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Program fosters understanding

Best Buddies helps local youth create one-to-one friendships

A program operating at a number of North Shore schools aims to prove that friends can make a huge difference in everybody's world.

Best Buddies Canada is a national friendship program for students and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, says Amy Lynn Taylor, Western Canada program manager, Best Buddies Canada.

"What our program tries to do is create an environment of inclusion for students and adults that maybe wouldn't otherwise have friends, or just have their parents, facilitators and guardians as their friends. We're trying to create more of an environment of inclusion with their peers," she says.

Best Buddies chapters are run locally out of middle and secondary schools, seeing able-bodied students, known as peer buddies, team up with students with disabilities within their own schools, known as buddies.

At participating postsecondary institutions, ablebodied students are matched with adults with disabilities through a community agency.

For example, Simon Fraser University is partnered with the Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion for its Best Buddies chapter.

The groups get together at least four times throughout the academic year. Examples of gatherings include parties celebrating Halloween or a breakfast to mark the return to school in January following the holiday break.

"They try to do fun group events that would be enjoyable with the age demographic that they're working with," says Taylor. "The university/college students try to do something like go to the movies, go out for dinner or go bowling. The high school students may try to have parties within their own school."

Participants are also matched up one-to-one within the chapter, seeing the peer buddy and their buddy get together twice a month.

"That might be going for coffee, that might be grabbing a bite to eat, that might be going to the mall. It's doing something that you would naturally do with any other friend," says Taylor.

The Best Buddies program has a positive impact on both the peer buddy and buddy.

"For the students without an intellectual disability, oftentimes that stereotype of having a disability is broken down and they no longer see that person as having a disability - or as we like to call it a 'diverseability,'" says Taylor.

In addition, it has at times led the peer buddy into working with people with disabilities as a career.

"They just have a newfound respect and I think compassion for people," says Taylor.

For the participants with disabilities, participation in the program serves to provide an education regarding "normal" social behaviour.

"They do have a type of disability so it helps them to break that down and understand social cues, to help them feel a bit more included and accepted and not always be working with someone that sees that disability or 'diverseability' right away - they're just working with somebody that's their friend."

It also helps build their confidence and helps them become more outgoing.

A number of North Shore secondary schools have a Best Buddies chapter, including Argyle, Sutherland, Windsor, Carson Graham and Balmoral junior.

West Vancouver secondary has had a Best Buddies chapter for the last four years. Membership has continued to increase and is currently comprised of approximately 40 peer buddies and 10 buddies.

"It's a healthy way to build these relationships and help the students to connect with each other. It's just really a very positive thing," says sponsor teacher Marianna Karkouch.

She is continually impressed by the participating students and how they take ownership of the program and responsibility for all of the organization required, showing real maturity.

"They know this is important," she says.

Karkouch is also pleased to see the friendships go beyond the time spent as part of official Best Buddies events and meet-ups.

"It becomes very natural," she says, of the genuine friendships forged.

Karkouch has noted a number of the relationships have endured following graduation.

"They keep track of each other, via email or telephone, or just hang out," she says.

"I would really encourage other schools to open a chapter because it makes, really, life easier for everybody," she adds.

West Vancouver secondary recently hosted a holiday party, which included the presentation of a $15,000 grant from the Telus Vancouver Community Board to support the Vancouver program overall.

"It was to help with retention and expansion," says Taylor.

Donations of this sort make a big impact on the national charitable organization.

"We rely solely on grants and donations so to be able to have something like that, it keeps our programs running and we're able to expand to other schools," she says.

For each school that starts a chapter, Best Buddies provides a start-up fund as well, provides funding for group events.

Best Buddies is always looking to expand and for greater community involvement.

"We always have volunteer opportunities for people that might want to hold Best Buddies fundraisers, or if they wanted to host a Best Buddies event," says Taylor.

For example, on March 3, timed with Best Buddies month, the Chapters at Broadway and Granville in Vancouver is hosting a Best Buddies Read All About It event, open to program participants, their family and friends as well as the community at large.

Members of the public are encouraged to volunteer at existing events like that one, or else host their own.

As well, schools are invited to start their own chapter as well as members of the community.

"In any capacity that people are interested in helping out, we're more than willing to help them," says Taylor.

For more information on Best Buddies Canada, visit www.bestbuddies.ca.

To contact Amy Lynn Taylor, phone 7783183683 or email amylynn@ bestbuddies.ca.

emcphee@nsnews.com