Volunteer Airdrie Youth Volunteer Corps

Organization Name: Volunteer Airdrie Society
Community: Southern Alberta (City of Red Deer and south)
Funding Request: $7,000
Start Date: 2018-07-01
End Date: 2019-09-01

The Cause

Youth engagement is a serious issue in Airdrie, along with youth mental health and employment. The City of Airdrie's Social Planning Department has been studying youth engagement and developing its Youth Strategy over the past several years. The latest findings of a consultant study done on this subject found that there is a need for an organization that provides flexible recreational and mentoring programs for youth. Volunteer Airdrie believes that creating a Youth Volunteer Corps, similar to Youth Central in Calgary will provide Airdrie's youth with an attractive alternative to meet these identified needs.

Who Will it Benefit?

Volunteer Airdrie's Youth Volunteer Corps will benefit youth in the 12 to 24 year old age group, which makes up over 8,600 residents or 13% of the City of Airdrie's population. Volunteer Airdrie has an 11 week free youth leadership development program called LEAD, which is modeled after the City of Calgary's LEAD program. We believe that graduates of the LEAD program would benefit from the opportunity to continue volunteering in our community through a local YVC program.