Schools as Community Hubs

The Schools as Community Hubs project is a three year project coordinated by the REACH Edmonton Council for Safe Communities, with support from key partner agencies including Edmonton Catholic School District and the City of Edmonton. Emerging out of the innovative recommendations of the REACH Report (www.reachreport.ca ), and funded by SCIF (Safe Community Initiative Fund) Grant, Schools as Community Hubs sees schools as important access points for families and youth which can provide a focus point for support and community connection.

The Schools as Community Hub concept offers a diverse continuum of connection, services, engagement and academic learning opportunities during out of school time, evenings and weekends and through the summer for children, youth and families of that school and the surrounding neighbourhoods.

The Schools as Community Hubs Project involves two pilot schools in our district, St. Alphonsus School and St. Patrick School. Edmonton Catholic Schools will bring together key community partners such as Catholic Social Services, the City of Edmonton, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Rotary, The Family Centre and The Support Network, to create wrap around community hubs for at risk youth, children and families, where they live. The Schools as Community Hubs will integrate faith, life and culture according to the District’s foundation statement.

This initiative will be administered by Leadership Services, School Operations Services and a full time coordinator, who will oversee the day to day operations of hub sites. The coordinator will assure that the focus of the program is supporting diverse families, youth and children living within the hub area, by developing relationships with key community service providers and arrange an umbrella of services to be provided at the school hubs whereby needy families will be better served. 

Centre for Arts and Music - Artist Development Program at St. Alphonsus School

The Centre for Arts and Music (CAM) comes to St. Alphonsus twice a week after school to do an artist development program. The students learn everything about making music, including how to write a song, play instruments, sing and even produce music. During our fall break Rock Camp, our students wrote a song for a contest for National Addictions Awareness Week. On Saturday, November 19, 2011 they performed this song for the National Addictions Awareness Week showcase. Their great performance won the contest.

Play the audio clip below: