There were lots of smiles at the Church of St. Stephen-in-the-Fields on College Street on January 11, as the latest participants in Serve!’s Experience This! program graduated.

From July to December 2006, the participants, who adopted the name Team Genesis, enaged in the Experience This! program's curriculum of team building, personal development and working in the community. Throughout the summer and fall, the team worked with children at The Nook at the Christie-Ossington Neighbourhood Centre and assisted seniors at Dixon Hall. They also worked at the Toronto Botanical Gardens and the City of Toronto Green Roof Project. A key component of their work will be to implement the workshops on hate-motivated crime created by last winter's team in the Expanding Minds to End Violence project.

At the graduation ceremony, family, friends project partners and supporters of Serve! gathered to honour the commitment and contribution the six team members made. There were a number of presentations by and for the youth participants. There was also a presentation from Patricia Landry of the City of Toronto (Natural Environment and Horticulture), and Serve!’s Board of Directors chair Christopher Cutler ended the night on a high with his storytelling. Most of all, though, it was a night for the members of Team Genesis to shine.

“Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through the six months.” said the team’s Valedictorian, Tasha. “(It’s a time to thank) parents, friends, facilitators, staff, volunteers, board members, project agency partners, and funders but mostly team members because, all the accomplishments wouldn’t have been done without the team. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend and supporter to someone is the best gift that you can ever give them.”

Congratulations to Jamila, Tasha, Raymion, James, Kim and Rosemary on completing the program!