child friendly calgary
#720 Lancaster Building
304-8th Ave S.W.
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 1C2
Phone (403)266-5448
Fax (403)265-1932
The concept of a "child friendly" city was first introduced in 1991 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Edinburgh's goal was to improve the quality of life for the children of their city largely through the retail and tourism sectors.
In 1992, JoAnne James, producer of the Calgary International Children's Festival, learned of the campaign to make Edinburgh the first "child friendly" city in Europe and began brainstorming with a cross-section of Calgarians. Interest was immediate an d genuine and child friendly calgary was born. It is the only project of its kind in Canada and possibly North America.
child friendly calgary decided to push further than Edinburgh and to include youth programs as well. Children of all ages have much to offer if the appropriate framework can be provided. They could volunteer, make their opinions hea rd, make decisions, and contribute to their community.
The mission statement of child friendly calgary is to "build a city that is known worldwide for its respect of children and its encouragement of their participation as citizens in their community."
child friendly calgary currently has several initiatives underway - all of which are designed to promote children and their involvement in a variety of activities.
A volunteer program for school-aged children involving young people from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. In 1994 over 200 youth volunteers logged over 6300 hours helping at not-for-profit agencies such as the YWCA , William Roper Hull Child and Family Services, the Children's, African, and Folk Festivals, Calgary Between Friends Club, Fort Calgary, Calgary Humane Society, Servants Anonymous, Alberta Children's Museum and many more. The corps works on one-day proje cts throughout the school year.
In conjunction with the Office of the Mayor, thirty elementary, junior high, and high school students were named to a Youth Advisory Council to advise government, education, business, and community leaders on issues that concern yout h. Each member holds a two year term meeting with the mayor quarterly. The council has advised the Glenbow Museum, met with GoPlan organizers, held a forum with members of the School Boards and Alberta Education, supported the Action Committee against viole nce, and met with Teen Expo organizers. Members of the Council participate in the child friendly calgary accreditation program
This project gives youths a chance to learn about philanthropy, leadership, decision making, teamwork, and fundraising. Youths will be asked to serve on the board of a youth foundation. They will raise money, accept proposals for youth-driven initiat ives, and make decisions on which proposals will receive grants.
In conjunction with the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter and the Action Committee Against Violence, child friendly calgary implemented a program to educate Calgary families about the violent toys, compact discs and videos in our community. This progr am was timed to take place during the holiday season so families and children would think about the choices they were making when purchasing gifts. As a symbolic gesture we asked children to bring their violent toys to Southland Leisure Centre for recycl ing. In exchange they received coupons and prizes from local merchants. The three organizations involved were the recipients of a Discovery Toys Peace Heroes Award. From six thousand applications, only three of these awards were given across North Amer ica. Turn in Your Violent Toys Day responds directly to an increasing awareness of violence in our society and is designed to be an annual awareness and educational event.
Working in partnership with Calgary businesses, this program would coordinate a special event allowing children to attend work with their parents. This allows children to understand the job their parents have, as well as meeting their parent's co-work ers, seeing the venue their parents work in and generally gaining a better understanding of a very important part of their parent's life. For older children understanding the actual day-to-day work involved with a particular career can help them establis h their own goals for the future.
child friendly calgary is accrediting businesses that are child friendly. Retail and tourism representatives produced a criteria list for different types of businesses including hotels, restaurants, major attractions, facilities, and the transportation industry. Volunteer Youth from the Youth Advisory Council inspect businesses to determine if they meet the criteria.
child friendly calgary has received enthusiastic response to our convention package offering program options for kids who come to Calgary with their parents attending conventions. child friendly calgary will plan and supervise activit ies, outings, and special events suited to the needs and schedules of the parents and their children.
child friendly calgary is creating a child's activity book with each page dedicated to an image of Calgary. There will be mazes, coloring pages, dot-to-dot, crossword puzzles each sponsored by an accredited business. The book will be distributed free of charge through the Calgary Convention and Visitors Bureau and through the accredited businesses. This sixteen page booklet will be completed for the summer of 1995.
Our tourism programs enhance Calgary's reputation as a great place to visit, live, and do business. At the present time, we are the only city in North America that is child friendly. We provide information to parents and children that is difficult to find in most cities.
As children are being included more often in their parent's activities (business trips, dining, shopping) the activities and venues they use must be better equipped to meet the needs of their young clients. By offering programs such as accreditation o f businesses and the conference package we meet the needs of families and at the same time increase the marketability of Calgary.
Youth in modern society are undervalued and should be asked to take on more responsibility. They need to be included in all aspects of community life. child friendly calgary's youth programs work on the premise that youth want to be contributing memb ers of society but that they need structured opportunities to learn about the community and take on responsibilities. Through various youth initiatives we provide the opportunity for youth to volunteer, serve on boards of directors, voice their opinions to business leaders and politicians, learn about diversity of their community, serve on a youth foundation and learn citizenship.
child friendly calgary is a unique organization with the objectives to motivate all Calgarians, corporations, governments, community groups, schools and business to promote and deliver a better quality of life for Calgary's youth.
"Through our volunteer experience, we gained an understanding about how important it is for people to help and understand other people. We feel much better about ourselves"
Youth Volunteer Corps Member
"I feel the program was helpful in giving the kids a sense of ownership in a city facility hence fostering civic pride and involvement..."
Parent of Youth Volunteer Corps Member
"The volunteers were the heart and soul of our event"
Heritage Day Festival Organizer
"The Youth Volunteer Corps took a job that has required much effort and hassle in the past, and turned it into a low stress, fun part of our event."
Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (Moment on the Mountain)
JoAnne James Dayle Williams Producer of the Calgary Manager Business Development International Children's Festival The Calgary Convention Founder of 'child friendly calgary' and Visitors Bureau Penny Hume Alderman Bev Longstaff Executive Director The City of Calgary 'child friendly calgary' Cheryl Starr Margot Hamilton Cheryl Starr Design Calgary Police Services Chairperson of the Board Doug Lachlan Kenn Knights General Manager Acting Manager The Calgary Centre Calgary Parks & Recreation for the Performing Arts Glenn Lyons Debra Cummins Consultant Travel Editor The Calgary Herald John Currie President Alberta Performing Arts Stabilization Fund
To date we have received support from these very generous organizations helping us to make a child friendly calgary.
Amoco Canada
Calgary Convention and Visitors Bureau
Calgary Downtown Association
Lobsinger Management Inc.
R.G.O Office Products
The Kahanoff Foundation
The Wild Rose Foundation
"Through our volunteer experience, we gained an understanding about how important it is for people to understand other people and their handicaps. We feel much better about ourselves. There is nothing you can lose by volunteering"
quoted from a Calgary Youth Volunteer Corps team
The Youth Volunteer Corps is a program that offers young people of High School and Junior High School ages an opportunity to improve their community through volunteering. Youth from diverse and socio-economic backgrounds donate their time in sustained community service.
YVC, established in Calgary in 1993 by child friendly calgary, is affiliated with the Youth Volunteer Corps of America, and is based on their model, which has been up and running nation wide in the USA since 1986. Calgary's Corps is t he first of its kind in Canada.
During the summer of 1995, over 200 volunteers worked with 35 different agencies throughout the city of Calgary. Youth did everything from assisting kids of all different abilities at summer camps to construction work, painting, and working for the el derly. The kids even took on fundraising and recruitment projects of their own. As a testament to their hard work and commitment, they clocked over 6500 hours of volunteer time.
The Youth Volunteer Corps involves young people in community service enabling them to see themselves as a vital and necessary part of the community in which they live. The YVC is a pro-active, cost-effective youth service program that helps youth volun teers develop important citizenship skills and gain a deeper understanding of their role in the community. It provides, for at risk teens, alternatives to negative activities, drug use and crime. In addition, the Corps' youth volunteers are drawn from the full socio-economic, geographic and ethnic breadth of Calgary. This mix of participants adds depth to each young person's service experience and enhances his or her understanding of their community. Young people learn the value of service to others and th at their future is intertwined with the health of the community.
Each team of young people is led by a trained youth team leaders for two weeks m the summer in carefully structured service and reflection activities to meet community needs. Throughout the school year, they are rim on a more part time basis, taking pl ace on school holidays, weekends and some evenings. Training is provided by the participating agency, and a paid Team Leader is provided by YVC.
The Youth Volunteer Corps Club school program involves students in a school carrying out service projects in that school or the neighborhood around the school. The projects can include adopting a park, visiting nursing homes, tutoring students at a nea rby elementary school, or planning and implementing their own programs to meet the needs of their school. These programs can involve students as young as grade four. The students will receive the additional benefits of being a part of a local network of volunteer clubs, with local sponsorship and direction.
Alberta Children s Museum - YV's had the great opportunity to help this soon to-be-opened museum to run a booth at the Calgary Stampede and help them raise funds and awareness for their project./
Alberta Safe House Society - Our YVC team spent the summer fixing up the house and yard for this agency that houses kids in need.
Alzheimer Society - We assisted the regular staff in the running of the recreational activities of the agency and also helped them to fix up a little around the building by doing some painting and maintenance.
Calgary Humane Society - This very brave team helped with general animal care and cage cleaning during their project at the society as well as building a much needed walking path.
Calgary Zoo - YVC participants took part in the general grounds maintenance at the Zoo and also assisted in a tourism survey that will help them with their marketing for next year.
Calhome Properties - Our team was paired with Youth Probation teens to complete a beautification project for this agency that provides low cost housing for those in need. This included painting over graffiti and landscaping.
Camber Agency - For the second year in a row a group of YV's planned and implemented a family picnic for low income families.
child friendly calgary - YV's helped Child Friendly accredit businesses throughout the summer months by giving a youth-aged opinion about their appropriateness for younger customers.
Dr. Vernon Fanning Centre - volunteers assisted residents of the geriatrics ward with a baking program and helped them to run a bake sale(with their finished products) to raise funds for the Centre.
Eau Claire YMCA - these teens had the opportunity to assist day camp counselors in their activities. as well as plan and implement a weekly carnival for the children from the day camps to attend.
Habitat for Humanity - Volunteers and staff assisted Habitat's annual adopt-a-highway program by getting out there and helping to clean up a large section of Highway 1.
Hull Child and Family Services - Our hard working Team accomplished some much needed painting and grounds maintenance at Hull campus.
Inglewood Community Association - Volunteers with YVC painted anew outdoor hockey rink for the Community of Inglewood.
Lincoln Park - Volunteers assisted mentally disabled adults in their regular recreational activities, as well as escorting them on site to their own volunteer jobs.
Lindsay Park Sports Centre - This group took the leading role with kids attending summer sports camps, by helping counselors run a variety of ongoing activities and events.
MS Society - YVC had the opportunity to help with a recreational program that allowed MS clients to participate in a bowling club on a weekly basis.
Parkmount Achievement Centre - This team helped to enhance the recreational opportunities for disabled adults, by accompanying these clients on outings all over the city of Calgary.
Youth Volunteer Corps - A group of our very own helped the staff to organize the summer wrap-up party for the whole gang.
Various Festivals and Events ..... YVC never misses a special event in Calgary, and had the privilege of participating in several of the local festivals in a Volunteer capacity. This work included the Folk Festival, Mozart on the Mountain, BBQ on the Bow, Afrikadey, Art on the Mall, Heritage Day, the Big Sky concert, and many of the Stampede events.
The Youth Advisory Council is one of child friendly calgary's successful pilot projects and is an important step to furthering child friendly calgary's mission and objectives. The Council, comprised of 30 selected children from Calgary elementary, junior high and high schools, was formed to advise the Mayor's Office and Members of City Council on matters dealing with children's issues. City planners, architects, programme designers, special event planners and priva te business are also calling upon the YAC to give them input from a young person's point of view.
In September 1993, Mayor Al Duerr and Penny Hume, Director of
child friendly calgary, sent a letter to the principal's
of all of Calgary's schools. In it, they asked principals and teachers to
nominate one student from their school. The criteria:
that the
student be articulate, self-possessed, intelligent and have an interest in helping their community. The students submitted an essay for review by a panel made up of Marilyn Kaiser, the City of Calgary, JoAnne James and Penny Hume. Out
of an overwhelming 95 submissions, thirty children were selected.
Council members hold a two year term.
Since its formation in December 1993, the Mayor s Youth Advisory Council have discussed safety issues in their neighborhood and downtown Calgary, they've met with the Glenbow Museum to advise on a forthcoming exhibit and review the new Fourth Floor. The Council also met with GoPlan organizers and representatives from both school boards and plans to discuss issues with the Calgary Police Service. Council members have also volunteered their time accrediting Calgary businesses for the child friendly calgary accreditation program, and at special events for charitable service groups. As well, some council members have been featured on radio and television talk shows. Recently, the council has endorsed the Action Committee Against Violence.
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