Sylvan Lake

May 12 - June 30

Monday - Friday | 3:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Saturday & Sunday |12:00 PM - 8:00 PM

July 1 - August 31

7 days a week | 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Meet Ewan: Ewan is 22 and has a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from the University of Alberta. After working in our Parks department last summer, Ewan is excited to join the Youth Services team! To help him get ready for his new role, Ewan has completed training such as Mental Health First Aid, High Five Principles of Healthy Child Development, Skate Park Collective training, Community Helpers Mental Health training, First Aid, Positive Youth Development, and Brain Story. These new skills will help him make the Skatepark an inclusive and FUN place to be!

Meet Carson: Carson is 20 and just finished his third year of Film Production at Red Deer Polytechnic! Carson is a familiar face; he was a Skate Park Ambassador last summer and has been working as a Youth Program Assistant at the Flipside during this school year! Carson has been an avid Skate Park user since childhood and is excited to be back to create a safe and encouraging environment for park users! He has training such as First Aid, High Five Principles of Healthy Child Development, Skate Park Collective training x2, Community Helpers Mental Health training, Positive Youth Development training, and Brain Story Certification.

Mentoring programs connect experienced individuals with those seeking guidance, fostering growth, learning, and confidence. Through shared knowledge and support, mentors help mentees develop skills, set goals, and navigate challenges. These programs build meaningful relationships, promote personal and professional development, and create lasting positive impacts for individuals and their communities. 

 

Interested in finding out more? Contact us! 

Email | P/T 587 876 4113 

The Ment-to-Matter program matches high school students (mentor) with an elementary or middle school student (mentee) to build a positive and nurturing relationship:

• Mentors must complete an application, provide references, and participate in an interview and training
• Mentors and mentees meet for one hour per week in their mentee's school
• Mentors are transported by bus from their school to their mentee's school
• Mentors and mentees participate in planned activities or an activity of their choice
• Mentees are referred through their school social worker, teacher or administrator

Email | P/T 587 876 4113 

Think you could make a difference in the life of a young person? GrandPals is a pen pal style program where an older adult is paired with a student to exchange notes and crafts. We even host events to promote stronger connections between the two generations! 

• Program runs September - June 
• Up to 3 in-person events a year 

Email| P/T 587 876 4113

Are you looking to bulk up your resume or gain some volunteer hours? Then look no further because this program gets you just that while also having fun. As a Leader-in-Training (LiT), you will assist Flipside staff in running the Afterschool Crew, Flipside in the Gym,  Kids Connect and Flipside Hangouts programs throughout the entire school year. 

 

LiT Requirements:  

• Must be in grades 7-12  

• Complete an online application form by September 29.  

• Provide at least 2 references  

• Participate in a short interview to ensure suitability  

• Attend a training session on October 20 (9:00 AM - 4:00 PM)  

• Successful applicants must commit to volunteering a minimum of 4 hours per month, November – May.   

• Upon completion of the program, LiT’s will receive a letter of reference, certificate of completion, a record of their volunteer hours and a cash honorarium.  

For more information contact youthservices@sylvanlake.ca.  

Hey Lakers! Do you know of an amazing youth that shows leadership and determination? Nominate them for a Youth Spark Award! This event lets our community honour youth who make a positive impact.

Eligible nominees

• Must live within 15kms of Sylvan Lake and/or go to school in Sylvan Lake 
• Nominees must fall within the age range by the nomination deadline.
• Nominees may only receive a Youth Spark Excellence Award once in their lifetime;
• Nominators should be from outside the child’s immediate family.

How to nominate

To nominate someone for a Youth Spark Award, complete the online nomination form. You will need to take the following steps to fill out the form and complete your nomination:

Step 1: Gather information

The following information is required for the nominee:

• Name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Age (except nominees in the Spark Champion Award)
• Parent/guardian name (except nominees in the Spark Champion Award)
• Parent/guardian contact information (except nominees in the Spark Champion Award)

The following information is required for the nominator:

• Name
• Phone number
• Email address

Step 2: Choose the Award Category

Choose the award category that best fits your nominee. Please do not nominate a youth more than once.

Inspiration Award | Ages 8-18 | Awarded to a young person who inspires others through their strong character and/or by overcoming life’s challenges. This young person:

• Has persevered despite having significant barriers to success,
• Demonstrates resiliency and perseverance, and/or
• Displays strong character and inspires others

Service & Caring Award | Ages 8-18 | Awarded to an individual who helps others and their community. This young person:

• Volunteers their time in a community organization or school,
• Acts in good will to help others, and/or
• Promotes and inspires a sense of community.

Arts & Culture Award | Ages 8-18 | Awarded to a young artist building community through one or more of the following areas: vocal, visual, arts, music, dance, and theatre/drama. This young person:

• Helps others through a passion for the arts,
• Demonstrates commitment and drive while pursuing the arts, and/or
• Displays exceptional creativity and inspiration through the chosen art medium.

Athletic Ambassador Award | Ages 8-18 | Awarded to the young athlete who ultimately shows a love of the game and, through their sport, inspires others to be their best. This young person:

• Demonstrates a great respect for the sport as well as other players and coaches,
• Is a positive representative of the sport, and/or
• Helps their sport by mentoring younger players.

Spark Champion | Adult 19+ | Awarded to an adult who has gone above and beyond to be a champion for one or many youth in the community.

• Helps youth by providing guidance and support when things are tough,
• Made a positive difference for a young person or group of youth,
• Encourages and challenges youth to live up to their potential,
• Demonstrates that they care and value youth, and/or
• Provides opportunities for youth that expand their world.

Step 3: Write the nominee description

In the space given tell us why you think the young person being nominated deserves the chosen award. Be specific and give examples. Share all the great things they have done.

Some questions to think about:

• What is the single most important reason you are nominating this individual?
• How does your nominee make a difference for others?
• What skills or characteristics does your nominee display that makes them stand out from their peers?
• What kind of time or personal commitments do they give in order to make a difference?
• What kinds of challenges, if any, have they had to overcome?

Tips for writing a great nomination!

Step 4: Get consent

• All nominees must consent to participate in the Youth Spark Awards. Please have the adult nominee, or parent/guardian of nominees under 18 years, review and sign the Youth Spark Awards consent form.
• Please confirm that you have notified the nominee or their parent/guardian of their nomination and that someone with the Town of Sylvan Lake will be contacting them with more information about the awards ceremony.

Step 5: Submit the nomination

• Once you have verified that all of the information is correct, submit your online nomination form
• The nomination deadline is Monday, March 31, 2025 at 5:00 pm.

After you apply

• You will receive a confirmation email.
• A selection committee will review the nominations and choose a Youth Spark Excellence Award recipient in each category. Excellence Award winners in each of the youth categories will be entered as a nominee for Youth Citizen of the Year. 
• All nominees will be invited to the award ceremony on May 2, 2025. The awards ceremony is a closed event and only nominees, their immediate families and special invited guests are able to attend. 

Inspiration Award | Minno Letwin

She's an extraordinary mentor in the Ment-to-Matter program, embodying resilience and unwavering dedication to others. As a hearing-impaired individual, Minno has faced unique challenges, yet she has never allowed these barriers to define her potential or limit her impact. Minno's journey is one of determination—overcoming obstacles with courage and inspiring young mentees to do the same. She proves that resilience is not just about pushing through difficulties but about turning them into strengths. Through mentorship, Minno encourages others to embrace their differences, believe in themselves, and strive for success despite challenges. Beyond her perseverance, Minno is an incredibly sweet and caring person, and it shows in the way she mentors. Minno shows all the mentees she works with that she truly cares for them by showing a genuine interest in them, which is rare to come from someone so young. Her warmth and kindness create an inclusive, supportive space where young people feel valued and empowered. Minno is not just a mentor, she is a beacon of inspiration, proving that challenges can be transformed into opportunities for growth.

She is now planning for our 8th Annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event and are working on creating reusable pads and patterns to make shoes that will be delivered to Uganda in April. For Walk a Mile, students are collecting bottles in the school as a fundraiser. Minno is always there first and ensures that the job gets done even when others forget or are quite late. Minno has also assisted with contacting local businesses in search of sponsorship for the event. 

 Service & Caring Award | Hayden Becker

Hayden has been in Interact since she came to HJ Cody. She was president last year, and acts as a mentor this year to the current president. She inspires people with her leadership capabilities. Over the 4 years that she has been involved with the program, she has consistently gone above and beyond by working harder and spearheading more initiatives than any other student. Hayden does not shy away from responsibility and will actively meet up with school administration or business leaders in our community to ensure that an event is successful. She will fight for the underdogs and embrace those in need of support. 

Art & Culture Award | Abigail Austring

Abigail has been such a strong leader during preparation for her school's musical production of Beauty and the Beast. She is always ready to help some of our younger and more inexperienced cast members with their choreography and musical parts. She is patient and strives to help everyone be the best actor they can be. She's constantly ready to fill in if we are missing roles for rehearsals. She brings a positive and joyful attitude to each rehearsal and displays a strong commitment to being the best actress she can be on stage. Abigail has been such an incredible role model that cast members can easily look up to.

Athletic Ambassador Award | Abby Desormeau

Abby is one of the most special people walking this fine earth. A mixed curling team was formed, with Abby as the skip, last year in February. Made up of four kids from HJ Cody who curled before, the team was formed with the intention of having a lot of success. Unfortunately, they came up just short in the semifinals and did not end up getting a medal by one point. Similarly, her curling team missed qualifying for national under-18 curling championships by one point. Suffice to say that it was a heartbreaking year. Fast forward to this redemption year. Abby skipped her team that qualified for nationals by finishing second in the province and won a silver medal at the under-18 nationals in Saskatoon. This was then followed up a couple of weeks later with a win at the Mark Kennedy Junior Classic two weeks later. This competition pitts all of the best teams in Alberta together again. Suffice to say that she accomplished a lot this year athletically.

When you meet Abby, you are immediately struck by how respectful and positive she is. She is kind and considerate and always shows tremendous respect for her opponents, teachers, and mentors. An easy example of this actually comes from last year's HJ Cody school awards. She received an award named after a former student. Unfortunately, she could not make it as she was at a bonspiel. However, being the respectful kind person that she is, she went to their house to personally thank them for the award. If that is not the definition of an athletic ambassador, then I don't know what is. Even though she has experienced a lot of success, you would never know it when you meet her. She is an extraordinarily special kid who deserves all of the recognition she gets.

Spark Champion | Michael Dyck

Michael Dyck is an exceptional, fun-loving, and dedicated youth leader who works hard at bringing kids together for a safe and fun community for the youth! Michael is a husband and father of 4 lively kids that are very energetic and require lots of his attention. Michael has been working at the Alliance Community Church with the youth since 2019 and has been a staple role model in the lives of our youth, at the Alliance Church and through Incline at Timber. Since Michael has been working with our youth, every year we keep growing in numbers and experiencing the impact he is making the lives of our youth. Many new kids come because they hear from their friends that Michael plans lots of fun events. Even though he is a youth leader, he is still a youth at heart. Michael's presence is often know at Timber Coffee here in Sylvan Lake which is where you can see him engaging with a lot of the youth that go to Incline/Timber for their lunch break. It seems though, that every time you walk into Timber, you will catch him meeting with a youth where you can see him being a light in their lives.

The Sylvan Lake Youth IMPACT (Individuals Making Positive Action and Change Today) Coalition is a group of youth in grades 7-12 who plan initiatives that promote belonging for Sylvan Lakers. IMPACT has initiated a number of activities:

• Paint the Town Movement
• Sylvan Lake Pride Week Proclamation
• Development of a downtown "Pocket Park"
• Impact the Environment lakeshore clean-up
• Youth Mural Contest
• Yellow Fish Road project
• Impactful Gardens

 Check out this awesome video of some of things IMPACT has been doing this last year.

Want to make an IMPACT?

If you are or know a youth who would like to learn more about how to get involved, contact by phone/email below.

P/T 403 340 9673 | Email

 

Alberta Health Services Community Helpers Program (AHS-CHP) is a peer helping program for youth, young adults, and adults who support youth. 

This program trains helpers, strengthening their abilities and reducing the stigma around mental health. Workshops can be in a variety of settings including schools and community settings. There are 9 core modules that certify youth as Community Helpers and include:

1. Orientation to CHP
2. Ethics, Assumptions, and Supports
3. Setting the Stage for Helping
4. Helping as a process
5. You Can Help Yourself Too
6. Boundaries and What to do About Them
7. How to Respond in a Crisis
8. Mental Health Awareness
9. Understanding Suicide 

There are also 9 optional modules that can be facilitated at the request of schools or community programs:

10. Stress and Coping

11. Self-esteem, Self-image, and Social Media

12. Healthy Relationships and Sexual Health

13. Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression Awareness (How to be an Ally)

14. Use, Misuse and Addictions-Substances and Processes

15. Grief and Loss

16. Learning and Education Concerns

17. Abuse and Conflict

18. Career and Work Concerns

Community Helpers Program Resources:

• CHP Overview
• CHP Module Overviews and Learning Objectives
• CHP Annual Highlights
• CHP Participant Handouts

Community Helpers for adults who support youth

Sylvan Lake Community Helpers Program offers online and in person training for adults who support youth. This training will focus on strengthening skills and giving information regarding mental health and suicide. After this training, people can better support the youth they work or live with. 

P/T 403 896 4946 | Email

Become cooool as a cucumber with this series of skill-building wellness activities that promote positive mental health and a healthy and happy life.

Find program dates and register HERE

This NEW program encourages open conversation and meaningful connections while family's bond over everyone's favorite meal - TACOS! Whether you're a parent looking to connect with your tween, or a tween wanting to spend quality time with a parent, this program is the perfect chance to strengthen family relationships!

 

On the fourth Thursday of every month!

• Thursdays, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
• Taco based meal provided
• Register

For information about upcoming sessions:

Phone 403 887 1137 Ext. 400 or Email

The Town of Sylvan Lake has received $295,000 from the Alberta Crime Prevention (ACP) grant to fund programs that support at-risk youth ages 12–24. The project runs until March 31, 2027, and will help at-risk youth build: 

• Life skills 

• Resilience 

• Community connections 

• Self-esteem 

• You in Transition:  

A six-week group program for teens and young adults. Participants are often referred by the RCMP, schools, or parents, but self-referrals are also welcome. 

• High Risk One-on-One Support: 

Personalized support for youth facing the highest risks, including referrals to other programs when needed. 

• Safeguard Workshops: 

Community workshops are offered in schools and at The Flipside. Workshops begin this September for ages 14–20, with flexibility based on individual needs.  

• Grant application: December 18, 2024 

• Conditional grant agreement signing date: March 10, 2025 

• Project planning: May 2025 

• Initiative start date: July 15, 2025 

• Initiative end: March 31, 2027 

• https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/pses-civil-forfeiture-grants-funded-2025-26.pdf 

• Alberta Crime Prevention grant information - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-crime-prevention-grant