Twenty Children in a Yurt

By Raymond Viger

Despite the cold and the snow, I head towards a yurt in the middle of a forest in the Lanaudière district of Québec. A yurt is the traditional habitation of Mongolian nomads. It is a tent, decorated in very colorful motifs that have symbolic meaning to the Mongolian culture.  

I am dressed warmly. I am convinced that I will be cold in the tent. Surprise! I learn that even when temperatures dip to -40 degrees outside, with a little stove and the tent’s insulation it can easily be +25 degrees inside!

With twenty young people awaiting us, we have a great meeting planned on the preparation of books, magazines, calendars… all done from their poems, illustrations, photos…

Another worry: I am used to working with young people whose parents are absent from their lives and their development. Here, I can work with kids from 2 to 10 whose parents are very involved with their children. Am I able to keep these kids’ full attention throughout my time with them?

Creative and Attentive

The openness of these youths to listening, and above all, to participating, makes for a wonderful three-hour get-together. I am convinced that many teachers in conventional schools would be jealous of such a performance. I’ve already been told at an elementary school that I’d never keep the students’ interest and attention for more than a half-hour.

They are so invested in what we are doing that they don’t even want to go to recess. I practically have to glue myself to a chair to get the kids to head off to lunch.

In terms of this type of an experience, Danielle and I have no expectations. We present possibilities and opportunities, and the group chooses the creative paths that stimulate them. We meet participants as plugged in and as interested as are Danielle and I. Creativity gets off to a flying start. We can see a myriad of possibilities.

Many kids read out their own poems. Others show off cards made from photos they have taken. Tom S. offers a poem whose subject is his rabbit. I take off with his poem in pocket.

The creative process of these young people is well ingrained.