As the school year nears its end, the Chestermere Area Youth and Community Development Society (known as Synergy) is looking to keep local teens busy this summer with a new drop-in program.
According to Synergy representatives, the program is open to all community members and youth aged 12 and up. It’s supervised, unstructured, and free. The program, which begins July 4, will run every Monday through Thursday from 3-5 p.m.
“Whether you’re looking to sit down for a stimulating board game, chat with a mentor, catch up with friends, or simply pop by for a cup of coffee, Chestermere Drop In is the place to do so,” says Synergy Communications Intern Melissa Cavaliere.
She adds that the ReidBuilt Centre for Community Leadership provides a safe and welcoming environment for all, with plenty of games, activities, and space – “the possibilities are endless!”
Synergy hopes to build relationships and inclusion within the community. “With the establishment of the ReidBuilt Centre for Community Leadership, we now have an open and friendly space built for the community, to be shared with and used by the community,” she adds.
As this program is brand new to Synergy, this summer will act as a trial period; the inclusive and unstructured nature of Drop In offers the potential for both the program and community to grow and adapt together. Should this summer be successful, the program will run beyond the summer months.
According to its web site, Synergy was established specifically to serve the needs of a community that has been growing at an extremely rapid rate over the past 15 years. The demographics of Chestermere and area are very young with almost a third of the residents being under the age of 20 years.
A number of community assessments and a formal Social Plan, completed in 2012, identified youth programming, volunteerism and community leadership as sectors requiring formal support and development. Synergy was incorporated under the Alberta Societies Act on November 6, 2013 with a mandate to deliver a continuum of leadership education opportunities to youth and their community.
These programs would not be made possible without generous sponsors. If you would like to sponsor Synergy in running programs such as Drop In, or have any questions, please contact involved@yoursynergy.ca for more information.
