Affordable after-school care in Uptown Waterloo.
Wednesday after-school camp featuring, games, snacks, music, land-based learning and spiritual exploration. Transportation from Elizabeth Ziegler is included.
Highlights:
- Weekly after-school care: Wednesdays from 3:20 to 5:45
- Healthy snacks, games, craft activities, music and learning included with the program.
- Dynamic camp counsellor staff (1:8 staff to camper ratio)
- Staff and volunteers age 18+ are screened with a vulnerable sector police check and receive child safe training.
- Walking School Bus Pick-Up available from Elizabeth Ziegler PS
- Free community supper option provided for camper families, staff and volunteers.
Trillium Lutheran Church has offered Wednesday programming for kids and teens since 2020. Our community cares about inclusivity, hospitality, and care of creation. Get to know our staff here.
We take the bible seriously, but not literally.
What does this mean?
This means we see the stories of the Hebrew scriptures and early Christian writings as sacred gifts with which we can engage to learn more about what it means to be human in relationship with the Divine, with each other, and with all of creation. We do not consider the bible to be ‘science’ or a rulebook to be received unquestioningly. We consider each biblical writing as a product of its cultural context, written by a particular person for a particular audience.
Learning more about the people who wrote and read the texts in the bible can help us better understand how they experienced God and the world, which can challenge us to better understand our own relationship with the Divine and each other.
At times, we will engage with partners from other spiritual traditions, as a way to deepening our understanding of each other and the Sacred.
You can trust that your child’s and family’s beliefs and practices will be respected as having value in their own right. In fact, we always look forward to learning from them!
You can also expect that the portions of the Footpaths program lead by Trillium staff will assume the presence of a loving God beyond and in all creation, discuss Jesus as embodying this loving presence, engage in diverse prayer practices, and teach that questions, doubts, and differences are important parts of spiritual engagement.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to Trillium’s Youth and Family Coordinator Nathan Mantey with any questions or concerns about the program content. (nathan@trilliumwaterloo.ca)
- The Walking School Bus pick up program is available to families with children attending Elizabeth Ziegler Public School who register for one or more session (7 weeks+).
- Participants in the program are picked up from school by Trillium staff in reflective vests. Parents must provide permission to the school for our staff to pick up your child.
- The supervised walking school bus group will walk from Elizabeth Ziegler, crossing Moore and Allan Streets, to arrive a Trillium 22 Willow via the driveway at 100 Allan Street.
- The Walking School bus picks up at 3:20 and arrives at Trillium by 3:40.
- At this time we are only able to provide school pick up for participants attending Elizabeth Ziegler Public School.
- If you need transportation from another school, we encourage you to contact friends or family who may be able to support a carpool to Footpaths.
- If you are open to your child carpooling with another Footpaths family or Trillium volunteer, contact Nathan to find out what might be available.
No problem! Our program does not assume that participants have any particular religious background. We will be learning with and from each other.
We encourage families who already have a strong connection with their own faith community to give this program a try. Don’t worry, we don’t want you to abandon your home church. This is a mid-week program and will include participants from several churches and denominations.
We are aware that many Lutheran, Anglican and other protestant churches do not have the numbers or resources to justify a quality faith formation program or Sunday School. Many families we speak to feel like their kids don’t have peers or community at their home church.
Trillium’s Footpaths program is designed to develop community relationships for kids, in an inclusive learning environment, while respecting each family’s religious background and views. We learn better when we learn together!
- A staff member with current CPR/First Aid training will be onsite at all times during the program.
- Staff and volunteers 18 and up are required to complete a child safety training in order to participate in the program. This training includes education on how to recognize signs of child abuse and how to report concerns.
- Staff and volunteers 18 and up are required to submit a vulnerable sector police check to participate in the program.
- The supervision ratio is 1:6.
- Walking school bus leaders wear high visibility reflective vests.
Snacks will include items like:
- Veggie sticks
- Fresh fruit
- Yogurt tubes
- Goldfish crackers
If your child has dietary restrictions or allergies, please note this in the medical info section of the registration form.
We developed the Wednesday meal program because we know that families sometimes struggle to cook at home during busy weeknights.
In the past, the meal has included entrees like pizza, mac & cheese, lasagna or soup. Bread and veggies or salad are also provided.
The community meal is totally optional, however we ask that if you would like your child to join us for the meal, that an adult arrives by 5:45 to accompany them during the meal. Staff will not be able to supervise campers beyond 6:00.
The Wednesday supper is typically attended by Trillium members and families. It is a good place to meet neighbours in the Mary Allen area. Our youth group meets after the meal and visiting youth are welcome to join.
Daily Schedule
3:20 Walking School Bus Pick up at Elizabeth Ziegler PS
3:30-4:30 Parent drop off at Trillium for kids from other schools
3:40 Walking School Bus arrives at Trillium
3:30-4:00 Snacks and Large Group Activities
4:00-5:00 Small Group Rotations
Campers share their highs & lows of the week and hear an age-appropriate bible story or learn from a guest teacher. Crafts or games connect to the day’s learning.
5:00 Sacred Space: Campers gather to review the day’s lesson and participate in music and spiritual growth.
5:45 Camper Pick up or stay for the meal
5:45-6:30 Optional free home-cooked meal!
Trillium Lutheran Church is affirming of people who identify as part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. We feel called to affirm and welcome the queer community as part of living out our faith.
We do this in a visible way because so many queer folks have been marginalized by people claiming to represent the Christian church.
We recognize the need for transparency and accountability with regard to welcoming people who have been historically marginalized by church institutions. You can read about our welcome policy on the ReconcilingWorks website. ReconcilingWorks is an advocacy organization based in St. Paul Minnesota and maintains a registry of affirming Lutheran congregations throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Trillium is also inclusive of people who are marginalized because of other subjectivities.
Part of our welcome statement is excerpted below, but we encourage you to read the full welcome statement here.
“We embrace all those who have ever felt excluded by the Church because of age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, ability, economic circumstance, or family status… Whatever your country of origin or ancestry; whether you are a believer, a doubter or a seeker; in Christ’s love, we welcome you.”
Program Pricing
You can register for one or more block of 7 weeks, or you can pay as you go using the drop in option.
$80 when your register for a full 7 week session.
$16/week – Drop In (pay as you go)
It is important to us that our programs are both affordable and professional. Footpaths is a full-scale after-school care program. While we do have several volunteers, we employee several youth and young adults as part of our Footpaths staff and family ministry team. Charging a small registration fee helps us to cover the staffing costs as well as expenses like craft materials, child safety training, snacks, and equipment.
If your family is facing financial barriers that would prevent you from participating, we encourage you to register free of charge or on sliding scale (pay-what-you-can). Please let us know if you will be using this option by contacting the Trillium office (office@trilliumwaterloo.ca) or Nathan (nathan@trilliumwaterloo.ca). You must also provide your camper’s information by using the registration form at the bottom of this page.
Daily Schedule
3:20 Walking School Bus Pick up at Elizabeth Ziegler PS
3:30-4:30 Parent drop off at Trillium for kids from other schools
3:40 Walking School Bus arrives at Trillium
3:30-4:00 Snacks and Large Group Activities
4:00-5:00 Small Group Rotations
Campers share their highs & lows of the week and hear an age-appropriate bible story or learn from a guest teacher. Crafts, games or land-based activities connect to the day’s learning.
5:00 Sacred Space: Campers gather to review the day’s lesson and participate in music and spiritual growth.
5:45 Camper Pick up or stay for the meal
5:45-6:30 Optional free home-cooked meal
Footpaths Dates & Pricing
Sessions consist of 7 consecutive Wednesdays.
You can register for one or multiple sessions, or register only for the dates that your child can attend the program.
SESSION 1
Wed, Sep 11, 2024
Wed, Sep 18, 2024
Wed, Sep 25, 2024
Wed, Oct 2, 2024
Wed, Oct 9, 2024
Wed, Oct 16, 2024
Wed, Oct 23, 2024
SESSION 2
Wed, Oct 30, 2024
Wed, Nov 6, 2024
Wed, Nov 13, 2024
Wed, Nov 13, 2024
Wed, Nov 20, 2024
Wed, Dec 4, 2024
Wed, Dec 11, 2024
SESSION 3
Wed, Jan 8, 2025
Wed, Jan 15, 2025
Wed, Jan 22, 2025
Wed, Jan 29, 2025
Wed, Feb 5, 2025
Wed, Feb 12, 2025
Wed, Feb 19, 2025
SESSION 4
Wed, Feb 26, 2025
Wed, Mar 5, 2025
*note: No program on March Break
Wed, Mar 19, 2025
Wed, Mar 26, 2025
Wed, Apr 2, 2025
Wed, Apr 9, 2025
Wed, Apr 16, 2025
PRICING
$16 per week for drop-in registration
$80 when you register for a full 7 week session (29% savings over drop-in pricing)
$120 when you register for two sessions (50% off your second session)
Note: Sessions 3 & 4 registration will open in November.
Footpaths Registration (Fall 2024)
Use this form to register a child in the after school program. Please note that registration will close when we reach capacity. You will need to enter your child's health card number. If you need to save and continue later, you will find this option at the bottom of the form. If you have questions you can call the Trillium Office at (519) 886-1880. Complete the form for each child you are registering in the program. (If you are registering multiple participants, click the 'submit form' button, wait for the the confirmation message, then use the refresh button to reload the form and enter the next participant.) The Walking School Bus transportation option is found near the bottom of the form. This option is only available if you sign up for one or more 7 week session.