It’s not often we have the chance to connect with our younger selves while supporting today’s youth but that is precisely how Madison Kiriakou described her experience volunteering at BeaYOUtiful Foundation’s launch in Kawartha Lakes on May 24.
The BeaYOUtiful Foundation works with girls and non-binary children and youth, ages 8 to 14, providing programs and events that inspire confidence building and positive body image through mentorship. As the organization continues to grow throughout Canada, it officially arrived in Kawartha Lakes on May 24 in the form of a BeaYOUtiful ME Body Positivity Workshop held at Ampere’s Kawartha Lakes Makerspace and Skills Hub.
For Kiriakou, an Executive Assistant at Ampere, the experience was transformative and healing as she recognized the value this kind of workshop has and the impact it could have had in her own life.
“I experienced bullying in school, even from people you wouldn’t think, and it stuck with me. I would love nothing more than to create an environment for children and youth to help them navigate that experience and the feelings that came with it,” says Kiriakou.
“I think these workshops could have helped me be more kind to myself. At the end of the day, it is your own thoughts and feelings that you’re in control of. If you can get yourself into a positive mindset, you can get through a lot of things.”
At the BeaYOUtiful workshop at Ampere, Kiriakou says youth and mentors, such as herself, united through group discussion, telling stories and practicing positive self-talk.
“It’s a really wholesome moment because I’m doing it for my little self and at the same time, I love being a mentor for kids,” she says.
“It was liberating, too, for my younger self and my now self to connect in a way. It felt genuine, raw and real. I could see the kids really coming out of their shells and engaging, almost like a lightbulb turned on and they thought, ‘oh, I’m not the only one.’”
It’s about building confidence and helping develop the tools these youth can carry with them long after they leave the workshop.
Holly Bird, East Coast Regional Coordinator for BeaYOUtiful Foundation, says 42 girls and non-binary youth benefited from having safe space to use their voice, feel seen, and be empowered by mentors local to the community through the May workshop.
“The impact from the BeaYOUtiful ME Body Positivity Workshop shines a light on the importance of self-love and building confidence that starts from within,” says Bird.
“The BeaYOUtiful Foundation is excited to bring future confidence and empowerment opportunities into the Kawartha Lakes. Creating further impact through the launch of our free Six-Week Confidence Program and additional Pop-Up Workshops designed to amplify self-esteem education.”
The partnership between Ampere and BeaYOUtiful was sparked through community interest in bringing the Foundation’s work to Kawartha Lakes. As Ampere continues to strive to support communities of hope and belonging, supporting BeaYOUtiful as they instill the value of self-worth and self-love in young girls and non-binary youth felt like a clear fit.
“Belonging is not an outcome, it is who we are,” reads Ampere’s Strategic Plan.
“It is a quiet yet powerful force that connects us together to create spaces where belonging thrives, where communities feel empowered, and every individual can find their place just as they are.”
The partnership with BeaYOUtiful speaks to this priority of Ampere, and if through this partnership Ampere is able to support youth like Kiriakou’s younger self, as well as the 42 youth who attended in May, then it is certainly worthwhile.
Bird says BeaYOUtiful welcomes partnerships and community collaboration, volunteers to join their mentorship team, and support with youth outreach to help us spread the word about their free resources and programs available to youth in the community. For more information, or if you’d like to get involved, please email coordinator@thebeayoutifulfoundation.com or visit us at thebeayoutifulfoundation.com.