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Power To Be

Q & A with Tim Cormode, Founder and Executive Director

What is ‘Power To Be’?

We connect disadvantaged youth to nature by providing recreational programs for kids. When we help kids develop a healthy relationship with the environment, we nurture the future leaders and spokespeople for the environment.

How did you develop the idea for ‘Power To Be’?

I started working with kids with special needs when I was 16 years old, which helped pay my way through university. After university, I worked two jobs in the social sector one of which was at a rehabilitation center for people with head injuries. I started to spend more time in the outdoors as a way to relieve my stress and I realized how much I loved it. Then I reached a crossroad in my life and took a mountaineering course. It was a life-changing experience. I took a self-employment program and decided to start an outdoor adventure program for people with special needs.

Ten years later we have an operating budget of about $600,000 with 100 volunteers and six full-time staff.

How do you make an impact on the lives of the young people you serve?

Our programs focus on long-term change. A one-week trip for kids with disabilities is great, but what happens when they go back home? So we try to provide ongoing programming as tools for developing life skills and vocational skills. We offer mentoring and peer support to turn these kids into productive adults.

What would a young person wake up to on your camps or at your school?

They might start the weekend with low rope activities and in the afternoon they might debrief around team work and leadership. We might go kayaking and then hiking overnight or maybe go and build trails for a day. We offer sea kayaking over summer and for example, we’ve built out-rigger systems that cater to people who are quadriplegic.

Has there been a participant you’ve watched change remarkably as a result of the programs you’ve run?

Eight years ago I worked with an 18 year old man who had suffered terrible head injuries from a car accident. He was really active before his injury but that all changed after the accident. Since his involvement with Power to Be, he’s gone on to become a ski instructor for the disabled and even got his driver’s license.

What was stopping him from doing this before?

I think a lot of people gave up on him because of his challenges. But he loved the outdoors, and we could provide him with the support he needed to progress. He could make mistakes and it was OK. He could enjoy life experientially through that process.

How has Tides benefited your work?

Tides is a connector – connecting us to project areas where we can help. We would love to develop an endowment that will keep this going.