The proverb that children should be seen and not heard has been a hard and fast rule since before the foundation of Canada in 1867. Luckily, it no longer has a place in 2017, as empowering the leaders of tomorrow has been determined to be a healthier approach to education and child-rearing.

“Canada’s youth is the future of this country,” says Harriet Tinka, empowerment coach and owner of Empowered Me. “I often hear that young people are ‘apathetic’ which is often a symptom of low self-confidence and insecurity. It is especially important for our next generation of kids to feel empowered to be the very best versions of themselves, especially as they start to make their way into the real world in our community. The future of our country depends on it!”

To celebrate Canada’s 150-year history, Empowered Me is helping to empower 150 young people in Edmonton and surrounding areas through workshops, to take place over 150 days (April 27-September 24, 2017).

Colleen Breitkreutz is the mother of 14-year-old Sarah. After hearing about Empowered Me from a friend, she enrolled Sarah into an Empowered Me workshop last summer to help her daughter embrace self-love. “I wanted my daughter to join the programme because I want her growing up feeling confident,” she said. “It’s not about Sarah feeling like she’s better than anyone else. It’s about her gaining confidence, knowing that she’s important and having that self-esteem. I want my daughter to know that she’s special, and knows her self-worth.”

To help Sarah continue working on herself, she once again enrolled her in the Canada 150 workshop last weekend.  “I’ve seen changes in Sarah over the past few months, and this Canada 150 workshop was an excellent refresher to remind her that she deserves respect and has something special to offer.”

Most youth programmes run six days over six weekends, but the Canada 150 programme has been shorted to be completed over one weekend (two days). “Feedback from previous participants has been to shorten the time commitment and make the program financially accessible to a broader audience,” says Harriet.

Empowered Me is offering the Canada 150 programme to 150 children in Edmonton and surrounding areas for only $150 each over the next 150 days.

Registration is now open at https://empoweredme.ca/product/canada-150/.