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The YES (The Youth Excellence Society)

Locations: Lake Cowichan, BC; Victoria, BC
The YES (The Youth Excellence Society) logo
 

The YES (The Youth Excellence Society)  

Locations: Lake Cowichan, BC; Victoria, BC

  • Type:
    Overnight camp, After-school/weekend program, Virtual camp/program
  • Focus:
    Leadership (multi)
  • Cost:
    $125 to $1,025/week
  • Ages:
    14 to 18
  • Gender:
    Coed
  • Main language:
    English
  • Capacity:
    40 to 65
  • Programs:
    View 2 available
  • Reviews:
    View 7 available
  • e-Brochure:
    View e-brochure
Request more info
Chelsea Lake

  • Overview

    Here's what makes The YES (The Youth Excellence Society) stand out

    Vancouver Island leadership programs serving BC teens through overnight summer camps, school workshops & online courses. Our programming changes the lives of participants providing them with the tools and skills to create positive change in their family, school, and community. A charity with no religious affiliation supported through the co-operatives & credit unions.

    • Special needs: Yes, mild support.
      A few of our campers have special needs.
    • LGBTQ+ friendly community

  • Programs, Rates & Dates

    Programs and Sessions Calendar

    The YES is a co-operative leadership camp. We believe in helping youth experience and learn what it takes to build a strong community, strong friendships, resilience and self-worth. With a focus on self-awareness, cooperation, communication and leadership, we provide life skills that everyone needs to both succeed and find fulfillment. Because of our incredible volunteer staff team, our camp is both fun and life-changing. Youth get to experience what it is like to be part of a supportive community, be celebrated for who they are, and have the opportunity to learn about themselves and others, all while having a ton of fun on 40 acres of beautiful lakefront wilderness.


    Choose the right programs and sessions for your child; The YES (The Youth Excellence Society) currently has 2 programs available.

    Filter activities available:


    Name
    Type/Gender
    Specialty
    Location
    Date
    Bus
     Cost
    Email
    Overnight Camp
    Coed
    Ages: 14 - 17
    Leadership (multi)
    $1,025
    Lake Cowichan, BC
    8885 Lakeview Park Rd    		 Jul 13-19 $1,025
    Lake Cowichan, BC
    8885 Lakeview Park Rd    		 Jul 20-26 $1,025
    Lake Cowichan, BC
    8885 Lakeview Park Rd    		 Aug 10-16 $1,025
    Lake Cowichan, BC
    8885 Lakeview Park Rd    		 Aug 17-23 $1,025
    		Empowerment|Leadership Training|Social Justice|Nature/Environment|Public Speaking|Ultimate Frisbee|Canoeing|Swimming
    Overnight Camp
    Coed
    Ages: 16 - 18
    Leadership (multi)
    $1,025
    Lake Cowichan, BC
    8885 Lakeview Park Rd    		 Jul 27-Aug 02$1,025
    Lake Cowichan, BC
    8885 Lakeview Park Rd    		 Aug 03-09 $1,025
    		Soccer|Volleyball|Disc Golf|Ultimate Frisbee|Canoeing|Swimming


    Registration Details

    Please note students can only attend one week of The YES Summer Camp per year. This is to ensure we leave space in our programs so as many BC youth can attend. Secondly, when you leave one of our camps, a really strong community is formed and it may be challenging to step into an unformed group for another week. Camp rates are already subsidized by the Credit Unions of BC, however sponsors from around BC are available to further support camp registration fees. Visit our website for a list of our sponsors. Each sponsor has a different process for selecting participants, so please get in touch with sponsors in your community to find out more. All youth are welcome to register for camp, and details can be found at www.theyes.ca/summer-camp


    Financial Aid & Payment Details

    Payment Options:

    Deposit required with acceptance Yes
    Credit card payment Yes
    Maximum installments available 10

    Scholarships & awards:
    Total annual scholarship fund: $10,000 CAD

    • BC Credit Union & Co-op Sponsors

      Amount: 100% Deadline: Rolling
      Type: Need based
      Age: 14 to 18
      Details: Every year many participants attend our summer camp programs through camper sponsorship provided by various Credit Unions and Cooperatives in B.C. Although the cost of camp is already subsidized, we along with our generous supporters make every effort to make camp accessible to all families and their children. If you are a participant or parent/guardian looking for support, there are two ways to obtain sponsorship: 1. Ask your local Co-op or Credit Union, or 2. Apply for subsidy from The YES
      Application Details: Sponsorship is available to those who require financial support. In our effort to making camper fees more affordable, our office offers partial subsidies for our Summer Camp program. Sponsorship request forms must be submitted minimum two weeks prior to camp. If you are interested in obtaining some subsidy, please fill out the Subsidy Request Form at www.theyes.ca/finding-sponsorship

  • Reviews & Insider Perspectives

    The Our Kids review of The YES (The Youth Excellence Society)

    our take

    Camp is an experience that changes a child’s life, but also helps kids become people who change lives. At The YES (Youth Excellence Society), the goal is to give kids the skills to create positive change, and they’ve been doing it for almost 50 years. A charitable organization, The YES is a Vancouver Island-based co-operative leadership program. What’s truly unique about this program is that it is completely funded by the community with volunteer staff, many of which are YES Camp alumni. Not just that, joining the YES staff is very competitive, so only the most-skilled with experience in youth leadership and empowerment are asked to join. Parents and campers are shocked at the profound changes they experience after the camp, with a direct impact on their outlook on life. And YES Camp does this in just one week—participants can only attend for one week to give all kids a chance to attend.

    Review(s) of The YES (The Youth Excellence Society)

    (5)

    Melissa B, Parent

    My child totally enjoyed this camp. It was her first time at a camp and away from home for a week. She enjoyed herself so much, she keeps talking about the camp to her friends, telling her friends t...

    Read full review  

    (4.4)

    Anne Rocha, Parent

    Two of my children attend YES camp. They find camp week (and reunions) a chance to be free - be themselves and thrive in an accepting environment. They come home with a plethora of new connections, le...

    Read full review  

    More reviews of The YES (The Youth Excellence Society)

    Show all 5 reviews

    Gabe, Alum

    A Life Changing Experience

    Read review

    Anonymous, Parent

    A Grateful Parent

    Read review

    Heather, Parent

    The Best Thing For My Daughter

    Read review

    Daphne, Camper

    Taking Away So Much

    Read review

    Emmy, Camper

    I've Never Felt More Free

    Read review

    More reviews of The YES (The Youth Excellence Society)

    Gabe, Alum

    A Life Changing Experience

    The YES Camp creates a beautiful community that fosters friendship, creativity, and vulnerability. With each passing year I attend, I find myself growing more confident in expressing who I am and in taking risks. This camp has truly changed me as a person and helped me create friends from all over British Columbia that I continue to communicate with today. I cannot imagine a world where I had not attended The YES Camp. I will carry these experiences with me for the rest of my life ... Show More

    Anonymous, Parent

    A Grateful Parent

    I can't believe the person who came home from camp after only 6 days! After much persuasion by me, he reluctantly agreed to go but did so with an "I'm too cool for this" attitude. He returned home as a new person with such an amazing outlook on life and towards everyone he encounters. He says it changed his life and that it was the best thing he's ever done! I was so happy but I didn't really expect this great attitude to last long but to my amazement it did! He has been a role model even to me! ... Show More

    Heather, Parent

    The Best Thing For My Daughter

    The YES was the best thing that has happened to my daughter and I have no doubt that the skills she has learned there will continue to help foster her into a pretty terrific human being for a long time to come... So, from the bottom of my heart...thank you to The YES! ... Show More

    Daphne, Camper

    Taking Away So Much

    This week I had the amazing opportunity to attend The YES Camp. I was able to learn about communication and leadership, as well as make new friends and try new activities. I had lots of fun swimming and listening to songs sung by the incredible staff. They create such a wonderful environment where everyone feels safe and included. I practiced taking risks and stepping out of my comfort zone. I am so grateful to have been able to attend and highly look forward to returning. I really hope so many other youth get granted this opportunity and get to experience The YES ... Show More

    Emmy, Camper

    I've Never Felt More Free

    I came out of camp with a completely different mindset on how I viewed myself and how I viewed others, for the first time in a very long time I was finally happy. Happy with myself and who I was as an individual. This camp promoted inclusion, community and equality more than any other place I had ever experienced. The biggest impact the YES has made on my life is their ability to stretch my world view more than ever before, I understand so much more about people and the world we live in. My ability to recognize people and their different views is so much stronger and more appreciative. I have learned so much more about how to treat others and how to treat myself. On my ride home from camp I remember my dad looking at me and starting to cry. I asked him why he was crying and his response was...”I don’t know what that camp did to you, I don’t know what they found in you but I have never seen you so free”, this has been one of the most memorable moments of my whole life ... Show More


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  • Gallery
    The YES (The Youth Excellence Society) - profile photo

    Video Gallery

  • Meet the Staff

    Director's Message

    As a former participant of The YES Camp I have the unique perspective of having been a camper, volunteer, staff member and now Executive Director of this remarkable organization. What I can say after over two decades of involvement, is that this program has a positive and often transformational affect on the lives of those who get involved. 

    For me, as a teenager, this program was exactly what I needed to find a supportive community of peers who celebrated me for who I was, a community of youth inspired by the idea of creating positive change, and a platform to help me develop the leadership and life skills I needed to move forward. As a volunteer and later program staff I was able to work on an inspiring team, dedicated to the well being of youth, and committed to each others' success. And as the Camp Director and Executive Director, I have had the pleasure of leading an extraordinarily talented group of diverse leaders whose sole mission is to provide a positive experience for youth that contributes to their growth and development as individuals. 

    Our camp is unique. We meet each participant where they're at and work with them with a combination of care and respect. We try to show each teenager that they're not alone in their struggles, and raise their level of self-worth and resiliency through social connections, self-esteem and the influence of positive role models, while at the same time encouraging them to expand their comfort zones, take risks and embrace the discomfort of growth and expansion. 

    This program can be life changing. I've experienced it myself, and observed its affect on thousands of teenagers over the last 25 years. We hope you'll come and experience the power of the program yourself. 


    Staff and Counsellors

    The YES Staff team are an incredible group of over 50 individuals from around BC. While the majority of our staff are YES Camp Alumni, we also have highly skilled individuals with experience in youth leadership, education, empowerment and counselling. Joining the YES Staff team is highly competitive, and the quality of our facilitators is second to none.

  • Location & Operations

    Address

    Lake Cowichan, BC
    8885 Lakeview Park Rd, Lake Cowichan, British Columbia, V0R 2G0
    Victoria, BC
    100-556 Herald Street, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 1S6


    Busing

    • Camp Bus (Bus fee: Included in Camp Cost)
      Location Address Pick up Drop off
      Nanaimo Departure Bay Road, Nanaimo, BC, Canada 5:45 pm 9:50 am
      Horseshoe Bay Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal, West Vancouver, BC, Canada 2:45 am 12:50 pm
      Vancouver 1150 Station Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada 2:00 am 1:45 am
      Abbotsford Abbotsford, BC V2S 0E7, Canada 12:45 pm 3:15 am
      Merritt 3999 Airport Rd, Merritt, BC, Canada 9:30 am 5:30 pm
      West Kelowna West Kelowna, BC V1Z 3Y4, Canada 8:15 am 6:45 pm

    Property Details

    Sports facilities

    • Soccer Field

    Landscape

    • Beach
    • Forested Area
    • Lake/Pond/River
    • Nature Trails
    • Open Field

    More details about property: Our camp facility comes with an incredible kitchen staff that serves us nutritious meals and snacks, buffet style. One of the largest buildings on site is our main hall and dining area, which is attached to our big, outdoor patio. We use our main hall for many activities, as well as our two large upper and lower fields. We love being able to run activities that connect us back to nature and the land that we are on. Thanks to this site, we’re able to offer teenagers an opportunity to go canoeing, swimming, play field games and more.


    Accommodations

    Sleeping Accommodations

    • Cabins
    • Dorm or Building

    Amenities

    • Electricity in Sleeping Area
    • Shower in Sleeping Area
    • Toilet in Sleeping Area

    Washrooms Facilities

    • Flush Toilets
    • Showers (indoor)

    Are meals provided? Yes. The CLEC (Cowichan Lake Education Centre) has their own kitchen staff that provide excellent and healthy meals, with a wide range of choices. They are able to accommodate special diets and allergies. Meals are served buffet style with many choices. All meals include a variety of fruits and veggies.

    Is The YES (The Youth Excellence Society) technology free? Yes. All participants are required to hand in their cellphones or any other device that can connect to the Internet on the first night of camp. Cell phones and other devices will be securely stored by the staff team and will be returned on the last day of camp (Saturday morning). We believe that our programming is most successful when participants limit screen time, and spend intentional moments with the community at camp. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to support this goal by not requiring that youth check in throughout the week. Participants can request to make a phone call or send a message home with a staff member when needed.

  • What's New

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Thank you for your interest in The YES (The Youth Excellence Society). They will be in touch with you shortly.

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