POLARIS Teen Leadership
Personal Opportunities for Leadership Activities, Recreation, Inclusion and Social Skills (Grades 7 to 9)
Empowering teens to lead, connect, and make a difference in their community— all on their own terms!
Program at a Glance:
- Age: For teens in grades 7-9
- Date: Thursdays from 6:00pm- 7:45pm in the Fall, Winter and Spring
- Duration: 6 weeks of program
- Location: Foothills Academy Society
- Focus: Leadership, independence, community involvement, and peer connections
- Format: Participant-led, with activities chosen and organized by participants, guided by counsellors
- Cost: $340
About
The POLARIS Program is designed for teens with ADHD and/ or Learning Disabilities seeking a meaningful, hands-on experience to build leadership skills, friendships and foster independence. In this 6- 8 week, student-led program, teens collaborate with each other and counsellors to create their own roadmap for personal growth, social connection, and community impact. From planning volunteer projects to organizing events for younger children, the teens decide how they want to achieve their goals, discovering their unique strengths and passions along the way.
At the start of each session, teens review the program’s core goals: building independence, leadership, and essential life skills. These goals are kept intentionally broad, allowing the group to choose their own paths to achieving them. Working collaboratively with staff, teens brainstorm ways to accomplish each goal and identify the skills they’ll need to do so. This approach has led to creative activities like cooking a family meal to develop health and lifestyle skills, dining out to learn social etiquette, purchasing items for donation and building a budget to do so effectively, designing and leading games to build public speaking and facilitation skills—plus much more.
Whether they’re preparing meals together, building donation boxes, or creating games to share with younger groups, each activity is an opportunity to practice decision-making, collaboration, compromise, and self-advocacy. With support from our dedicated counsellors, teens gain confidence, make friends, and experience the power of giving back in ways that resonate with them.
Weekly Activity Breakdown
Teens will brainstorm, plan, delegate and accomplish a variety of tasks throughout POLARIS. Some will be tailored to building group cohesion and friendships, others will be focused on giving back to the community, and many will be to simply have fun with new friends. Due to the nature of the program, no two sessions are ever the same. However, most follow a structure similar to the following:
Week 1: Kickoff & Goal Setting
- Introduction to the program, meet-and-greet with peers and counsellors.
- Brainstorming session where teens discuss their goals for the program and identify community needs or personal skills they want to develop.
Week 2: Planning & Skill-Building Workshop
- Teens outline their projects, with guidance on setting achievable steps for each goal. Tasks are delegated to each participant
- Leadership and teamwork workshop with activities focusing on project management and communication skills.
Week 3: Cooking & Self-Sufficiency
- Teens choose a meal to prepare as a group, learning budgeting, meal planning, and cooking skills.
- Social skills focus on sharing responsibilities, delegating tasks, and working as a team in the kitchen.
Week 4: Community Impact Project – Donation Boxes
- Participants work together to assemble donation boxes, gathering items they choose to collect and donate to a local center.
- Social skills focus on empathy and giving back, with discussions on community impact and the importance of volunteerism.
Week 5: Event Planning – Games for Youth
- Teens plan and organize a game day for a younger group, brainstorming activities that foster fun and inclusion.
- Social and leadership focus on event coordination, public speaking, and adapting games for different abilities and ages.
Week 6: Baking Day – Building Teamwork and Giving Back
- Teens work together to bake treats, taking on different roles to measure, mix, and decorate as a team. As they follow recipes, they practice real-life math skills like measuring ingredients, adjusting quantities, and managing baking times.
- While they enjoy some treats themselves, a portion of the treats will be set aside for the Foothills staff to enjoy the next day and to give back to the community.
Week 7: Peer-Led Activity Day
- Teens each take a turn leading an activity of their choice, practicing leadership in a supportive, familiar setting.
- Counsellors provide feedback, helping teens reflect on their leadership style and group dynamics.
Week 8: Social Night – Planned and Hosted by the Teens
- In the final week, teens plan, budget, and execute a fun social event for the group to celebrate their time together.
- Past activities have included game nights, karaoke, escape rooms, and more, allowing teens to apply their planning and budgeting skills for an unforgettable group experience.
Intake Criteria
Children and youth in grades 3 - 12 can attend Amicus Recreation programs if they meet our Intake Criteria. If your child has not participated in an Amicus or social skills program through Foothills Academy before, the first step is to complete the Intake process prior to registration taking place.