The Foothills Children’s Wellness Network (FCWN) has had success with its first annual Youth Community Challenge. Running from April 29 to May 31, the event is shaping up to be a shift in community dynamics.
The month-long event challenges businesses and organizations in the Foothills to recognize the talents and attributes of youth and help build connections, after recent surveys found youth to feel disconnected from their communities.
“There was a lot behind the purpose of coming forward with the community engagement challenge,” said Sharon Dowdall, project co-ordinator for the FCWN – Youth Branch. “This is just a jumping-off point to say to the community that we have a youth branch, we have a network that’s focusing on their needs and what our communities need as well, and this is just one exercise to bring that forward.
“It’s also important to let our youth know that we’re listening and we’re participating, and we’re looking for engagement right across our communities. Youths for businesses, businesses for youth, but also generally in the community.”
The FCWN has served the communities of Black Diamond, Turner Valley, High River and Okotoks for over 10 years, to support happy and healthy children.
“About 18 months ago (the network) explored extending that reach to youth aged 13 to 24, so youth and young adults,” said Dowdall. “That was following an environmental scan of need within all of those communities, and there was an agreement that there was a need.”
Early this year, the youth branch conducted a survey through the school platforms, groundwork and focus groups to get direct feedback from youth aged 13 to 24.
“They came back and were very vocal about wanting meaningful activities as far as volunteer and employment and leadership development, and they wanted access to sports, art, and safe spaces,” said Dowdall. “They had challenges with transportation, and with availability and awareness of our resources.
“There was a need for wanting to build connections and be a part of the community, and to be seen in a positive light, not always be perceived negatively.”
The importance of connection cannot be understated.
“We know that when youth have developed really positive relationships, when they are connected, whether it be within teen groups, whether it be within families or school, we know that strengthens resiliency and we know that supports mental health and wellbeing,” said Dowdall. “When youth are doing well, communities do well.”
The challenge has had excellent participation both from youths and businesses, said Dowdall.
As part of the challenge, the Museum of the Highwood in High River held a free photography class, taught by photojournalist Lorraine Hjalte, to engage youth in the museum.
“It was really fun,” said Irene Kerr, director and curator at the museum. “Like everybody else, we wanted to have more young people coming to the museum, so we thought that would be a fun way to get them to come here.”
The class taught the youths the basics of photography and how to use their cameras, while encouraging them to submit their own photographs.
“The kids are actually going to go out now and take pictures,” said Kerr. “We said to them ‘if you were taking pictures and people 50 years from now were looking at your pictures, how would you show them what it was like in High River?’
“So it makes a connection between the past and the present and the future, and the kids were all pretty amazing. They were showing us their photos so I’m pretty excited to see what they come back with.”
For Kerr, she would like to see youths come to museum outside of school programs, and said this challenge gave them a kick-start to do more programming in the fall.
“We’re really happy any time they want to drop by and just hang out, and maybe learn a little bit more about where they live and High River. We’re always happy to have them here,” she said.
As of the second week of the challenge, 42 businesses will participate in the challenge, with offers of classes, youth clubs, open houses, tours and employment or volunteer opportunities.
“There has been some really neat ideas that have come out of organizations and businesses that weren’t perhaps previously connecting to the youth as intentionally as they’re doing now,” said Loriann Salmon, FSD director of inclusive learning and volunteer member of the family and community engagement working group with the Wellness Network.
“We’re really seeing our community members taking an active role in that, which is pretty exciting because we know the importance of that in supporting the wellness of our youth and we know the importance of that collective responsibility that we all hold in supporting our youth.”
