United Way Winnipeg Youth

Dakota Collegiate (Operation Rudolph)
December 8, 2001 (Amount granted: $1000)

Dakota Collegiate’s Black & Gold Society got into the Christmas spirit last year by throwing a party for dozens of young children who lived near the school. Code-named “Operation Rudolph”, the event was designed as a way to reach out to kids and bring the community together during the holidays.

After being dropped off at the school by their parents, the young guests played games with the hosting high school students. Then they were treated to a full lunch and a visit from a very special guest – Santa Claus. Played admirably by Dakota’s Principal, Santa was given a boisterous welcome before being almost overwhelmed by dozens of energetic gift requests.

Shaw United Way Youth Connections provided a $1000 grant toward the cost of this project, and the Dakota students donated several hundred dollars themselves, giving up wages that they would have normally kept after working in their school’s Christmas tree lot.

Kelvin High School (Kelvin Bridges Initiative: Kids Connecting With Kids)
December 18, 2001 (Amount granted: $1000)

Last December, students from Kelvin High School hosted the entire population of Gladstone Elementary School for a fun-filled morning that included a pancake breakfast, games, crafts and a toy for every child. This event, which has run for the last two years, was designed by a group of Kelvin students to create a sense of community by showing both children and teenagers what is beyond their immediate surroundings. Gladstone is situated near Kelvin, but the cultural and socioeconomic makeup of that neighborhood is very different.

“We hoped that this experience might change some of the young children’s perceptions of high school as a frightening place to attend,” said project team leader Mable Chan. “Teenagers are sometime portrayed negatively in the media, and high school can seem intimidating to younger children because of it.”

In addition to the core group of students who made up the main project team, over 100 other Kelvin students helped to make the event a success.

Youth Connections has been a proud partner in this event for two years, providing a $1,000 grant that was used to buy food and toys for the Gladstone students.

Isaac Newton School (Community Pride Project)
December 2001 to June 2002 (Amount granted: $375)

Last fall, fifteen Grade Nine students from Isaac Newton felt discouraged by the all-too-popular perception that young people are troublemakers and don’t contribute to society, so they started a free snow-clearing service for residents near their school to prove that myth wrong. From December until April, the group worked almost every day shoveling driveways and sidewalks for people who were unable to do it themselves.

After advertising their service and generating interest in the community, the group applied for and received a Youth Connections grant for $375, which helped them buy shovels and ice choppers. Since Isaac Newton is in a low-income community, many of the project team members could not afford their own winter clothing, so they also purchased gloves, hats and scarves to keep themselves warm.

After the snow melted, the project team celebrated new friendships by using some of their Youth Connections grant to host a wind-up party for the community members they helped throughout the winter. The end of winter did not mean the end of their project, however. They decided to expand their service by offering to pick up trash in the area around the school, and have purchased garbage grabbers to do that job more efficiently. Now, the whole block around Isaac Newton School is living proof that young people are proud, contributing members of their communities.

St. Norbert Immersion School
January 21 & February 12, 2002 (Amount granted: $700)

Grade Nine students at St. Norbert Immersion decided to address the issues of teasing and bullying by organizing a conference for their fellow students. Phase 1 of the conference was an educational but very entertaining presentation by the Canadian Half Pints, a basketball team with an average height of 4′ 4″. Their unique experiences make them perfect for the task of teaching kids about the negative impact of teasing and bullying others. They are also very good at basketball, as they proved in a game against students and staff.

Phase 2 of the conference involved a series of short presentations and workshops on topics like respect, harassment, diversity and school violence. Experts from around the city came in to talk to the students, who participated enthusiastically and came away from the experience with a better awareness of how their fellow students deserve to be treated.

Youth Connections granted the St. Norbert Immersion project team $700, which was used to bring in the Canadian Half Pints and a number of local speakers.

P.A.S.S. (Promoting Aboriginal Student Success) Conference
February 14, 2002 (Amount granted: $1000)

The youth members of Selkirk , Manitoba ‘s P.A.S.S. Committee held a youth conference to encourage students to stay in school. The event consisted of a lunch, followed by a number of guest speakers from the aboriginal community. These speakers emphasized how important an education is to all young people. Parents in the audience were encouraged to support their children in their pursuit of an education.

The conference also featured a traditional aboriginal feast and several cultural performers, and was intended to be a celebration of culture that would demonstrate the rewards of staying in school. Several of the speakers were prominent members of the aboriginal community who are seen as role models for young people.

Youth Connections provided a $1000 grant that helped cover the cost of the conference.

Oak Park High School ( Battle of the Bands)
April 12, 2002 (Amount granted: $731)

Last April, Oak Park High School students organized a benefit concert for a fellow student who is visually impaired. Because he had to rely on a teacher’s assistant to read his assignments out loud for him, he had been having a hard time keeping up with his schoolwork, so his friends at Oak Park decided to raise enough money to buy a computer program that will help him be more independent.

The benefit concert featured five high school rock bands and several acoustic performers. The rock bands were judged and the winning band was awarded a $200 prize. The school and the community showed up to help support the event, and in the end, they helped to raise over $1000 to buy computer software to help this student read more easily. This software will allow him to have the same learning opportunities as other students, and will enable him to further his education after high school. After he has moved on, the software will be kept at Oak Park High School for other visually impaired students to use.

Maples Collegiate (Celebrate Community Carnival)
May 10, 2002 (Amount granted: $1000)

For their project, a group of about 30 Maples students organized and hosted their first ever community carnival, which was open to neighborhood families and students alike. Though the event was held inside because of poor weather, the carnival was a huge success, with many visitors attending throughout the day and evening.

The students who organized the event hoped to increase their school’s profile in the community by offering entertainment for children and families in the area. Several different groups from the school were involved, with the foods department supplying lunch for visitors, the woods department helping with supplies for the games, and the band and theatre groups performing on the main stage.

Hundreds of people attended the event, including high school and elementary school students, children from daycare facilities and entire families. Youth Connections was happy to provide a grant for $1000, which was used to purchase food, prizes and other supplies for the carnival.

Sister MacNamara Torch Club (3 on the Floor Basketball League)
March – May 2002 (Amount granted: $1000)

The Torch Club is a group of young people who spend time at the Sister MacNamara branch of Winnipeg Boys & Girls Clubs. They meet to learn about community service and to develop leadership skills. Last spring, the Torch Club decided that the youth in their neighborhood needed more positive recreational activities, so they set out to create a basketball league. What they ended up with was a great success, giving 120 participants almost three months worth of regular basketball for only $5. Players who made it to all of their games even got their money back.

The Torch Club used money they raised themselves to buy equipment for the league, and the city of Winnipeg covered the cost of the gym permit. Youth Connections provided a grant that went toward replacing worn out basketballs and pinnies, as well as prizes for the winning teams.

The fact that the league’s participation rate was almost 100 percent shows how important it is for youth to have accessible recreational activities. The Torch Club definitely addressed a need in their own community, and they hope to run the same league next year.

Acadia Junior High (Multicultural Week)
May 21-24, 2002 (Amount granted: $65)

To celebrate the diverse cultural backgrounds of the students at Acadia , several student council members decided to organize a multicultural week at their school. Their plan was to promote understanding by showcasing entertainment, fashion, art and other activities that are unique to each cultural group.

Youth Connections helped pay for a multicultural display that highlights each country that is represented by an Acadia student.

Grant Park High School (How To Deal With Peer Pressure)
May 22, 2002 (Amount granted: $673)

Knowing how difficult it can be to graduate from elementary school into high school, the student council at Grant Park High School hosted a seminar to help prepare grade six students for the big move. About 75 children, all of them changing schools this year, were invited to take part in the seminar. The event started with a pancake breakfast, and then moved to the gym, where Grant Park students talked and performed entertaining skits that demonstrated how to deal with negative situations like peer pressure and drug and alcohol abuse.

After the skits, the younger students were encouraged to ask questions about what it is like to be in high school. They then spent time playing games, interacting with the older students. The goal of this project was to help these future grade seven students feel supported and welcome before they begin classes in September 2002. That way, they will be better equipped to take on any of the challenges they might encounter in high school.

Youth Connections helped to pay for breakfast and transportation for the elementary school students.

Miles Macdonell Collegiate (For A Better Tomorrow)
May 2002 (Amount granted: $1000)

After spending the year learning how to run their own businesses, Career Quest students at Miles Macdonell decided to spend the last few weeks of school focusing on a different kind of project. They chose two homes near the school and provided free repairs for the low-income homeowners. “We wanted to help people who did not have the means to improve their homes,” said project team leader Courtney Chubaty. The team also hopes that their handiwork will encourage other homeowners to take pride in the appearance of the neighborhood.

An added benefit for the 30 plus students who worked on this project is the experience they got by being involved. Different groups were responsible for house selection, public relations, finances, buying supplies and recruiting volunteers.

Youth Connections provided a $1000 grant to help cover the cost of paint and other building supplies. This is the third year that Miles Mac students have done this type of project; last year they painted and planted flowers at an inner city drop-in centre.

Planning & Design Club (Ideas Competition)
June 1, 2002 (Amount granted: $600)

The Planning & Design Club met for several months last winter to learn about neighborhood planning, site analysis and to develop other community building skills. Their experience with the club ended with an all-day conference where they passed on some their skills to other community members. Dozens of young people and adults from the West Broadway area of Winnipeg took part in the conference, which was designed to teach people about community revitalization and how to make buildings and neighborhoods look and fell more inviting.

Built into this event was an ideas competition. Groups were challenged to come up with ideas for enhancing the school building and grounds at a local high school that has been described as “too institutional” in appearance. The club members hope the winning ideas will be implemented some day.

Youth Connections helped to pay for food and prizes for the groups who took part in the competition.

• 2000-2001 projects
• 2001-2002 projects
• 2002-2003 projects
• 2003-2004 projects
• 2004-2005 projects
• 2005-2006 projects
• 2006-2007 projects