Youth Champion Facilitators

At the Calgary and Area Child Advocacy Centre, we do things differently so that we can make a profound difference. We are pioneering new ways to work together and in doing so are setting a new standard and strengthening our collective ability to help children, youth and families live healthy and productive lives. Our goal is to develop an integrated model that provides the very best services to children, youth and families impacted by abuse. Our aim is to become a Centre of Excellence specializing in leading practices, training, community awareness, education and research focused on child abuse, known across Canada and around the world for the work we do and impact we have.

The Youth Champions Initiative engages schools from across Calgary to create conversations around mental health, early childhood trauma, and child abuse. Students at each school learn and spread awareness about these issues, fostering hope and resiliency in each school community. Participating pre-service teachers will collaborate with the Centre to facilitate conversations among Youth Champions and guide youth as they implement their initiative over the course of the school year.

Facilitators will...

Pre-service teachers will act as liaisons between the CACAC and participating Youth Champions Schools.
Participants will facilitate in-school conversations as students work to develop their youth champion initiatives.

Once you're there...

Participants will support a school's initiatives from early October until mid-May, allowing participants to develop meaningful relationships with their school and youth champions. Breaks for Field Placements are incorporated into the program schedule.

Supporting their work...

Individual activities will vary based on the students' chosen initiatives and/or learning needs, but may include: facilitating group conversations, guiding youth as they implement their initiative, offering suggestions to help see their initiatives realized, and gathering relevant resources/information from the CACAC

What you bring...

As a facilitator, it is your role to support the process as students generate ideas and put their initiatives into action. For example, you are not expected to decide what students discuss/act on, but instead serve as an active listener, reflecting back during group discussions and connecting students with resources as needed. The Facilitator role varies noticeably from school to school based on your students' interests and needs.

Keep in mind...

You are not expected to address mental health with the students you are working with directly. Instead, Facilitators work with students as they develop an initiative in support of positive mental health for their school community.

Additional Information

School-based group mentorship program
Age of Children/Youth: 14-18 Years Old
Program Locations:
- Calgary and Area Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC) - 3820 24 Ave NW #400
- 1 of ~15 participating High Schools in Calgary

Requirements

Pre-service teachers need a current Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening (issued after July 1, 2020). Students who do not already have a police check should begin this process at their local police station as soon as possible, as police checks often take 4-6 weeks to process.
Most Youth Champions schools hold their meetings during their school's lunch break, as it is difficult for students to meet after school. Facilitators therefore need to have some daytime availability, including the ability to get to/from the school for lunch hour meetings (specific days vary by school). As a result, participants with access to a car are usually better able to reach their school in time each week.

Making Connections

Throughout the year, pre-service teachers will curate their service experiences using a creative medium (e.g., photos, art, storyboarding, videos, etc.) that best reflects their experiences in the program. Your creative reflections will form part of a public showcase of Werklund’s service-learning program later in the year.
Pre-service teachers will participate in 2 group meetings each semester: one at the mid-point and another at the end of their placement (1 hour each). These group meetings provide pre-service teachers with opportunities to reflect on the service-learning experience, and to guide improvements for the program.

Dates and Times

Program Dates: October 2020 - May 2021
Individual dates and times will vary based on school schedules and participant availability.
Service-Learning Orientation: Friday, October 2^nd, 2020
CACAC Tour, Training, and Program Overview: End of September
School Visits: TBD, based on your schedule and the schedule of your school. We strongly encourage you to attend as many of your students' meetings as possible.
Mental Health Summit: Date and time TBD
Meeting with CACAC and School Educators: Early January (1.5-2 hours)
School planning meeting: Early January (1 hour)
Attend Student Initiative (2 hours)
Other time commitments to support meeting students' needs (1-2 hours per semester)