Summary: "Community Involved Adolescents" (C.I.A.) - Westlawn Junior High School - Edmonton, Alberta Canada

The Community Involved Adolescents project is a successful community building initiative that has opened the doors for students at Westlawn Junior High to share their gifts and become involved in the community. The students who are part of this initiative are students who have shown the potential to be leaders and who represent a broad cross-section of the student community.

The CIA currently receives funding from the Community Mobilization Project, an initiative of the national Crime Prevention Centre.

The goals of the CIA are:

1. Youth identify, learn about and build on their own interests and strengths, as well as the interests and strengths of other CIA members.
2. Youth learn what is positive about the neighbourhoods and communities around their school, and help improve the community.
3. Youth find meaningful ways to contribute to the neighbourhoods and communities around their school, now and in the future.
4. Youth share their CIA experiences.
5. Youth ensure that the CIA is relevant to them.
6. Have fun!!!

The Community Involved Adolescents or the CIA are Grade 8 and 9 students who positively represent Westlawn Junior High School and the Jasper Place Gateway Foundation in Edmonton."

"Our main goal is to use our gifts and leadership skills to break down stereotypes about teens. We do this by sharing our gifts with people we meet, especially those we wouldn't have the opportunity to meet otherwise."

"We individually will be taking on adult responsibility and will be networking and building alliances with other organizations."

"In short, the CIA is an active force in our community and we intend to make our community better."

Some of the success experienced by the CIA include:

• Worked with members of Jasper Place Gateway Foundation and the City of Edmonton to enhance the local Butler Park with over 4000 marigolds.
• Organized a penny carnival for four local day cares.
• Catered a luncheon for 60 Community Builders from across Edmonton.
• Sponsored a Halloween dance at their School and assisted "Halloween Alley" with their record-setting food drive for the Edmonton Food Bank.
• Presented in April 1998 at the "Alberta Coalition for School Health - Healthy Kids Learn Better" Conference in Calgary (the only youth in attendance), and were hi-lighted at the "Health Education Resource Showcase" in Wetaskiwin (October 1998).
• Presented at the Alberta Public Health Conference 1999.
• Team building at the Centre for Outdoor Education in Nordegg, Alberta.
• Came up with the ideas for, planned, built, and operated a Haunted House for the Glenwood Community in 1999 and 2000.
• Helped Afton elementary kids with their educational trip to the John Walter Museum.
• Presented at the Building Communities conference in Red Deer.
• Helped organize and host a Christmas lunch at Westlawn school for community members.
• Planned, organized, and helped run a successful Christmas dance called the "Snow Ball" with a portion of the proceeds going to the WIN HOUSE.
• Toured each of the six communities in the Jasper Place Gateway Foundation area to learn more about our community and get to know some of the people who live and work in the area.
• Re-cycled phone books to help clean up the environment and raise funds for our leadership trip.
• Held a mock city council debate in council chambers to discuss the straightening of Stony Plain Road and whether a park should be developed on the small piece of land that will remain.
• Held Wake-a-thons to raise funds for our leadership trips.
• Participated in a CIA RAFF'n in the Community Day to build relationships with people who work in the JPGF community and learn more about our personal interests.
• Developed a new CIA logo.
• Helped clean up the community by taking part in the Dirt Buster Derby race on Stony Plain Road.
• Held a Teddy Bear Fair for young kids in the community to enjoy.
• Helped beautify the community by purchasing and planting flowers in two JPGF parks, Butler and St.Ann. We also put up a bird house tower in each of the parks - the birdhouses were donated by Artra Art Supplies and painted by the CIA.
• Went on a CIA Leadership Trip in Canmore June 8 - 10. We did this to strengthen our leadership skills, meet other community involved youth, and learn more about other communities.
• Held a Spring Seniors' Tea at a local Seniors Centre - April, 2001. The CIA and the seniors shared and learned more about each other
• Enjoyed a CIA Crazy Camping Trip in June to finish of the 2001 year
• The CIA annual flower planting was held once again at two local parks - Butler and St. Ann
• Began the 2001/02 year with a retreat/camp that allowed the group to learn what gifts and resources each had to share with their team.
• Presented at the Muttart 2005 Building On Success workshop in October, 2001.
• Created two very scary Haunted Houses - one for the Glenwood Community Halloween Dance and one for Halloween Alley in the Grovenor Community. Over 400 people viewed the Haunted Houses along Halloween Alley and CIA raised over $200.00 at their very scary haunted house to cover the cost of building it.

CIA Evaluation

An evaluation for CIA is in place to show it's long term impact on the lives of these youth and their community!

The CIA were fortunate in receiving two more years of funding from the Community Mobilization Project (CMP).

This school year (2002/03) will see the CIA expanding to provide mentorship to the students in the nearby Glendale Elementary School.

For more information contact:

Susan Roberts
Phone: (780) 987-2002 ext.#1
Email: raff@cbr-aimhigh.com

http://www.cbr-aimhigh.com