Our Collective Journey

06/15/2026

Ah, the joys of technology! We are experiencing some technical difficulties with our computer systems today and it has affected our email. Please be patient with us while we get this worked out. We hope to be back up and running in no time!

If you require assistance, you can contact OCJ by phone at 403-800-1191 and 403-866-8118 for intake.

Thanks for bearing with us!

06/11/2026

Registration is OPEN for this amazing new collaboration!

Our Collective Journey is excited to partner with the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association to launch a free 6-week Learn to Skate and Resilience Program for youth ages 12-18, Rolling Through It.

Running weekly from July 7 to August 11, from 4:00-6:00 PM at Kin Coulee Skate Park (101 Kipling Street), this program combines professional skateboard instruction, resilience coaching, mentorship, and a shared meal in a fun and supportive environment.

Each session includes:
• Skateboard lessons from qualified instructors
• Resilience coaching focused on confidence, coping skills, goal setting, and perseverance
• A free meal
• All skateboard and safety equipment provided

Participants will be provided with a brand-new skateboard and equipment to use throughout the program. The equipment will be returned at the end of each session, but youth who complete the full 6-week program will get to keep their skateboard and gear.

Skateboarding is about more than learning new skills. Every fall, every challenge, and every success is an opportunity to build resilience, confidence, determination, and self-belief. Through this partnership, youth will have the opportunity to develop both on and off the board while connecting with peers and positive mentors.

This program is offered in partnership with the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association and made possible through funding from the Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta.

Register your soon-to-be skater here: https://forms.gle/GzKE31hEkJW88cer6

Registration closes when the program is filled or July 1.

06/10/2026

The Resilience Coaching sessions at Kickstand Medicine Hat are completely free to access, all supplies are provided, and all youth are welcome!

✨ Kindness goes wherever you do! ✨

Join Our Collective Journey for this week's Kindness Creations and design a custom keychain with a positive message to brighten someone's day. Create something meaningful, get creative, and help spread kindness throughout our community 💛

📍 Free drop-in group
🎨 All supplies provided
🙌 All youth welcome

06/07/2026

Addiction doesn't always look the way people expect it to. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, background, career, or circumstance. There is no shame in recognizing you are struggling, and especially in reaching out for help.

Recovery isn't about being perfect, it’s about taking the next step. A Recovery Coach from OCJ is here to help.

If you're ready to explore what recovery could look like, Our Collective Journey is ready to walk the road with you.

To learn more about Recovery Coaching, contact us at [email protected] or call 403-866-8118.

Share this post to help those around you who may be struggling.

06/04/2026

What does resilience look like? Sometimes it looks like a Grade 9 student staring at a nebula jar that didn't turn out the way they planned.

Over lunch today, OCJ Resilience Coaches Hannah and Kasey spent lunch hour at Dr. Roy Wilson Learning Centre creating nebula jars with students. While the activity was creative and fun, it also became an opportunity to explore one of life's most important skills: resilience.

As students worked on their jars, some discovered that things didn't go according to plan. A few chose to start over and try again, while others found beauty in the unexpected result and embraced the uniqueness of what they had created. Both of these responses demonstrate resilience.

Resilience isn't about never facing challenges or disappointment, it’s about learning how to adapt, problem-solve, persevere, and find a path forward when things don't go as expected!

The activity also created opportunities for connection. Students spent time interacting with their peers and the coaches, and two students even created friendship nebula jars together! We love that because we know supportive relationships are one of the strongest protective factors for mental wellness.

These moments may seem small, but they help young people develop the confidence, coping skills, and mindset needed to navigate life's challenges both now and in the future.

Sometimes the most important lessons aren't found in getting it perfect, they're found in learning what to do when things don't go according to plan.

Way to go, Grade 9’s and big thanks to Coaches Hannah and Kasey for a fun lunch break!

06/03/2026

Did you know it's not just games and activities?

Almost every weekday, you'll find OCJ Resilience Coaches at Kickstand Medicine Hat connecting with youth through activities, conversations, and shared experiences.

While it might look like crafts, games, challenges, or simply hanging out, something much bigger is happening; Those activities are creating opportunities for connection.

They're helping young people build confidence, develop coping skills, navigate challenges, strengthen relationships, and learn how to bounce back when life gets hard.

Our Resilience Coaches are trained to walk alongside youth as they build the tools needed to manage stress, emotions, setbacks, and life's inevitable ups and downs. Sometimes that looks like a meaningful conversation or support through a difficult situation, and sometimes it starts with a simple game of cards or a shared activity.

Because resilience isn't built in a classroom lecture, it's built through connection, trust, and showing up consistently.

So the next time you see an OCJ Resilience Coach at Kickstand, remember that it's not just an activity, it's an opportunity to build resilience!

05/30/2026

Many of you joined our community during the Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival, so we thought it was a good time to introduce ourselves.

We are Our Collective Journey (OCJ).

OCJ was created because too many people were falling through the cracks. Individuals struggling with mental health challenges, substance use, trauma, grief, or life's overwhelming circumstances often found themselves facing long wait times, limited support, or nowhere to turn at all.

We believe no one should have to walk those journeys alone.

Our mission is to help Albertans build resilience, improve their well-being, and create positive change through customized, evidence-based coaching delivered by people with lived experience. We combine the science of brain development with the power of human connection to meet people where they are and help them move forward.

Through our Recovery Coaching, Resiliency Coaching, Pathways to Recovery programs, community partnerships, and the From Darkness to Life podcast, we work to create hope, connection, and support for people when they need it most.

At OCJ, we don't focus on what's wrong with people. We focus on what's strong within them.

Whether you're here because you attended Rise Up, know someone who could use support, or simply want to learn more about what we do, we're glad you're here.

Welcome to the journey.

05/27/2026

To everyone who shared your incredible photos and helped capture the magic of this year’s festival… thank you. This wrap-up reel is a reflection of the memories we created together as a community.

We cannot thank you enough for showing up in record numbers and making our 5th year our biggest and most memorable yet. Your energy, support, and presence are what make Rise Up so special.

Until next year… keep rising.

05/25/2026

This 👇

As we come out of another incredible Rise Up festival, we just want to say thank you. 💜

Thank you to every single person who came out, looked up, smiled, cheered, volunteered, shared photos, supported one another, and helped create something truly special here in Medicine Hat.

Over the past few days, so many of you have shared deeply personal stories with us. Stories of hope. Stories of resilience. Stories of healing, recovery, connection, and second chances.

Many people have told us how Rise Up, and the work of Our Collective Journey, has changed their lives and the lives of their families.

There is something about these balloons that creates an emotional response that’s hard to explain unless you’ve felt it yourself. For so many, they represent more than colour in the sky. They represent hope. Possibility. A reminder that no matter how heavy life can feel, we can rise.

The connection that Rise Up creates has become a safe space for people to open up and share things they may have otherwise never shared.

Dozens of these stories were shared with us personally this weekend, and every single one is a powerful reminder of why this matters.

Thank you for believing in this vision and for continuing to help us build a community rooted in connection, hope, and healing.

This is why we Rise Up. 🎈

05/25/2026

We are excited to announce the winner of the OCJ Rise Up 50/50 Raffle!

Congratulations to Jeffrey Kozakewich on taking home $1,940 from a total jackpot of $3,880.

The remaining proceeds will go directly toward supporting Resilience Coaching for youth in Medicine Hat; helping young people build coping skills, confidence, connection, and long-term resilience through OCJ programming.

Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets, shared the raffle, and supported youth in our community. Your support helps create meaningful impact and ensures local youth have access to trusted adults and programs that walk alongside them through life’s challenges.