What is self-direction? While participants are invited to join in all kinds of fun and interesting activities, they can always choose to do something else that interests them. The Wondertree Centre is filled with all sorts of supplies for building, drawing, sewing, painting, collaging, magazine-making, printing, music-making, puppet-making, photography, reading, internet-exploring, etc. etc. and Jericho Park and Beach are a skip and a jump away! Why self-direction? Summer Jam is founded on the belief that children naturally know what activities are of value to them. For this reason, we encourage participants to connect with their innate guidance and wisdom and to pursue the activities that interest them. If participants self-direct, what do staff members do? Staff members supervise and support all participant-directed activities, intervening only to ensure safety and to mediate conflict. We are committed to the process over the product, and see our primary work as facilitating the decision-making and communication that lead to healthy engagement and positive interaction between participants.