Bridges to the future
About UsBridges to the Future is Muscular Dystrophy Canada's (www.muscle.ca) transition program for youth aged 15-24 with a physical disability. "Bridges" provides resources about important issues as you move into adulthood. The program is currently open to youth with a physical disability throughout British Columbia and the Yukon. There are four ways Bridges to the Future provides resources and information to youth; it is up to you to decide how involved you would like to be! Monthly Workshops/Socials In Vancouver and Victoria, the Bridges to the Future Coordinators host monthly workshops or social events. Previous topics have included "Life After High School", "Employment Panel", "Saturday Movie Night", and "Starbucks Social". Workshops are based on five areas: 1) Education and Vocational Training, 2) Employment Connections/Counselling and Volunteering, 3) Life Skills Development, 4) Support Services and Relationship Building, and 5) Community Participation and Involvement. Learn more about our monthly events at: www.bridgestothefuture.ca/events.html. Monthly Newsletter Each month, youth contribute to the e-newsletter focused on a specific transition issues. Previous newsletters have discussed "Post-Secondary Education", "Transit and Transportation", etc. The newsletters are sent to Bridges youth via e-mail each month and past editions are available here: www.bridgestothefuture.ca/newsletter.html. Online Webinars Regardless of where you live in British Columbia or Yukon, we present workshops via the internet for you to take part in. All you need is a computer with speakers and an internet connection. Learn about upcoming webinars here: www.bridgestothefuture.ca/events.html. One-on-One Coaching The Bridges to the Future coordinators can chat with you and provide resources you may need to successfully transition to adulthood. Whether we meet up for coffee or chat on the phone, Nate and Chelsea can look over resumes, discuss scholarships, provide resources for independent housing, etc. If you are interested in getting involved, check out www.bridgestothefuture.ca/getinvolved.html to find out how to add your e-mail to our mailing list! Frequently Asked QuestionsI am already an independent youth. How can I benefit from Bridges to the Future? If you have set your own goals, achieved them, become independent, and transitioned into adulthood, you can still be a part of Bridges to the Future. You can act informally as a peer mentor at events, sharing your personal experiences with other youths. Bring the experience that you have had in your life to the Bridges to the Future program to enrich the lives of other youths with physical disabilities. Inspire them to become independent, like yourself! I don't have Muscular Dystrophy... can I still join? Bridges to the Future, although run and organized by Muscular Dystrophy Canada, is open to any youth with a physical disability between the ages of 15-24. Previously, youth involved with Bridges to the Future have had Muscular Dystrophy, Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, Arthritis, etc. Is the program open to youth with cognitive disabilities? Currently, Bridges to the Future is focused on youth with physical disabilities only. There are programs which provide social and supportive opportunities to youth with cognitive disabilities within the community (for example, Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Access Services http://vancouver.ca/parks/rec/access/index.htm). Contact the Bridges to the Future coordinator for further suggestions. What do you mean by the term "transition"? The term transition is often used when someone has come to a turning point in their life and things around them are beginning to change. For example, transitions can include when you finish grade 12 and are about to start post-secondary studies, or when you are finished at the clinic at Children's Hospital because you are no longer considered a child. How do I get involved? Check out the Get Involved page. Why would the Bridges to the Future program be useful to me? Bridges to the Future provides resources for youth living with a physical disability. Resources and information are provided to help you obtain your personal goals and help plan for your future. I live outside of Vancouver and Victoria. Can I still be involved in Bridges to the Future? Bridges to the Future program is open to all youth living in British Columbia and the Yukon. With two coordinators, located in Victoria and Vancouver, most workshops and socials take place in these centres. Youth outside of these areas are invited to online webinars, recieve monthly newsletters, and get support from the coordinators via e-mail, phone, etc. Quotes"Bridges can help physically disabled people accomplish their goals in life, and when goals in life are accomplished, confidence is built and motivation to live and see the future is strengthened." "Thank Bridges for inviting me to volunteer because otherwise, I would not have had the experience of meeting really awesome people facing the same things that I do." "Because of a program like this, I get much needed motivation. [Bridges has] done more for me in this small time frame than anything or, it is almost fair to say, anyone has in years." "It's funny when I think of it, but Bridges hs helped me to explore my disability and get comfortable in my own skin in relation to it, instead of just learning to get past it." "Bridges has introduced me to a whole new world that I didn't know before on all levels of life." "We are not numbers, we are people with disabilities. The Bridges Coordinator treats us with respect and does a good job."
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