Kateslem youth Society is a prevention based organization that strives to teach essential life and social skills to children and youth while supporting their mental health and behavioural issues with specific focus on those with barriers holding them back from their full potential.
Kateslem started in Banting Middle School in 1999 with the recognized need for a prevention based life skills program for marginalized and vulnerable children and youth. From it’s inception, Kateslem has partnered with the School Board to provide quality programming helping to improve the lives of children and youth from low socioeconomic, Indigenous, new immigrant, refugee, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, foster kids, latch key kids, and nearly unhoused backgrounds. Kateslem received charity and society status in 2000 and have since expanded throughout the Tri-Cities, branching out from one middle school to 8 and 5 elementary schools that helped to fund our free middle school programs with sliding scale zero to low-cost programs with 5 free spaces for each elementary school. These elementary schools were added due to an increased need to keep children and youth safe at a younger age with the increase of gang recruitment and internet exploitation starting as young as 5 years old. During the pandemic as schools were closing, our focus shifted to food security while still providing our traditional programming out of the schools. After the lockdowns lifted and schools reopened there was an increase in mental health situations with our children and youth as well as a huge increase in the cost of living which reduced funding available for programs like ours. After noticing the rise of children being tossed from daycares and needing a safe space to work on their emotional regulation and other mental health needs Kateslem found that our programs were needed in more than Coquitlam and have since moved our programs out of the area. At our new clubhouse in Chilliwack we are approaching our mentorship from a whole new perspective on how we can meet every child and youth at their level no matter what walk of life they come from. Programs are tailored to each child and youth individually whether online, in person 1:1, or a small group setting. If need be we can go out into our community where we're needed.
