Vision

The Kitsilano Community Centre is an inclusive, service oriented community organization, which strives to provide innovative, creative, quality services that have a positive impact on our community

Mission

Our mission is: through the creation and management of resources and physical environments and working in partnership and cooperation with other community organizations, ensure an adequate balance of opportunities within the Kitsilano Community, for people, individually and collectively, to participate in a wide variety of recreation activities which satisfy basic needs and aid in improving the quality of community life.

Philosophy

Historically, leisure and recreation have been linked with work and activity. Leisure was viewed as time free from work. Recreation was any activity which helped you recuperate from work or provide you with satisfactions not available through work.

Presently, leisure and recreation are defined, not in terms of time and activity, but as the feeling one experiences as the result of an activity. As such, it is not the activity (recreation) or the time it happens (leisure) which is important. It is what happens to the people involved in the activity. The activity is the medium, not the message. Recreation is now defined as an emotional condition within an individual that results from a feeling of self-worth and satisfaction. It can be characterized by feelings of achievement, excitement, acceptance, mastery, success, personal worth and pleasure. Recreation reinforces a positive self-image and can result from achieving personal goals, responding to esthetic experiences or positive feedback from others. Recreation is independent of activity, programs or social acceptance.

Defined as such, recreation promotes individual need fulfillment and personal development by increasing understanding and awareness. It stimulates appreciation, encourages self-discovery and enlarges one’s source of enjoyment. It helps give meaning to live. Thus, recreation aids in the development of the individual and individuals interacting together help improve the quality of human and community life. Therefore, the primary purpose of any public leisure service system is individual and community development through leisure and recreation experiences; the product is self-satisfaction and quality of community life.

Our actions and programs will be directed to ensure the following individual outcomes:

1. Improved Self-esteem-We believe that the strongest people in our groups, neighbourhoods and community are those who believe in themselves and have a healthy self image. Kitsilano programs are structured to help people develop their own self esteem.
2. Strengthened Interpersonal Relations-People working and playing together, in a caring and sharing way is important in helping members understand the dynamics of relationships and to develop listening and communication skills is an important part of all our programs.
3. Increased Personal Growth-At Kitsilano, we encourage members and groups to set their own goals and work toward them. They grow in whatever way they choose. They grow by doing and they direct that doing themselves.
4. Specific Skills Development-Many specific skills can be developed in Kitsilano programs. They may be related to fitness, sports, dance, music, crafts or outdoor activities. Although skill development is not the sole objective of our programs, they are important as they improve self esteem, aid in personal growth and contribute toward self satisfaction.
5. Clarification of Personal Values-Kitsilano members spend time making value decisions. They reflect upon the consequence of value choices and work toward closing the gap between stated values and actual behavior.
6. Increased Leadership Capacity-At Kitsilano, leadership is seen as a skill rather than a position. The ability of each member to function as a leader is encouraged, taught, practiced and celebrated.
7. Increased Leisure Resource Knowledge-We believe that people and communities have the capacity for being their own best resource for leisure. At Kitsilano we encourage people and groups to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to do what they want, when they want, with whom they want, without help.
8. Expanded Appreciation of Diversity-At Kitsilano we encourage dialogue and interaction between people and groups who might not otherwise attempt to communicate and play together. Our goal is appreciation of each others differences, of diverse religious and ethnic cultures, and a richer, more vibrant and diverse community.
9. Increased Volunteer Opportunities-Many people gain personal satisfaction and enjoyment by helping, sharing and working with others in the community. At Kitsilano members have a variety of opportunities to learn, practice and share personal skills and by doing so, make their community a better place to live and play.
10. Fun and Laughter-Programs and actions are evaluated by the enjoyment and satisfaction each member feels. We feel that laughter is healing and contagious. Fun makes the other outcomes possible and continued involvement probable.