Paola Reyes has just moved to Bowen but she feels so at home here, that she is already planning to invite others. She hopes to bring a group of 30 international students to the island and is putting out a call to community members to see who is interested in opening their home to kids from all over the world. Reyes has been hitchhiking to the Undercurrent office and feels that a small, tight-knit community like Bowen has much to offer.
Reyes and her family made the move to the island on September 1 from Florida. "My husband is Canadian, we met at BCIT 14 years ago," says Reyes, explaining that they moved to the U.S. because there were more opportunities available to work in Spanish TV. After hosting TV shows in New York and Miami, the family wanted to come back to Canada. "We looked for housing in North Vancouver and Bowen Island came up," Reyes said.
Reyes started to host international students after she left her career in TV. "I stayed home and was looking for a way to get some extra income," she said. "I contacted private schools and received Dani from Germany and Vicky from China for a year." But what started as a way to make money soon turned into a passion and Reyes adds that the students "became part of the family" and tagged along for all the family's vacations. Reyes said that the experience was a good one, not only for herself but also for her two children who enjoyed playing and interacting with their "home-stay siblings."
"I then started to organize summer camps," Reyes says. "I'm dealing with social contacts in different countries and had 30 children from age 12 to 17 come for three weeks."
Reyes speaks Spanish but, after communicating with children who share her mother tongue when they arrive, makes a point of speaking only English in the house. "For the initial contact, I speak Spanish to them to get them comfortable," she says. "But they are coming here to learn English."
Reyes doesn't regret leaving her career. "When I'm with the children, I see so much happiness," she says. "I don't miss the news business that deals with so much sadness." And moving to Bowen Island was another step. "I welcome the change of pace and I'm getting New York and Miami out of my system," she said.
Reyes has researched many different camps and organizations and has gained much experience. She feels that the format of a summer camp would work well for Bowen and a group of 30 is optimal. "We don't accept any more than that," she said, adding that the 30 students will be part of smaller groups for different activities. "I already spoke to Martin Clarke at Bowen Island Sea Kayaking and we plan to do a week of kayaking. I've contacted Dan Cowan to learn about mountain biking and the Bowen Island Yacht Club for sailing lessons," she says. In addition to kayaking, mountain biking and sailing, Reyes envisions the kids to getting exposed to hiking and arts activities. She hopes to draw on local resources to make the camp a success.
"I am very excited about getting in touch with the artistic community as I'm hoping to mix in days of art and music," says Reyes who will invite proposals from artists for potential workshops. "The kids will be too busy to get in trouble," she laughs.
"I think Bowen Island is great place for them," Reyes said. "They can be safe and have a great experience in a wonderful community." Reyes adds that, in the past, she has been surprised by how many children have not been exposed to extracurricular activities other than violin and piano lessons, especially when they come from Asian cultures. "It seems that they have to study from 7 a.m. till late at night. When I ask them what their hobbies are, they don't have an answer," Reyes said. "I would like to see them biking or kayaking. For them, that would be a completely new experience. And of course, they learn English not by sitting in a class but by speaking to their friends and community members."
Reyes says that she's leaving Sundays free so that the students can hang out with the families they stay with. They will also be home in time for family dinners because she remembers that time with her home-stay kids as something precious.
To get Bowen Island involved as a community, Reyes is thinking about looking for a scholarship for a couple of local kids to attend the camp. "I would like the [international] students to be integrated in the community," she says. "That's what Bowen is all about."
Reyes is taking on the role of camp organizer and director and plans to hire staff to coordinate groups of ten students. She also envisions her students making local connections. "I'm hoping that they will be able to attend local events and maybe go to the youth centre," she says. "We'll also be here for Bowfest, I thought that this would be a great sent-off."
Bowen Islanders who are interested in becoming home-stay parents or want to propose a workshop can contact Paola Reyes at [email protected].
