The fourth annual Volunteer Training was a success! Twenty-one NEW volunteers joined Waypoint for a weekend filled with learning, laughing and splashing. Enjoy the photos and a play-by-play of the 2017 Volunteer Training weekend. Thank YOU for making it a huge success!

Friday Night:

There’s nothing like a beautiful early summer evening and BBQ to provide the right atmosphere for meeting new friends and community members!

After good food (particularly the watermelon and ice-cream sandwiches) we spent time burning off the calories and breaking down walls as Julia led us through a sequence of games that began the forming process which is a crucial part of working as a team to ensure safety and belonging for Waypoint participants. After that it was time to dive into Waypoint’s CAP training which helped everyone get a clearer picture for the “why” and “how” of all of Waypoint’s programming. This session also focused on the overall the role of a volunteer in making Waypoint programs so impactful. Thanks to everyone who joined us outside for a great evening on Friday!

Saturday:

After an early morning of eating pastries and drinking coffee on the shores of lake Cochituate, it was time to dive into a long and focused day of learning the technical skills for effective and save adaptive kayaking.

Our time on the water in the morning was filled with practicing paddle signals, learning more advanced paddle strokes, and maneuvering the boats. And of course… some great group photo moments.

Following a hearty lunch, we began small group work – Dan talked about kayak and paddle adaptations, Julia talked about safe transferring of participants with mobility impairments and Emily talked through how to load and unload the trailer.

To cap the day off, we returned to the water for splash games, capsizing and rescue training…So fun!

A big thank you to everyone who participated and thank you to our friend Bill Boyes for the wonderful pictures. We look forward to having you join us this summer and beyond!