During their first meeting in Charlottetown
CHARLOTTETOWN – October 8, 2026 – Twenty-six Francophone adolescents and young adults from the sixth year of the «Faut que ça grouille !» program learned, at their first meeting on October 2 and 3 in Charlottetown, that one must take calculated risks in life. Professional speaker Tyler Hayden from Nova Scotia indicated to them that it is necessary to step out of one's comfort zone and try new things if one wants to grow personally and develop leadership skills.
Mr. Hayden, who was the keynote speaker on their second day, presented the participants with a variety of hands-on activities to help them work better together and encourage them to pay particular attention to their goals to foster their success. He believes it is important to break down large plans into small achievable steps, which ensures a much better chance of overall project success. He also believes that one must focus their attention to succeed since «energy goes where attention goes.»
The speaker also talked about the important elements of teamwork; the youth then participated in an afternoon of interactive activities specifically designed to develop their ability to work in teams.
«We also started group discussions on the importance of community volunteering, the benefits and challenges of volunteering,» said coordinator Imelda Arsenault. «The youth identified solutions to address these challenges. Additionally, the youth participated in creating an interactive activity that will be integrated into the upcoming sessions of the program to encourage teamwork.»
The «Faut que ça grouille !» (FQCG) program is an initiative of RDÉE Prince Edward Island aimed at encouraging youth community engagement. They benefit from four weekends of training (with speakers, discussions, meals, and accommodation) in different locations across the province – Mill River, Charlottetown, and Summerside – during the winter months. Then, the youth, either individually or in small groups, must develop a community volunteering project. The whole thing concludes with a closing banquet in early March 2027.
FIRST MEETING
This year, 39 youth are enrolled in the program. This number includes four young former participants who act as mentors.
Since the meeting on October 2 and 3 was the first meeting of this 6e In their first meeting of the 6th year of FQCG, we spent part of their first evening (Friday night) conducting icebreaker activities to allow the youth, coming from all over the Island, to meet and get to know each other. After their dinner, they discussed their expectations for the program.
Éric Morency, who is a career counselor by profession and a certified trainer in Myers-Briggs personality tests, introduced the Myers-Briggs tool. He explained that the youth are invited to complete a survey in preparation for their November session, which will present an in-depth analysis of different personality types and their working and communication styles.
The coordination team also addressed the administrative part of the program, including essential information related to registration, permissions, and required information for the program.
During the weekend evaluation, the youth provided feedback such as …
- «I really enjoyed connecting with new people who were interested in the same things as me.»
- «I had a great time; I was able to meet new people and I thrived in French.»
- «We reflect what we think and the little things lead to great accomplishments.»
