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OUR
TEAM
CanAdventure Education continues to change lives by attracting
the most respected professionals in the field.
Management
& Administration
Instructors
Clinical Counsellors
Advisory Committee
Our
Management & Administration Team:
CanAdventure Education's management team has extensive
formal training and certification in the education
and wilderness adventure fields, but more importantly
offers twenty-seven years experience in developing, leading
and teaching school-based and extra-curricular programs
for youth. We believe strongly in the importance of a
complete education and in the powerful role that recreation
and adventure play in the growth and development of struggling
teens.
Greg
Stevenson, Executive Director
Greg is a co-founder of CanAdventure Education and
serves as its Executive Director. A rower with Canada's
national team for seven years, Greg has competed in
two Olympic Games and has developed an extensive portfolio
in youth recreation and sport programming. >From the
front lines coaching high school rowers to developing
the national Dynamic Opportunities for Youth rowing
program, Greg has over fifteen years experience managing
the effective delivery of youth programs. This experience,
coupled with a love for wilderness adventure and a
detailed knowledge of Vancouver Island, positions
him perfectly to lead CanAdventure Education's struggling
teen wilderness adventure camp operations.
Greg
holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University,
certification / training in Advanced Wilderness First Aid and
Bronze Medallion water-rescue, experiential teaching, and wilderness risk management.
Greg
works in CanAdventure Education's head office and is always
available to parents or struggling teen participants who
have questions, concerns, comments, or suggestions. |
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Greg
and his wife Corinna live in Sayward, where they enjoy
an active lifestyle, mainly due to the never-ending energy
of their nine year-old son Dakota.
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Corinna Stevenson, Director of Programming
Corinna is a co-founder of CanAdventure Education
and the creator of its curriculum. She has been
a dedicated and passionate public school educator
for over twelve years and is now a candidate for a Masters in Transpersonal Psychology and Ecopsychology. Her unique approach to
experiential education focuses on engaging marginalized
students in the educational process and she was awarded the prestigious Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence for her work developing alternate programs at Stelly's School in Victoria..As an aboriginal woman of Métis descent,
Corinna is able to integrate traditional cultural
teachings into a curriculum that inspires personal
growth among struggling teen participants while
building a love and respect for the great outdoors.
Her ongoing work developing and adapting curriculum
to better engage struggling teen participants
in the educational process enables us to offer
one-of-a-kind experiential learning activities
in our program.
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Corinna loves to teach, a fact that is made clear by
the obvious inspiration that she draws from struggling
teen participants who are learning, growing, and expressing
themselves in positive, creative new ways. Her immense
respect for her students and her well-founded belief
in the unlimited potential of youth are themes that
characterize all of her teaching.
As Director of Programming, Corinna oversees and develops curriculum for our Hero’s Quest school program, the 32 day Journey and Leaders in Training programs. Corinna’s curriculum combines personal growth,academic and wilderness skill development with cultural and environmental studies. Her training and certification in risk management and Advanced Wilderness First Aid further position her to establish program and out-trip policy and protocol that contributes to a positive experience for CanAdventure Education's struggling teen participants.
Cynthia
Richard, Program Coordinator
Cynthia has a three-year
diploma in adventure tourism from the CEGEP de
la Gaspesie. Her extensive youth mentorship experience
includes working as a Counsellor for the Gaspe
Youth House, a leader with the Boys and Girls
Club, and an instructor with various summer camp
programs. Cynthia spent three years as a CanAdventure wilderness instructor, sharing her love of nature
with youth while in the great outdoors. She
believes in the importance of being part of a
community to achieve personal growth and finds
the process of sharing with struggling teen participants
very rewarding.
Cynthia
is a Level 1 Certified Sea Kayak Guide and has training in Advanced Wilderness First Aid, Bronze Medallion
water rescue, Still Water Canoeing Level 2, Whitewater
Rescue Level 2, and Advanced Avalanche Security. |
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Cynthia now supports CanAdventure programming through her work in the administrative offices, working with instructor staff and youth to deliver the best possible experience to our client families.
Our
Instructor Team
At CanAdventure Education, we know that our instructors
make the difference between an average wilderness adventure
camp experience and one that can have a lifelong impact.
This is why we seek out people who are as committed
to our cause as we are. Candidates must have extensive
outdoor and youth programming experience and they must
believe in the principles of lifelong learning and experiential
education. All instructors complete a criminal record
background check and a 32-day training period to develop
experiential teaching methodology. These are the people
that create the lasting impressions of our program,
so we choose and prepare them very carefully.
Each
group is led by a team of instructors that brings to
the program:
>Detailed knowledge of Vancouver Island wilderness
destinations,
>Certification in Advanced Wilderness First Aid or
an equivalent 80-hour course,
>Bronze Medallion water rescue certification,
>Sea kayak guide certification, and
>Food Safe certification.
CanAdventure
Education wilderness adventure camps provide a highly
personalized approach, guaranteeing a 1:2 instructor
to participant ratio on all out-trips and a maximum
group size of six struggling teen participants.
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Steve Castle, Senior Instructor
Steve has over twenty years experience leading outdoor education programming, having worked for various outdoor education programs including the National Outdoor Leadership School and Outward Bound. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science and is a graduate of the Canadian Outdoor Leadership Program. He is certified in Advanced Wilderness First Aid, Bronze Medallion water rescue, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention and as an Assistant Overnight Sea Kayak Guide.
Interested in a variety of therapeutic programming modalities, Steve has used wilderness as a rehabilitation platform for those recovering from brain injuries. Believing that any individual can make positive changes in their lives, he strives to have a compassionate understanding of the issues facing youth as they transition into adulthood. He is an explorer, always seeking the next river, next wave, or next mountain and dreaming of the challenges of exploring of our planet’s wilderness.
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Mike Preston -Senior Instructor
Mike has been a secondary school teacher for over 20 years. While he teaches math and science in the classroom, his passion for the outdoors has been evident throughout his career. He initiated and ran an outdoor club at Phoenix Middle School in Campbell River for 8 years, teaching wilderness skills and engaging youth in the natural learning that can happen in the outdoors. Mike holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, a Bachelor of Education, and a Diploma in Inclusive Education. He taught for four years in the Headstart Program with Youth Justice and the John Howard Society. Now working summers with CanAdventure Education, Mike is drawn to the creative force that is seen in nature, both in the wilderness itself but also in the human potential that emerges therein. A graduate of the Canadian Outdoor Leadership Training Program in the mid-1980’s, Mike has been an avid outdoorsman all his life. |
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Renae Plett -Senior Instructor
Renae is studying Adventure-based Counselling in the undergrad program at Canadian University College. She already holds diplomas in Adventure Guiding & Management from Thompson Rivers University and in Kinesiology & Sports Studies from Red Deer College. Renae is an Assistant Overnight kayak guide, a Level 3 Swiftwater Rescue Technician, and an Advanced Back-Country First Aider.
Before joining the CanAdventure team, she acted as an instructor for post-secondary school trips in New Zealand, as a camp counsellor at various summer camps, and led natural and cultural history programs for Parks Canada. Renae is inspired by nature and by people; she hopes to help and inspire others on their journeys of personal growth and healing. In her personal time, Renae has enjoyed hundreds of kms of backpacking and has sea kayaked where some of the fastest currents in the world can happen –the highlight being 21 days in Haida Gwaii. |
Jesse Atton, Assistant Instructor
Jesse has worked in youth and social services since 2005, initially with the Alta Care Resources Dragonfly and Crisis Intervention programs and subsequently with YMCA Quebec and other organizations serving street-entrenched youth in Montreal. He holds a Child and Youth Care Diploma from Grant MacEwan College and has certifications / training in Advanced Wilderness First Aid, Critical Response, Crisis Intervention, Suicide Intervention, Behaviour Assessment, and various other related skills.
Jesse is bilingual, having studied and worked in both French and English, and enjoys learning about Canadian and Quebecois culture. |
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Becky Baines -Assistant Instructor
Becky is a certified teacher and a naturalist. Believing that nature is a great teacher, she has worked as a provincial park facility operator and tour guide since 2003. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from UNBC and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Victoria. She has also received training from the International Teaching Training Organization to teach English as a Second Language in Gualalajara, Mexico. She has volunteered as an in-school mentor with Big Brothers and Big Sisters, as a Leader with the Girl Guides, and providing entertainment for the Elderly.
Certified in First Aid and Bronze Medallion water rescue, Becky brings her interpretive and teaching skills to CanAdventure with a view to connecting young people to the gifts and lessons that nature can provide. |
Katrina Winter, Assistant Instructor
Kate is a graduate of the Canadian Outdoor Leadership Program (COLT). Four years ago, she was a participant at CanAdventure; she says her experience in the program helped her gain self worth, self control, and gave her a healthier outlook on what she wanted life to look like. After working and doing well for a few years in her home town of Calgary, Kate returned to CanAdventure as a volunteer leader and excelled. She then enrolled in the highly challenging COLT Program with a goal of becoming an instructor. Having now graduated from COLT with excellent performance, she is certified in Advanced Wilderness First Aid and as an Assistant Overnight Kayak Guide. Being outside inspires Kate and she looks forward to helping others gain the most from their CanAdventure experience. In her free time, Kate likes spending time with family, playing her guitar, singing, and climbing, hiking, and skiing the mountains of Western Canada.
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John "Grizz" Elliot, Camp Support
Grizz grew up on Vancouver Island and has 25 years of wilderness adventure experience. He has worked with the Air Cadets and has a private pilot instructor permit. John holds his Bronze Medallion water rescue and CPR certifications. He has also been a snorkel guide, sharing with others the beauty of Vancouver Island's many rivers. His volunteer experience includes working as a fireman on the Gulf Islands and helping develop trails in Vancouver Island's many parks.
Grizz finds meaning in promoting a love and stewardship of the outdoors to struggling teen participants at CanAdventure Education. He is a wildlife art sculptor and has exhibited his work all over North America. |
Our
Clinical Counsellors
CanAdventure Education's struggling teen programs
offer Therapeutic Focus Sessions, which are developed,
delivered, and overseen by minimum Masters-level Registered
Clinical Counsellors. Our Associate Counsellors are
independent professionals who work in private practice
and visit CanAdventure Education regularly to help struggling
teen participants explore their deeper therapeutic issues.
They also bring to CanAdventure Education a wealth of
clinical knowledge and experience to support our ongoing
personal growth curriculum. Associate Counsellors are
selected based on their clinical training and background,
their connection to wilderness adventure pursuits, and
their ability to connect with struggling teen participants
in a positive and meaningful way.
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Scott Lawrence, Ed.D., RCC
Scott is born and raised on the BC Coast. He has both an MA and a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, and worked many years as a teacher and school counsellor at BC elementary and secondary schools. In Vancouver, he coordinated the District Critical Incident Response team and continues to consult in this area with several school districts. He has been a counsellor educator at UBC, SFU, and City University and is an active member of the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors.
He is passionate about the wilderness, holds a Wilderness First Aid certificate, and has studied and practiced the Vision Fast rite of passage tradition as developed by the School of Lost Borders.
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A poet, Scott has authored of four books of poetry, many articles in the journal Raincoast Chronicles and has edited two poetry magazines, Raven and Circular Causation . A long-time student of Asian meditative traditions, he also teaches a range of contemporary approaches to the practices of mindfulness and awareness. He currently lives on Cortes Island , Desolation Sound, on land shared with children and grandchildren.
Ocean Lum, MA
With a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from City University, Ocean has counselled youth and families in regards to substance abuse as well as supporting young adults through the transition from homelessness and/or substance abuse to independent living. New to CanAdventure this year, Ocean works with supervision from Dr. Scott Lawrance and is a candidate for her RCC certification with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors. Ocean also has an Honours Bachelor degree in Nutrition and Biochemistry and has worked as a research assistant at McMaster University in the Department of Pathology. Ocean’s passion is for health is on all levels -physical, mental, emotional and spiritual- and to that end has taught Yoga and Meditation since 2001. Ocean is fascinated by the emerging neuroscience of mindfulness and the brain.
Being in nature and learning about the natural world inspires and renews Ocean. Rrecently she was involved in the Blue Whale Project, in Victoria, where she helped with the articulation of the Blue Whale Skeleton and gave presentations to visting schools groups .
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PHOTO COMING SOON!
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Ocean has studied earth based spirituality in the Lakota tradition. She has been participating in sweat lodges since 2001 and has attended a Sun Dance ceremony. Among other things, Ocean loves to camp, swim and dance.
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Ben
Kotler, MA, RCC
Ben graduated with distinction from Norwich University with a Masters degree in Transpersonal Psychology and the University of Victoria with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. He is a winner of the University of Victoria Jubilee Medal and is an active member of the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors.
Ben has been involved in outdoor education and adventure based psychotherapy for the past ten years. He has initiated his own adventure-based programs for developmentally disabled adults and adolescent boys and has been excited to work with the CanAdventure program over the years, collaborating on increasing the depth of therapeutic applications of wilderness adventure and eco-psychology.
When not hiking through the wilderness with teens, Ben runs a private counselling practice based in Campbell River and Courtenay, BC, and serving the Northern Vancouver Island region. He draws from a range of psychotherapeutic schools to treat adults, youths and families with an emphasis on honouring the uniqueness of each individual whose life he shares in the therapeutic journey.
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Ben enjoys both the communal aspects of the wilderness experience as well as the physical challenge of pushing beyond individual limits. He holds a black belt in taekwondo and has trained in various martial arts over the past fourteen years, with his current focus being on mixed martial arts. Ben lives in Sayward, BC, where he is building a cabin and enjoying the fruits of the land.
Our Advisory Committee
As part of CanAdventure Education's ongoing efforts
to maintain a leading-edge program that provides a holistic
approach to therapeutic wilderness adventure programming
for struggling teens, we are proud to have an Advisory
Board of experts in various fields that can contribute
to the quality of our curriculum and level of care.
Our current Advisory Board includes:
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Dr.
Steve Martin, MD
Doc Martin is a licensed medical practitioner
registered with the College of Physicians and
Surgeons of British Columbia. In addition to his
medical degrees from McMaster University in Hamilton
Ontario and McGill University in Montreal, he
is a certificant of the Canadian Academy of Sports
Medicine (CASM). His private practice in Victoria
focuses on Sport and Occupational Medicine and
provides medical support for National Team Athletes
through the Pacific Sport Training Centre. He
has faculty appointments at the University of
British Columbia in the Faculty of Medicine, Family
Practice and at the University of Victoria in
the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the Division
of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Education. |
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He
has also worked as a Medical Consultant for a variety
of agencies dealing with youth including; North Island
Youth Services; the Attorney General Youth Custody Services;
Ministry of Health Alcohol Drugs program; North Island
School District Promotion and Prevention Program; University
of Victoria Student Health Services; Planned Parenthood;
and the Stelly's High School Global Perspectives Program.
Doc
Martin provides CanAdventure Education with an important
knowledge base with respect to medical issues. He is
consulted when medical conditions require the advice
of a trained physician, including emergency situations.
Dr.
Martin lives in Victoria, BC with his wife and six kids
where he is actively involved in coaching youth soccer.
Dr Henderson GP – bio coming soon
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Wes Gietz -Windwalker
Wes has studied and practised natural skills and beliefs for over 40 years. He has been taught by Tom Brown Jr. and Native teachers the skills of survival and living, awareness and philosophy, the ceremonies of daily life, and the ceremonies and responsibilities of the sweat lodge. He has in turn taught these subjects in workshops and at gatherings since 1993. Wes also practises and teaches EFT, a technique for healing emotional disturbances, phobias, addictions and a variety of physical problems.
In his professional life, he has master's degrees in biochemistry and public administration, and 15 years of consulting experience in training, strategic planning, and human resource management. He has taught Leadership, Communication Skills, Business Mathematics, and Human Resource Management at UVic and North Island College .
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Sandra Hamilton
Sandra Hamilton can’t think of a better way to use her extensive marketing skills than to improve the lives of children and struggling teens. For over eight years Sandra was the business manager for Olympian Silken Laumann, managing her transition from athlete to keynote speaker to physical activity advocate. Sandra was also the Vice President of Silken’s Active Kids Movement, handled the book launch of Silken’s national bestseller Child’s Play, devoted four years to creating a national program called Play 2010 and pursuing her dream of the Olympic games improving the health of a nation.
Prior to opening her own consulting business in1995, Sandra was the Director of Marketing at The Vancouver Sun, Publisher at BC Woman Magazine and Sales Manager at Vancouver Magazine. |
As President of Sequoia Publishing Ltd, Sandra has consulted in both the public and private sector, publishing magazines in three languages for Health Canada on the danger of drug and alcohol addiction in pre and post natal young women and preparing economic development publications for The City of Surrey and The City of Richmond. Sequoia also published Homeswest Magazine for BC Gas.
Sandra has a passion for wilderness adventure, particularly kayaking, and has found nature to be the best environment for thinking and developing creative ideas.
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