Our Programs:
Monday: Sports
Tuesday: Hang out
Wednesday: Girl’s Group and hang out
Thursday: Homework and Boy’s Group
Friday: Sports and “Rap Up”
Extras: Arts & Crafts, Games Room, Off Site Activities, Music Studio, and Information & Education
CYC’s Meet The Needs To Succeed
This will be the eighth year that volunteers, and staff, from Cornerstone will take part in CYC’s “Meet The Needs To Succeed” Program, at Sir John Franklin Junior High. We go to the school on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour or two and read with students who are experiencing difficulty with reading or help them with their math or other subjects they might need help with. We have staff and volunteers involved in this program but it is one area where more volunteers are needed.
- Homework
Mondays and Thursdays from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm volunteers meet at the centre to help our community youth with their homework. Youth can also receive help with reading, if they need it. We now have computers with internet access for the youth so they are able to conduct research while doing school projects. We generally see about 6 to 10 students each Monday and Thursday and are only able to accommodate 10 students at any given time. The student arrives at the centre shortly after 3:30pm, sign in and let the staff or volunteers know what they have for home work and then receive a snack before starting their home work. We have found that many of the youth arrive at the centre hungry and we realize that it is difficult to concentrate on studies or home work assignments if the tummy is empty. We provide healthy nutritious snacks, such as, fresh fruit and yogurt cups, milk, juice, cheese buns, toasted bagels and vegies and dip at no cost to the youth. After home work is complete at approximately 5:00pm the youth are able to enjoy the games the centre has to offer.
- Arts and Crafts
The community youth not only look forward to doing arts and crafts with the volunteers on various afternoons but they anticipate it. The volunteers also enjoy offering this activity to the youth. Beading is one of the most popular activities while painting wooden and ceramic figures and decorations at Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter is a close second. Sometimes we will just sit around the tables with crayons, markers and pencil crayons and color mandalas or coloring books. Adults or kids we still like to color. Also, while taking part in these activities, the youth tend to open up a lot more and some great discussions can take place.
- Girls Group
Girls Group is a program designed to engage teenage girls in conversation with adult mentors about the real life issues that they face each day. Girls between the ages of 12 and 15 years of age and staff along with volunteers get together at the centre on Wednesdays from 6:00pm – 8:00pm and participate in various activities that we offer. This year the gals are doing scrapbooking. Some evenings the staff and volunteers will pack up and go to the zoo or to a movie just for a change in activity. This program has been very successful because the staff and volunteers will inject random activities into it thus avoiding boredom to set in.
- Boys Group
The boys are building a slot car race track with scenery and plastic model kits on Thursday.
- Sport Activities
→ Monday Night – On Monday night’s we offer basketball, volleyball, badminton, and other sports at the Vista Heights Elementary School gym. In addition to our regular youth from the centre, we have youth who live in Vista Heights who participate as well. This program is very well attended and is a wonderful form of exercise.
→ Friday Night – The owner/operator of Fitness Plus has generously given the use of his centre to our kids on Friday evenings from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. The youth participate in swimming, racquet ball, aerobic exercise equipment, and weight lifting. This program is also well attended and provides the youth with a form of exercise they may not otherwise get.
- The Calgary Foundation Games Room
In 2001, with a generous grant from the Calgary Foundation, Cornerstone was able to furnish the downstairs with a number of arcade type games such as a pinball machine, an air-hockey table, a foosball game, a shuffleboard table, a Galaga game console, a pool table and a Nintendo game. In recognition of their grant we call the room the Calgary Foundation Games Room. The Calgary Foundation recently gave us another grant that enabled us to enhance the games room with the addition of a dance machine and a bubble top hockey game. We have also added two guitar heroes and a new pool table which was donated by a Calgary woman. The games room is used by the youth on Tuesday afternoons for Movie, Popcorn and Discussion, Wednesday from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm for drop-in, Thursdays from 5:00 pm till 7:00 pm after the homework program and on Fridays from 12:30 pm till 7:00 pm.
- Off Site Activities
We find each year that a lot of our community youth have never been to a Calgary Stampeders’ football game, or a Calgary Flames hockey game or a Hitman hockey game. But, because of generous donors, we receive tickets to all three sporting events, so, volunteers and staff are able to experience some wonderful first time events with the youth. At some of the games the youth and volunteers are able to meet some of the players and get an autograph or two. We hope to be able to do some more of this in the coming year. Have tickets you can’t use? We have kids you can!
- The Music Studio
To date we have invested approximately $5,000.00 into musical instruments, guitar amps and a digital recording console. The addition of these items to the studio has made it a hit with most of the youth who frequent the centre. Volunteer musicians and staff spend time with the youth teaching them and jamming with them, sometimes for hours. This is one area where young attention spans are not short. Some of the youth have done well enough to play in public. We have recently invested $2,500.00 in more equipment such as another two guitars, powered speakers, microphones and another amplifier. This wonderful program allows for self expression, imagination, and team work.
- Information and Education
One afternoon each month we invite a speaker from another organization in to speak to our youth about an issue of importance to them. Topics can range from anger management to drug and alcohol abuse to bullying to self worth to body image, etc. The youth generally participate well in this program and disclosure and conversation can be quite insightful.
- Friday “Rap Up”
Our Friday “Rap Up”, which takes place on Fridays, continues to be a hit with the youth. Two volunteer facilitators offer the youth a safe place and time to talk about issues that are of interest and concern to them.
For more information about our Programs or if your are interested in volunteering for any of our programs, please contact us.