Nov 5, 2018

As we prepare for the 2019 Winter season (Jan-Mar), we have some program changes to announce:

I CAN Play Sports is now called “Multisport”
The I CAN Play Sports program (also known as “Sports” or “Gym” program) for ages 7-12 is now known as Multisport. This will be reflected in the Winter Program Guide and in the registration system.

Cowichan Valley: Skate & Swim will not be offered
Due to ongoing staffing challenges, we will not be running the skate or swim program in the Duncan area for the winter session. Active (3-6yrs) and Multisport (7-12yrs) will be running in the community.

Kelowna: Gymnastics

We are excited to provide the Gymnastics program in partnership with the Okanagan Gymnastics Centre. Please stay tuned for the announcement of the date and time of the program.

Edmonds Swim will be replaced by sessions at Jewish Community Centre and Eileen Daily

Since the Edmonds swim facility is undergoing maintenance during our winter term, we have added extra 3-6yrs, 7-12yrs, and 13+yrs sessions at Jewish Community Centre in Vancouver, and 3-6yrs sessions at Eileen Daily in Burnaby.

North Vancouver: Weekly Youth and Young Adult Program will be replaced with Indoor Rock Climbing

Thanks to generous funding support from Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), CAN will be introducing a weekly rock climbing program in January 2019 for youth and young adult members. In partnership with Power To Be and Climb Base5 North Vancouver, participants will have the opportunity to learn to climb in a safe and supportive environment, meet new people and build their fitness. This program is intended for youth and young adults with an interest in climbing who would like to continue the activity on their own or with friends and family after participating in the CAN program.

Vancouver: Explore Volunteering for youth and adults will replace CommunityWorks Canada®

The Explore Volunteering program provides opportunities for youth and  adults with autism to sample volunteer tasks in a variety of community settings. The program encourages community engagement alongside peers while developing volunteer experience, work skills, and communication and social skills. This program will be taking the place of the CommunityWorks Canada® program which ends in December 2018.  P

Online registration for Winter 2019 Weekly Program Registration opens Monday, November 19, at noon, and closes Friday, November 23, at noon.

Become a member to access programs.

Oct 31, 2018

Gourd things come to those who wait!

For those that visited Science World this past October, you may have noticed some very festive pumpkins decorating their entrance. In particular, the CAN-inspired carving above has to be one of our all-time favourites.

What visitors may not have realized is that the decorative pumpkins were the result of a multi-season collaboration between Science World and CAN’s youth and adult participants spanning nearly six months!

With their commitment to accessibility and inclusion, Science World has been a longtime community partner. Over the past several years, we have collaborated with the popular Vancouver attraction to develop an Activity Storybook for visitors with autism, offer autism training to their staff and volunteers, and host our Youth and  Adult programs.

This particular pumpkin project began this past Spring, when our CommunityWorks Canada ® program visited Science World. Youth andadults with autism toured the facility and volunteered their time to plant pumpkin seeds on site.

CommunityWorks Canada ® is a pre-employment training program that is federally funded by Worktopia. With funding coming to an end this January, the program will replaced by a new “Explore Volunteering” program. Visit the program page for details.

By the end of the summer, Science World staff reached out, letting us know that pumpkins had virtually taken over their garden!

So when our youth and adults were looking for places to volunteer again this October, Science World invited them back to carve the same pumpkins they had planted earlier this year.  After a Saturday morning with museum staff, CAN participants carved everything from ghoulish figures to festive silhouettes.

“Science World is thrilled to work collaboratively with CAN,” said Cindy Wagner, Director of Visitor Experience. “It was an absolute pleasure to share this Halloween experience with CAN’s youth and adults and our visitors.”

Thanks to Science World’s enthusiasm for showcasing our programs, thousands of museum visitors were treated to a special Halloween treat, courtesy of CAN participants!

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