Teens Alive 1
With Annika Raithby and Linda Nicholls
August 16 - 19, 2025
Email register@haven.ca or call 1-800-222-9211, ext 1 to register.
Online registration is not available for this program.
Teens Alive 1 is the first of two 3-day back to back programs offered in 2025 and is a pre-requisite for Teens Alive 2. We are also offering Come Alive at the same time for parents/caregivers of teens.
Now in its 33rd year, Teens Alive has supported over 500 teens in developing emotional resilience, genuine communication, compassion for themselves and others, and meaningful connections. Although some teens were reluctant to attend for the first time, many then continued to return year after year.
Created by Linda Nicholls and David Raithby, the program invites teens into a dynamic exploration of self-awareness, curiosity, and creating lasting community. With a refreshed structure and co-leadership by Linda Nicholls and Annika Raithby, Teens Alive offers foundational tools for cultivating meaningful relationships while developing the inner strength to support themselves emotionally.
In Teens Alive, teens learn to respect themselves and others, express themselves with confidence, face challenges with resilience, and grow from life’s difficult experiences. In a space that encourages questions, fresh perspectives, emotional literacy, and play, teens build confidence, discover new approaches to relating with others — and have fun doing it.
Read Mackenzie’s reflections on why this program for teens is more urgent than ever, Empowering the Next Generation The Urgency of Teens Alive Today.
Teens Alive is for people 14 to 19 years of age who want to:
- Become comfortable speaking their own truth in a responsible way
- Develop stronger self-esteem and self-acceptance
- Be less defensive and more curious and outgoing
- Make relationships work
- Deal with conflict
- Discuss topics like friendship, school, sexuality, music, violence, drugs, families, authorities, social media, global issues, and career
- Have fun and get to know other teens
- Enjoy The Haven’s beautiful natural surroundings and its ocean side facilities – including swimming pool, hot tub, gym, and games room
Testimonials:
Teens Alive is not an experience you can find anywhere else. It affected every part of my life, and reframed how I interact with me, and with the world around me. It felt like years of healing done in such a short time frame; It was such a meaningful experience that I’m forever grateful for. Maia Hoile, 2018/2019/2022 participant
Teens Alive was an incredible experience. I met so many wonderful people and built lasting connections with them, learned many different tools to help cope with different difficulties which have made an impact on my daily life and ability to manage stress, and discovered new things about myself that I hadn’t previously been aware of. The leaders were kind, welcoming, and encouraging, and I personally felt as though I was able to develop connections with them. There was a great mixture of learning, communicating, and having fun throughout the program. It truly was an unforgettable experience that I will always look back upon with gratitude and joy. Lumay, 2022 participant
Teens alive had more of an impact on me than I even understood as a teen. When I was there I found it really great to connect with people and developed life long friendships. I was fortunate that my mom was a haven participant in the adult program so we could work on our communication skills together. At the time I found it impossible to stay on top of it outside of family and the program though. However, as an adult, I find myself using the tools I learned each and every day. I am now a business owner and believe that the communication tools I learned in Teens Alive have allowed me to clearly understand the needs of my clients and listen. They have also allowed me to communicate my own needs more clearly with my clients to ensure we are on the same page and there are fewer misunderstandings. On the flip side, in relationships, I have been able to stay strong in my own power and keep a level head when in tense situations with loved ones. This has certainly allowed me to create stronger bonds and even weed out people that were not a fit for me. I would highly recommend all parents drag their kids to Teens Alive kicking and screaming because they will be begging to stay after day 1 (and thanking you years down the line). Sarah Kirkpatrick 2005-2010 participant and youth leader
Investment:
- Earlybird tuition is $850 per participant
- Meal package for 3 days is $240 (available for teens, parents/guardians)
- A parent or guardian must accompany any youth attending programs. Accommodation charges range from $435 to $1140 for a 3 night stay depending on room type and number of people in the room.
You can find our cancellation policy here
Schedule:
Your program begins with dinner at 6pm and your first session at 7:30pm
Daily schedule:
- Breakfast 8:00 – 9:00am
- Morning session 9:15am to noon
- Lunch noon to 1:00pm
- Afternoon session 3:00 – 6:00pm
- Dinner 6:00 – 7:00pm
- Evening session 7:30 – 9:30pm
Afternoon and evening sessions can vary. Your program finishes with lunch on the last day
Visit our website for more information to help plan your visit.
About the Leaders
Annika Raithby
Annika Raithby is a group facilitator who is passionate about supporting and educating people to be more connected to themselves, their friends, and their family. She believes that this kind of personal development work is necessary to help people feel more of themselves, expand their passions and make an impact in their lives and the […]
Learn more about Annika Raithby
Linda Nicholls
Linda Nicholls DipC is an elder, serving as a guide in transformational circle work for more than thirty-five years in North America and internationally. She is Senior Faculty with The Haven Institute on Gabriola Island, BC, Canada. She has worked intimately with people of all ages and several cultures leading programs that focus on body, breath […]
Learn more about Linda NichollsCategories : Featured, Haven Faculty, In-Person, Special Registration, Teens Alive