Redcliff Youth Centre reflects on a fun-filled summer

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Ryan Dahlman

By Anna Smith
Commentator/Courier

Coming close to the end of a long summer of activities for Redcliff’s future, the Youth Centre is gearing up for the return of their school programming.
It’s been a very busy season, said executive director Taylor Bartram, with roughly 300 youth registered at the centre right now.

“Within July, we partnered with the Miywasin Center and went out to Camp Miywasin. We’ve also partnered with Alberta Health Services, having them come in every Monday and doing some life journals, surrounding some mental health capacity building with our youth, and they get to journal that way,” said Bartram. 

They were also fortunate to have some free swimming events at the Aquatic Centre, as well as the recent Wake-A-Thon fundraiser, in which participants pledged money for how long they could stay awake from the 4 p.m. start to the 7 a.m. finish line.

“It was a night full of bouncy castles and axe throwing and all sorts of fun things to keep them awake,” said Bartram. The summer isn’t over yet, however, and neither are the partnerships that registered youth have to look forward to.

“​​Our first one will be coming up on the 11th. International Youth Day, hosted by Big Brothers Big Sisters, one of their biggest sponsors is Big Marble Farms. So Big Marble Farms is sponsoring that event and we’ll be hosting it at the Big Marble Go Centre having free access to swimming and open gym,” said Bartram.

“The following Saturday on the 19th we will be participating again in the Root Cellar Hunger Race. So participants will be racing across the city comparable to the Amazing Race and we’re one of their competing stops,” said Bartram. “So we’re looking for some youth to compete against the registered participants in some ‘minute to win it’ games at our centre.”

Once the summer is over, the centre will return to their school year hours of 2:30–8:00 p.m., and they are currently looking for a tutor to assist youth with their studies.

“The tutor that we previously had, we’re not sure if she’s able to come back again, as she’s returning to school. So we’re looking for another tutor. And that is a paid position with the grant we got through the Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta,” said Bartram.

Batram added that their October “Glass House Haunting,” is also in the works, one of the biggest fundraisers.