Werklund Foundation

Current

The Werklund Foundation strives to have a maximum impact through the charities that we support. We invest in programs and initiatives with the capacity to yield the highest return on our most important asset, our youth.

Our goals include empowering students with the confidence, resilience and motivation necessary to realize their potential. We achieve this through meaningful and sustainable partnerships with educational institutions, other foundations, and community initiatives.

Below are some of the major initiatives that we support:

 Kids Help Phone

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Calgary

Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7 national, bilingual service providing counselling, crisis response, information and referrals – accessible in every province and territory. Kids Help Phone knows the problems facing youth and are Canada’s leading experts in youth mental health and e-mental health solutions. Saving lives, helping young people, impacting communities – in any moment of crisis or need.

They have a proven track record of creating innovative services and delivering them in novel ways. In 2019, the Werklund Foundation partnered with Kids Help Phone as a Founding Donor to launch the Navigation Technology Program powered by the Patrick and Barbara Keenan Foundation. This new program navigates young people through a continuum of new and existing e-mental health services and tools at Kids Help Phone. This technology l reduces crucial wait times and allow young people immediate access to appropriate support. .

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Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Calgary

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Calgary

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area empowers life-changing mentoring relationships for children and youth in Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, and the surrounding communities. BBBS matches children and youth facing adversity with adult role models in professionally supported mentoring relationships that help them achieve their biggest possible futures. Investing in young people's futures pays off, with a social return on investment of $23-to-1 through improved economic, health, and social outcomes.

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Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement

The Werklund Foundation's investment in Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta Economic Futures Council program will help to support additional program reach including new digital literacy programming, high needs schools and aboriginal communities; technology enhancements to increase student reach, student engagement and operational productivity; and sustainability of rural program delivery. For more than 60 years Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta has been a leader in its mission to help students develop an entrepreneurial attitude, a solid and practical understanding of business and finance and a commitment to community.

Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta reaches nearly 35,000 students annually thanks to dedicated business volunteers. Junior Achievement is the link between education and the world of work by giving youth the confidence and knowledge they need to define personal success, enhance their workforce readiness and pursue their dreams.

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Classroom Champions

Classroom Champions

Classroom Champions is a nonprofit charity that has empowered over 5 million children to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically through the mentorship and mindsets of world-class athletes. Working with 250+ Olympic, Paralympic, university student-athletes and professional athletes who volunteer as mentors, Classroom Champions has provided more than $14,000,000 in program and curriculum grants to underserved, rural, and Indigenous communities across the continent. 

The Werklund Foundation has provided significant support in the way of advancing the technology and accessibility of Classroom Champions, helping teachers deliver SEL in a seamless, engaging and powerful way. Students participating in Classroom Champions see significant improvements in the classroom, teachers see improved engagement, and athlete mentors learn new skills to prepare for life after sport

Learn more about Classroom Champions

 

 


Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI)

YPIYPI is an inclusive, multi-award-winning secondary school program that grows compassionate communities by connecting youth to social issues, local charities, and philanthropy at a pivotal stage in their adolescence. YPI engages students within their community and develops teamwork, communication, research and presentation skills. What do people in a student's local community really need? YPI doesn't tell young people the answer to this question. It empowers them to find it for themselves. Student groups are challenged to provide a presentation about a charity that is meaningful to them.  The top group presentations compete to win a $5,000 grant for their charity. As this is often the first chance for students to learn philanthropy, we are proud to partner with YPI to provide grants to the winning charity and to teach young people about the value of giving.

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Youth Central

Education MattersYouth Central is focused on empowering youth to find and build their communities through volunteer based programming. They provide a welcoming and safe environment that is driven by youth. They value meaningful and equal engagement between youth, where individual strengths, ideas and opinions are respected and encouraged. They emphasize innovative programming approaches that prioritize teamwork, creativity, community connection and critical reflection. They believe youth should volunteer and be involved in social change efforts in all levels of community. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT Youth Central


 Young Alberta Book Society – Story Avenue

Young Alberta Book Society – Story Avenue

Story Avenue is an annual set of writing workshops held in Edmonton for all of the Grade 5 and 6 students from five Edmonton schools: Mee-Yah-Noh, Norwood, Oliver, John A. McDougall and Delton. The program was started in 2007 and offers writing workshops taught by professional children's authors and illustrators for approximately 400 students. Session sizes are small, allowing for some one-on-one interaction between students and artists. Each child receives a healthy snack and also takes home the gift of a book by one of his or her instructors. The Werklund Foundation is proud to be a sponsor to offer Story Avenue free of charge to the schools who participate.

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Calgary Arts Academy 

Calgary Arts Academy

The Werklund Foundation partnered with the Calgary Arts Academy in 2016 to help complete the new Youth Campus located at the Calgary Stampede in the historic Weston Bakery building.  The innovative learning campus is the new home for 300 Year 4 to 9 students. Calgary Arts Academy is a Kindergarten to Year 9 Public Charter School that teaches the Alberta curriculum through Arts Immersion, a unique planning model.  The school was founded in 2003 with a focus on the student leaving tradition behind and embraces new education methods and learning style theories. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT CALGARY ARTS ACADEMY

Partnerships
David Werklund

"Education is not a tool for development - individual, community and the nation. It is the foundation for our future. It is empowerment to make choices and emboldens the youth to chase their dreams."

~ Nita Ambani
4500, 400 - 3rd Avenue SW
Calgary, AB T2P 4H2
Werklund Foundation
Telephone: 403.231.6545
Fax: 403.231.6549