President's Message

When my father, Dave Werklund, and I began the Werklund Foundation in 2006, our goal was to give back to the community in a meaningful way. Like most family foundations, this meant supporting many of the great charities that work tirelessly every day to make a difference in our community.

In 2006, I attended an executive level leadership course that truly changed my focus. When I discovered there was a similar program for teenagers, I quickly put the pieces together and realized our Foundation could do more than write cheques, we could pioneer an initiative around leadership education. During the next few months I learned what it meant to discover passion, more precisely: my passion.

I had been raised in a family whose core beliefs included the value of leadership and empowerment. My father has always spoken about the importance of sustainability, and how real empowerment occurs when you teach someone how to fish, instead of simply giving fish. Our family couldn’t think of a better way to empower our youth than to provide them with an opportunity to gain the confidence, motivation and resilience to lead in life. I had watched a close family member’s emotional trauma from being bullied, and I couldn’t imagine anything more rewarding than empowering students with the confidence to stand-up for themselves.

The most rewarding part of this journey continues to be the stories: a teenager who is no longer suicidal; a parent who has watched their child discover their power; a depressed teenager who is now socially excelling; and educators who have re-discovered their passion for teaching. On Saturday afternoon I look forward to attending an Empowering Minds™ Teen Leadership Breakthrough graduation, where the heartfelt shares of the students, parents and educators inspire me to keeping going. I am always in awe of the success of each and every class, and the consistency in the results: empowered youth ready to embrace their potential.

In the process of growing the Empowering Minds™ leadership initiative, we have had the pleasure of supporting some of Calgary's finest establishments, all of whom share the Foundation’s vision of excellence in leadership education. Last year, the Werklund Foundation’s Centre for Youth Leadership Education opened at the University of Calgary, and we have great anticipation for the fine research and programs that will be initiated in this Centre.

I would like to send my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported the Werklund Foundation in our endeavor. I look forward to sharing many more successes with you in future years!

Sincerely,

Deanna Werklund
President of The Werklund Foundation