Who you are and how you show up in the world matters.

At Ranch Ehrlo Society we encourage and embrace individuality. We want our young participants to feel comfortable and confident in being themselves.

After all, adolescence is a time to try things on for size to see what fits, what feels good, and what sticks.

“Youth having the opportunity to be themselves, express themselves, and show up how they want in the world allows them to appear just like any other kid in the community – without being stigmatized as a Ranch kid,” said Sydney Campbell, clinical caseworker. “It gives them the opportunity to see past where they are right now and understand they are like any other person free to express themselves and be accepted as they are.”

Sydney has worked with youth from all walks of life and can attest to the importance of autonomy and healthy self-expression.  

“We have a team here that’s really amazing and many of the staff and youth come from an approach of curiosity and interest rather than stigma and stereotype,” she explained. “There’s a youth in our program who identifies as they/them and there is no judgement. It was nice to see this kid come to our and be immediately met with unconditional support by all the caregivers and the youth.”

Like all teenagers, self-expression for Ranch youth takes many forms, whether it’s wrapped up in the brand of shoes and clothing they wear, the colour and style of their hair, the piercings they have, the makeup they apply, the pronouns they use, or the hobbies they enjoy.

As we’ve progressed as a society, I think differences have been more widely accepted and embraced, said Sydney.

“We’re all more informed and educated about different cultures, lifestyles, and preferences now; staff are not so easily surprised by certain requests by the kids. We come from the perspective that they are going to be who they are and we’re not going to limit that because of our own fears or biases.”

Youth in Ranch Ehrlo’s group living programs are given a monthly allowance they can chose to save or spend as they wish. Some may opt to buy a new hat while others may decide to get their lashes done or get a new piercing– the more indulgent expressions are of course subject to parental consent.

This opportunity for youth to choose something for themselves is a first for many.

“A lot of these kids haven’t had much growing up so having the opportunity to express themselves through their appearance is important to them. It’s an opportunity to take them outside of the negativity or the reasons that brought them here and to focus on looking nice and feeling good about themselves,” said Sydney.

In addition to building confidence and self-esteem, encouraging youth to embrace their individuality and explore their identities promotes connection between them and the staff.  

“We have one staff who manages our clothing budget and she’s the one who really bonds with the kids and helps them find and embrace their own unique style,” said Sydney. “Shopping and going out together has been a huge bonding piece for the kids. It’s a positive activity where the youth can discover themselves and spend quality time together with staff.”