AYF program days are filled with new experiences designed to encourage participants to develop a deeper understanding of who they are and what they are capable of achieving – their own best self.

They will grow in confidence as they learn to celebrate their unique sense of self, while taking advantage of opportunities to put their best self into action.

Participants will:

• Value themselves as unique, capable individuals.
• Grow in self-confidence as they discover more about their capacities.
• Explore how their values and “Best Self” influence their decision-making.
• Recognize their agency, articulate their ideas, and act with purpose.

AYF’s Four Folds is a signature framework through which participants assess their strengths and areas of growth through four complimentary facets of life (mental, physical, social, and reverential).

Our program days provide diverse activities in each “fold” creating opportunities for young people to stretch their minds, bodies, hearts, and spirits.

Participants will:

• Reflect on the mental, social, physical, and reverential different facets of their life, identifying strengths and areas for exploration and growth.
• Practice developing clearly defined goals and taking healthy risks.
• Gain resilience as they work through the challenges of trying new things.
• Identify how each day includes opportunities in all four folds.

When youth come together to create AYF program communities, they gain a greater understanding of their impact on the people around them. They develop the skills for creating and maintaining healthy friendships and gain a greater understanding of their role and value within a group.

Participants create shared expectations for how they will have fun and work together successfully, with safety and kindness at the core. Programs provide opportunities to strengthen relationships, practice acting with integrity in navigating challenges, and share in the responsibility of caring for a larger community.

Participants will:

• Develop skills important to creating and maintaining healthy friendships.
• Practice effectively working within a group to achieve a common goal.
• Learn positive leadership skills and show support for others.
• Identify their role in creating a sense of belonging within community.

In AYF programs, participants are called to reflect on their actions and impact – both positive and negative – gaining a greater understanding of the positive difference they can make for others.

Staff members guide in making connections between program and home, identifying how their actions each day have the power to make a positive difference in their communities and the world around them.

Participants will:

• Recognize how their actions and interactions impact others.
• Take responsibility to act for the good of others and for a sustainable environment.
• Make connections between lessons learned in program and how they apply to home.
• Develop a greater understanding of how everyday actions have the power to make a positive difference in their communities and the world around them.