Besties Getaway

This fall, you're invited to join YouthCO for a weekend getaway! Youth living with HIV from approximately age 14 to age 25 are invited to bring themselves and a guest - a friend, roommate, coworker, a person you're dating, a sibling, a teammate - to a weekend of community building and challenging HIV stigma. During the weekend, we will be talking openly about HIV, and acknowledging that half of the youth in the room are living with HIV. 

This getaway is free for youth living with HIV in British Columbia and their guests! YouthCO will arrange transportation, food, accommodation, and activities for the whole weekend. This getaway is taking place at Evans Lake Forest Education Society in Squamish, BC.

Peers, YouthCO staff, and volunteers from our Camp Moomba will be hosting this getaway! During the weekend, you can expect to:

• learn something new about yourself, HIV, and how to challenge HIV stigma
• talk openly about HIV, HIV stigma, and ways to support our friends when HIV stigma comes up
• YouthCO staff, volunteers, and peers to work with the group to set up community agreements that ensure our time together will be fun, safe, and supportive
• sleep in heated cabins with bunk beds, shared with other participants and YouthCO staff, volunteers, and peers
• eat delicious meals and snacks prepared by staff at Evans Lake Forest Education Society
• choose your own camp activity at least twice, such as listening to music, taking a nature walk, or rock climbing
• connect with a nurse and/or doctor in the Wellness Centre, where medications, first aid, and one on one chats, are available
• hear about sexual health, harm reduction, and ways to be a leader at YouthCO
• have very, very bad reception for texting, data, and phone calls

If you're ready to join us:

Get in touch with us and let us know:

• the name, age, and pronouns of you and your "bestie" (e.g. Laura, 22, she, her; James, 18, he, him)
• where you will be coming from (e.g. Nanaimo)
• what topics you would like us to cover in the weekend
• if we haven't met you before, let us know who we can get in touch with to confirm your HIV status

We will work hard to ensure everyone gets to come to this awesome weekend. We will confirm the first round of participants by October 5. After that, we will take applications on a first-come, first-serve basis.  

If you have questions, let us know at 1-855-968-8426, by email, or leaving a comment here.