Espoir famille Youth
Program
Espoir Famille is a weekend conference held at a hotel every fall for people with MS and their families. While parents attend lectures, their children are entertained by group leaders. (in French only)
There are three age groups: 6-8, 9-12 and 13-17. Each group generally has a dozen children and three group leaders. The participants arrive Friday afternoon or evening. A reception is held, with an ice-breaking activity to help everyone get acquainted. After supper, one or two activities are organized for the youngsters (a treasure hunt, swimming, discussions, etc.)
On Saturday morning, each group attends different educational workshops about MS: drawing and crafts for the youngest, cartoons for preteens, a meeting with a nurse from an MS clinic, etc.
After lunch, an activity is held away from the hotel, such as an outing to the pool, the movies, an educational or fun visit. In late afternoon, the children and group leaders rejoin the adults for supper and the Saturday evening entertainment.
On Sunday morning, other workshops are organized for the youngsters: trivia games, an obstacle course, discussions, etc. The workshop on simulated symptoms is much appreciated. Among other things, it includes memory games, vision and balance games, and wheelchair exercises.
The conference ends at lunch on Sunday and the families leave the hotel in the early afternoon.
If you are interested in attending, talk to your parents. They can obtain more information from their chapter or from the Quebec Division.
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