With funding from the Alberta Government’s Culture and Tourism Department, as well as the Bow North Recreation Board and the Chestermere/Conrich Recreation Board, Synergy has been able to purchase a new 12-passenger van and two cargo trailers to help the organization expand its youth programming in the southeast section of Rocky View County (RVC).
“We were fortunate enough to have been given a car last year through ATB, which helped a ton with our Langdon programming – getting supplies and equipment to different camps and retreats,” said Alicea Sproule, youth and community development facilitator with Synergy. “However, it was becoming a real struggle to try and carpool all the kids and bring our staff and equipment with us. As we grew, we knew we needed some new wheels to accommodate that.”
Synergy provides a variety of programs for area youth, mainly promoting leadership, friendship and overall wellbeing. According to Sproule, a major focus for the organization is helping kids relate to each other as well as a variety of adults who “genuinely care about their success.”
“I grew up in this community and I know that even if you have thoughtful, attentive teachers and thoughtful, attentive parents, there are qualities that kids need to develop outside of those places – within themselves,” Sproule said. “They need to be exposed to different kinds of environments and different types of people so they can learn a wide variety of skills and acknowledge the potential that they all have.”
Unlike many other recreational programs for youth, Synergy doesn’t require a specific skill or interest for participation. Sproule said kids don’t have to all be interested in sports or animals or anything else – the idea behind Synergy is to “come as you are” and work together to develop lifelong skills and build solid relationships.
“Currently, we’re doing interviews for our summer interns, who will be out all season running programs throughout the communities we serve,” Sproule said. “We do a positive ticketing program, help operate the Langdon drop-in for youth, and volunteer to help with other community events and non-profits in the community that might need an extra hand.”
With the new van and trailers, Sproule said Synergy will be able to provide even more support to other groups within the community – sharing resources back and forth to help all organizations be more successful for the benefit of all residents.
“Apart from being able to transport more equipment for ourselves and offer additional programming at the Langdon drop-in, we are looking into the potential of having other non-profits benefit from this as well,” Sproule said. “We are so proud of our new van and trailers and we are excited to share it with the community.”
