Day 3 in janvier: 1am: I fall asleep the night before to the sound rain hitting the roof of my trailer. It is quiet and very peaceful. But I know that rains means one thing… all the dirt roads will be mud. I really don’t like wearing rubber boots.

8am: we have breakfast with Derek (watching Global morning news) in his trailer. We are waiting for the Janvier traffic update… no luck today. 8:45am: We arrive at the multiplex. The students are arriving at

9:30am so we have time to prepare. Today is marketing and promotions day and they have to design the flyers and posters to advertise their movie night next Friday. Let’s hope the energy and enthusiasm flows through to today.

9:30am: no students

9:45am: no students

10:00am: one student rolls in

10:30am: 6 students are here. We are waiting for all VP’s to arrive and the President…

11:00am: ¾ of the group is here but no Quentin. Tara the marketing VP calls his cell… word is that Quentin was up all night with buddies. He is just getting to bed… so no President today. I send him a text and tell him that his team “voted you President because they believe in you. Don’t let them… yourself down”. No reply.

Word gets around the Quentin is a no show. The mood shifts down… really down. Tara looks at me and says… “if he isn’t going to be here… can we all go home? I have no baby sitter and I have much better things to do”. I sit stunned for a moment as I can’t believe what I am hearing.

Before I can think of what to say… Derek replies. He look at Tara and begins… “are you kidding me? You have better things to do? We all have other things to do!” His voices slowly rises and he looks right at Tara… “What about me? I have other things to do as well… I have businesses to run… I have a family… but I want to be here… working with you. If you don’t want to be here… you can leave right now… you can just get out….this about commitment… making a plan and sticking to it”.

He said much much more. It was powerful and awkward moment for me. I felt his anger… and almost felt like a stranger overhearing a father scolding a child. in public  I can’t imagine how much time, energy and emotional capital he and his wife (they are both facilitators) have put into the program. Having students who simply don’t care must drain them.

But Tara does care… today was payday (the students get paid for being in the program*) and she along with all the students wanted to head in town to spend their money. Tara looks at Derek… nods… agreeing with him. Message received… moment is over… time to get busy.

*all students in the change it up program get a bi-weekly paycheque for being in the program and attending classes. I am not sure how much it is…. but if the money wasn’t there… what would really motivate them to attend day in and day out? Would they really be there? I don’t really like the carrot and stick approach from an HR perspective… but I guess to build capacity and hope… you need to use every means just to get them in the class. Case in point: one of the younger students (14 y/o) texts Derek this morning that he is really sick and his mom is taking him to the clinic in Ft. Mac. “Ok” texts Derek “you can have your cheque on Monday”. The student waltzes in 30 min. later… looking very healthy.

11:15am: I am working with the marketing and operations teams in the dining room. They are making flyers and poster for the big event. The big surprise is that the 3 guys who were all sitting in the back of the room yesterday are now all FULLY engaged. Tara sits down next to me. “Sorry about earlier” she says… “wow… Derek really laid into me didn’t he?”. I smile and we get to work designing the flyers. I help her on the computer and lay things out a bit better. Then… poof 5 minutes later she is gone. Tara is the VP of Marketing and her team is now looking for her because they need to know what time the move starts so they can write it on the poster. She is no-where to be found. Someone says she left for lunch. The team takes charge in her absence.

11:45am: Lunch is served by the one of the students and VP of Finance/Queen Chef: Colleen. She whipped up ribs and potatoes and corn for everyone.

12:30pm: I sit across from one of the students and watch him as he draws a poster. He must be about 16. Derek says he is very VERY intelligent. We start talking… he dropped out of grade 10 in December because “too much school was on the computer and not enough paper”. I watch him write. He has fantastic penmanship. I envy that. I pry a bit. He tells me he taught all his brothers and sisters how to read and that he wants to go back to school in September. So much potential in him… in all the students. He continues to draw and write.

1pm: I see Colleen cleaning in the kitchen and I walk in and talk to her. She has the biggest smile. She also has a 12 year old daughter that she wants a better life for. She is making plans… big plans… and she will use her JA experience to make it all happen.

The rest day is slow, students are walking in and out… but the posters and flyers eventually get done. They are all set for promotions on Monday.

We wrap up a bit early as Derek has to take Javier and into Ft. Mac to catch the flight home. What an amazing experience this has been. Junior achievement has never been in a community like this before.

Javier and I spend some time in the airport sharing what we have learned… and making plans for next year. I have to go as Javier has eaten all the fries and our plane has boarded… more to come later.