Summer Day Camp Program at new YCC Forest Lawn Centre

The Cause

With the opening of our new youth centre in Forest Lawn in September 2024, YCC will create a new summer day camp program for the kids. YCC's summer program aims to offer opportunities for organized sports and other activities to youth in Forest Lawn while they are on summer break. Programs will keep them engaged and active during the summer holiday, keeping youth busy, active and nourished while parents/guardians have to work.

We are reaching a whole new group of underserved kids 9-15 in Forest Lawn from the three schools right across the street from this our newest and second centre.

The summer program will include;
- sports
- field trips
- art
- music
- games
- food

Our summer program will for 8 weeks in July and August. Anticipated attendance at camp is 75 youth.
We expect that all youth registered would complete at least 6 weeks of the camp with many attending
for all 8 weeks.
At the end of the camp we expect the youth to have been introduced to at least one new sport and have improved their skills in at least one sport.
We expect to see team building and leadership as well as sportsmanship and losing and winning
gracefully.

Who Will it Benefit?

We have impacted the lives of approximately 400 youth in our current centre in the Ogden community in addition to their families. We expect to have the same impact in Forest Lawn.
YCC – Ogden currently serves over 300 registered low income and underserved kids aged 9-15 years, a time of life neuroscientists agree is critical in the development of the human brain, particularly the executive function. This is a period of time where we can have maximum impact. Exposure to toxic stress at this juncture in life, if left unmitigated, will change the architecture of the brain such that chances of thriving in the playground, in education and in life are slim. After school programming and summer camp programming such as YCC’s offer kids living in toxic stress and food insecurity a “break” and a feeling of safety and community. Age 9-15 is also a critical time when kids set their goals, a time in life when kids dream of what they will become. This is also a time when they are easily influenced by those around them, those with whom they choose to spend their time. Studies at the Centre for Childhood at Harvard University note that the primary key to success for children of all backgrounds is having access to an adult who supports them in achieving their dreams. This makes programming such as YCC very important in the development of healthy adults. In choosing a second location for YCC, we researched underserved, low-income, relative high crime, high unemployment communities. From our data, and on the commentary of local school administration and social workers, there has not been any consistent programming in the Forest Lawn area focusing on the needs of young teenagers after school or during the summer holidays. In fact, YCC is the only organization in Calgary that has adopted the model of “easy access/one stop for all activities that kids need every day”. There is insufficient access to healthy food and recreational activity. Many community youth come from immigrant families and families who also struggle from systemic discrimination and social isolation. YCC offers a sense of community and diversity. YCC’s policies clearly indicate, modelled by staff and volunteers, that every youth has a right to respect, dignity and inclusion, without discrimination based on race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnicity, citizenship, creed, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, family status or disability.