mentorship Society youth program. Consent documentation includes emergency contact information, medical or accessibility considerations, activity permissions, and media permissions.
Flourish Education and Mentorship Society recognizes consent as an ongoing process. Youth participants are supported in expressing boundaries and may withdraw from activities without penalty.
Each youth program site must have a documented safety plan appropriate to the activity and location. Safety plans include identification of potential risks, supervision arrangements, emergency procedures, designated first aid resources, and accessibility considerations.
When programming occurs at external venues or outdoor locations, Flourish Education and Mentorship Society aligns with site-specific safety and emergency procedures. Facilitators ensure participants are oriented to emergency exits, muster points, and safety expectations.
All staff and volunteers participating in program delivery must complete a Criminal Record Check, including a Vulnerable Sector Check where required by provincial legislation, prior to commencing any duties involving contact with children or youth. A clear check is a condition of participation in all programs.
Criminal Record Checks must be renewed at minimum every three years, or earlier if required by legislation, funder requirements, or changes in role. Individuals are required to immediately disclose any new charges or convictions that arise during their period of involvement with the organization.
Documentation confirming completion and clearance of Criminal Record Checks is securely maintained in accordance with privacy legislation and organizational confidentiality policies. No staff member or volunteer may begin unsupervised engagement with participants until verification has been received and recorded.
In the event of injury, illness, or safety concern, immediate care will be provided as appropriate and the safety of all participants will be prioritized. Emergency services will be contacted when required.
Parents or guardians will be notified as soon as reasonably possible following an incident. Incidents will be documented internally and reviewed to support continuous improvement.
Under the Child, Family and Community Service Act all staff and volunteers have a legal duty to report any reason to believe that a child or youth under the age of 19 is in need of protection, in accordance with British Columbia legislation. This duty applies regardless of the individual’s role, seniority, or internal reporting structure and cannot be delegated to another person.
A report must be made immediately to a child welfare worker at the Ministry of Children and Family Development or to a delegated Indigenous child and family service agency when there is reasonable cause to suspect abuse, neglect, exploitation, exposure to domestic violence, or other circumstances that may place a child at risk of harm. Proof is not required; the obligation is to report suspicion based on reasonable grounds.
Internal notification to a supervisor or Executive Director does not replace the legal requirement to report directly to child protection authorities. Staff and volunteers must document the factual basis of their concern and the date and time the report was made, in accordance with organizational confidentiality and record-keeping procedures.
Flourish Education and Mentorship Society will support staff and volunteers in fulfilling their duty to report and will not take retaliatory action against any individual who makes a report in good faith.
All staff and volunteers have a legal and ethical duty of care to take reasonable steps to protect the safety, well-being, and dignity of children and youth participating in programs and activities. This duty requires individuals to act prudently, responsibly, and within the scope of their role to prevent foreseeable physical, emotional, or psychological harm.
Staff and volunteers must provide appropriate supervision at all times, follow all organizational policies and risk management procedures, maintain professional boundaries, and model respectful and appropriate behaviour. Individuals must assess potential risks in activities and environments, take reasonable action to reduce or eliminate hazards, and promptly address unsafe situations.
Duty of care includes responding appropriately to disclosures or concerns, documenting relevant facts, and escalating issues to a supervisor or designated authority when a matter exceeds one’s authority or expertise. Where there are reasonable grounds to believe a child may be at risk of harm, staff and volunteers must comply with their legal reporting obligations under applicable child protection legislation in British Columbia.
Failure to meet the required standard of care may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or volunteer status, and may expose the individual and the organization to legal liability. Flourish Education and Mentorship Society will provide training, supervision, and support to assist staff and volunteers in fulfilling their duty of care responsibilities.
All facilitators, youth mentors, and volunteers involved in youth programming receive orientation and training related to youth safety, appropriate boundaries, emergency response, and reporting obligations.
Compliance with this policy is mandatory. Failure to adhere to this policy may result in corrective action.
Two Week Cancellation Policy: Should your child be offered a spot in one of our Empowerment Camps, please note we have a minimum 2 week cancellation policy. Your commitment to attend camp is very important, however we understand circumstances may change. If so, please inform us at least 2 weeks prior to the first day of camp so we can offer the spot to another youth. Failure to inform us may result in your child being excluded from future camps.
Thank you for your understanding.
FAQ
Gender empowerment (confidence and pride in being a young woman/young adult); a deep sense of belonging and acceptance for who they are; a greater understanding of themself, their body, and what’s important to them; valuable friendships; mentorship & support; guided nature connection & skills. In our rite of passage program, your child will also experience a powerful nature-based coming-of-age process and ceremony.
Flourish Education and Mentorship recognizes and celebrates various forms of gender expression. Anyone who self-identifies as a girl or woman is most welcome, in addition to gender-diverse individuals who would identify with the subject matter of our programs.
NO! We are unified as girls/women/people AND each unique in our own right. A major component of coming-of-age is discovering one’s unique gifts and bringing them into the world. It’s not possible for us to be the same! Every youth is different and we want that represented in our group. We all learn from each other and recognize the strength in our diversity.
We accept mature 11-yr olds as age does not necessarily determine readiness and fit for our programs. If you believe your child is ready to learn about and be recognized as a young adult, please contact us.
For our weekly programs and 5-day camps, the facilitator(s) are the mentors and will spend time with each participant throughout the program to address individual needs.
For our longer rite of passage program, each participant has her own mentor for the entire 6 months. Women apply to be mentors for the rite of passage and go through a process much like a job application. Successful applicants must clear a criminal record check and participate in mentor training. In the first program session, each girl chooses who she wants as a mentor. This will be facilitated in a respectful, confidential way. From there, each pair can choose how they want to connect, which could be a mixture of hanging out, going on walks, doing fun activities, skype/phone calls, etc. They connect for 1-2 hours once a week from May-Aug (with exceptions for summer vacations), and then bi-weekly Sept-Oct. This 1-on-1 mentorship time is in addition to the group meetings. Mentors also come on the 5-day overnight trip in July.
We keep our groups small to encourage and maintain depth, connection and intimacy. Smaller sizes also enable effective, personalized mentorship. We currently welcome 12 girls in each program.
Spending time alone in nature is a pan-cultural practice that humans have done throughout history to gain perspective and a deeper understanding of ourselves and of Life. It is a very grounding, regenerative tool that develops personal resilience, self-discovery and gratitude. In all our programs, we spend group-time (playing games, hiking, crafting) and some supervised alone-time in nature. For example, a core nature connection practice is the ‘Sit Spot’ where participants each choose a special place to spend some time alone. They are guided to do so safely, always within sight and sound of a mentor.
In our rite of passage program, the girls gradually build the amount of time they spend in Sit Spots to prepare them for their main challenge of a supervised 8-hour solo during our 5-day trip. Safety systems are put in place and adults are never far.
Rites of passage make life transitions visible and explicit, and one of the characteristics of coming-of-age is a movement away from parental figures in order to find self-identity in the greater world. In general, please be respectful of what your daughter may or may not want to share with you as she goes through this process, knowing that it is perfectly normal for her to want more privacy. We know this can be hard! Please know that you are supporting her by enabling mentors in her life, and we are also happy to provide a resource list of recommended books and websites for both parents and girls. We recommend being available to her if she wants to share, and being honest if you don’t know the answers to her questions. This could be an opportunity to explore and learn together, and often, listening is all that is actually required. We also recommend being open to new or revised, negotiated responsibilities along with their consequences to prepare her for adulthood.
With fathers, a daughter’s physical maturation and budding sexuality may have fathers taking a step back during this time. Although respecting her privacy is important, it is also deeply beneficial for girls if their fathers stay present, be explicitly accepting and offer sincere compliments during this time when self-consciousness is often high. This can make a big difference in your daughter’s confidence now and into her future as a woman. Physical displays of affection can be modified appropriately to acknowledge her change and still show care.
Since coming-of-age involves a delicate and sometimes ever-changing balance of family support and individual freedom, it is important for family to be present at the scheduled family times in our programs. This is especially relevant in our rite of passage. Since the girls are forming their independence but still heavily dependent on you, it is crucial to have your blessing in saying goodbye to girlhood – to being your little girl – so they can step confidently into young womanhood and a new or different relationship with you. And as a young woman, she needs to be recognized by her family for her new status. We look forward to providing these precious and bonding opportunities for your family.