Youth Week
Celebrating youth in our community
On May 13, 2011 the Airdrie's Got Talent event will be held, highlighting the talents of youth in our community. The show will include entertainment for youth and an opportunity for them to show off their talents.
Airdrie's young talent will be on display at 6:30 in the Genesis Place Field House. Youth are invited to watch their peers from grades 9-12 excel in music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and multimedia. In addition to the showcase, several local singers and dancers will be performing, including Chris Meredith and the band Storm.
Admission is free, but a donation to the Food Bank is encouraged. Everyone attending will be entered to win door prizes.
Youth Strategy
A youth strategy is a policy document that guides a municipality towards greater youth friendliness. It provides a framework to engage youth in their community in ways that result in lasting relationships.
The rationale behind Airdrie's Youth Strategy was not to identify what new or different services the City could provide, but how to look at what we currently offer and how it can be adapted to incorporate the following:
- Ensuring youth feel they have ownership in their community
- Engaging and empowering youth in the decisions that are made around them
- Allowing youth to address some of the problems they face
- Ensuring youth feel welcome and appreciated wherever they are in Airdrie
- Assist youth in enhancing their developmental assets
The Youth Strategy also incorporates the following elements:
- Youth are a resource, not a liability
- Working with youth provides unique possibilities & challenges
- The entire community is responsible for fostering a positive environment for youth
- Youth are the leaders of tomorrow, but can also be the leaders of today
Download Airdrie's Youth Strategy
Hyjinx Airdrie Youth Council
The Hyjinx Airdrie Youth Council is a group of expressive young Airdrie citizens who seek to empower youth in Airdrie and act as the communication gap between youth and the community. This is accomplished by providing advice to the City and local agencies on issues that affect youth. Hyjinx also partners with other groups, agencies, and organizations that also address youth related issues and plan events for youth in Airdrie.
Hyjinx is open to all youth in Airdrie between 13 and 18 years old, and there is no cost to join.
Hyjinx meets weekly at Genesis Place on Mondays from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Please call Robbie at (403) 948-8800 ext. 743 for more information.
To find our more information on upcoming events and opportunities for youth in Airdrie please visit our MySpace page.
Youth Week
Youth Week in Airdrie is held in the beginning of May every year and has been celebrated internationally between May 1st and 8th. Airdrie’s youth council Hyjinx has been planning and running the events for Youth Week since 2005.
The purpose of Youth Week is not only to bring together the youth of Airdrie, but also to begin to get the youth voice out to the community on many youth related issues, (drugs, violence, vandalism, bullying, etc.).
Hyjinx sends out invitations to local businesses, service clubs, youth serving agencies and schools in Airdrie to take part in Youth Week through discounts and events. The events will be posted on this site, advertising everything that is going on in Airdrie for Youth Week.
For more information about Youth Week, please contact Robbie at (403) 948-8800 ext. 8743.
Airdrie Extreme Athletics Association
In September 2005, local youth approached the City to ask them to consider helping them to build a new skate park in Airdrie. A meeting was organized and advertised in schools and around the community for those interested in joining a skate park committee. The attendees brought forward ideas and needs of Airdrie skate park users with consensus around 1,400 square foot concrete park.
The next committee meeting included parents and youth, and the committee decided to call itself the “Airdrie Extreme Athletics Association” to include skaters, bikers, and in line skaters. The group met monthly throughout 2006 to work on the details of a new park, and understood from the beginning that it was going to be a long process and it may not happen in a year. Group members also came together last spring and rebuilt the ramp on the right hand side of the skate park, to make it stronger with new materials.
Currently, the existing equipment at the current Skateboard Park on Main Street is slowly being replaced with new manufactured equipment in order to upgrade the park. The Extreme Athletics Association meets monthly to work on showing that there is a need for a new concrete skate and bike park in Airdrie, giving input into how the park should be designed, and to fundraise for the park. Any youth and adults are welcome to take part in the Airdrie Extreme Athletics Association.
Please call Michael at (403) 948-8800 ext. 8776 for information on meeting days and times.
Anti-Vandalism Committee
At their regular meeting of October 2, 2006, City staff gave Council information regarding a potential vandalism bylaw and strategies to prevent vandalism. At the same meeting, Council received information on a potential curfew to deal with vandalism issues in Airdrie.
Council accepted the recommendation by staff not to pursue the adoption of a Curfew Bylaw, and directed staff to continue investigating other strategies with community members.
In response to City Council’s request, on Tuesday, October 24, 2006, Airdrie residents were invited to City Hall to discuss solutions to combat the rise in vandalism. Approximately 120 residents collaborated, shared ideas and put forward community-based solutions.
The Anti-Vandalism Committee was formed with community members representing youth, parents, seniors, business owners and concerned citizens. The Anti-Vandalism Committee is focused on identifying strategies and implementing initiatives that will positively impact community safety and well-being.