Thrive Summer Camps 2025: Creativity, Confidence, and Community

This summer, Thrive Youth Development Canada opened its doors to more young people than ever before. Across Toronto and British Columbia, 146 children and youth aged 9 to 18 joined our free arts-based leadership camps, more than double last year’s reach!

Three young participants perform at their camp-end showcase.

A Summer Full of Discovery

Across 12 weeks of camps in Vancouver, Surrey, and Toronto, Thrive participants explored 30 different art forms, from Brazilian drumming and Indian dance to cyanotypes and spoken word. Campers also stepped out into the city, visiting the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Surrey Museum, and even the SnapChat head office for a behind-the-scenes look at creative careers.

What made these experiences powerful wasn’t just the skills learned, but the sense of belonging. For many participants, camp became a space to make friends, discover strengths, and feel proud of who they are.

A Magic Moment from Camp

Lavender helps build her team's tower.

A Tower Built on Teamwork

On the very first morning, campers were handed a stack of supplies and told to build the

tallest tower possible. At one table, Lavender quietly looked around at her teammates, noticed who liked to cut, who wanted to tape, and who was brimming with ideas. She started assigning roles with kindness and clarity, her pink watch ticking as she kept everyone focused. Their tower didn’t just stand tall—it stood as proof of what happens when young people step into leadership with empathy.

What Campers Told Us

Campers left feeling more confident, more connected, and more willing to try new things. In surveys, youth reported big gains in teamwork, self-expression, and problem-solving. One camper shared:

“I feel more comfortable expressing myself because you encouraged me and made me confident and comfortable.”

Beyond Summer

Thrive’s impact doesn’t end when camp does. We return to the same neighbourhoods and schools year-round with programs like Learn Create Explore (LCE), Build to Change (BTC), and Youth Lead Impact (YLI). Summer camps are just the first step on a longer journey, one that helps young people build resilience, leadership, and a sense of purpose throughout the year.

Thrive camps are more than a summer experience, they’re a launchpad for creativity, confidence, and community leadership.

Funding for these camps were provided by our National Lead Partner of Youth Lead Impact, RBC, CIBC Foundation, OpenRoad Foundation, Rob & Ruth Keilty, and Michael Freeman & Negin Dahya.