WHAT IS THE PROGRAM ALL ABOUT?
The Cranbrook Youth Ambassador Program has two key components:
Self/personal development and leadership; and,
Applying for the position of one of the two Youth Ambassadors for the City.
Self-Development: Unlock Your Potential
At its core, the Program is a leadership program for young women in grades 10 and 11 focused on self-discovery, empowerment, and community engagement. We provide a supportive environment where you can explore your leadership potential, refine essential skills, and increase self confidence. Our focus on personal growth encourages candidates to discover your unique strengths, values, and aspirations. We also focus on community involvement, and you’ll learn about your community and the value of making a positive impact. To learn more about the programming offered, check out the PROGRAMMING section below.
Building lifelong friendships and having fun are integral parts of our program. In six short months, you will gain self confidence and we provide training in everything from public speaking and resume writing to financial management and budgeting. We are also big on being part of the community. From rolling up your sleeves with the kids at the Children’s Festival to raising money for our charity of choice, we have a lot of fun volunteering in the community. In addition to the addition to the self-development and leadership training, candidates have an opportunity to become an official Youth Ambassador for the City of Cranbrook, participate in the Youth Ambassador Showcase and much more.
Cranbrook’s Youth Ambassadors
Cranbrook’s official Youth Ambassador Team is named at the Showcase in June. These two individuals commit to representing the city as its official Youth Ambassadors for the coming year. Although there are two officially named, all candidates in the program continue to be given the opportunity to represent the City as Ambassadors at various functions and, in the event of a required absence, are also invited to participate in travel events.
OUR STORY…
The Cranbrook Youth Ambassador Program, as it is known today, has nearly a 60-year history in Cranbrook.
For MANY years it was known as the Sam Steele Sweetheart Program as a big part of the program’s role is to promote the City’s Festival - which in those days was Sam Steele Days.
But many people don’t know, the program actually started as a fundraiser for the local hockey club!
To learn more about the history of the program, click the button below.
PROGRAMMING
Personal Finances
Paying bills, credit, interest rates, account types, credit cards
Budgeting, saving, paying off debt, big purchases
Goal Setting
Setting, achieving and measuring goals, long and short term
Time Management
Prioritizing, organization, scheduling, balancing school, work, social and extra activities
Personal Safety
Self defense
Emergency preparedness
Basic car care and maintenance
Health & Wellness
Importance of sleep, relaxation, nutrition
Healthy strategies for coping with stress
Public Speaking
Learn from Toastmasters
Receive a Toastmasters International SpeechCraft certificate
Note Taking
Importance of sleep, relaxation, nutrition
Healthy strategies for coping with stress
Online Meeting Tips and Tricks
Learn from Toastmasters and receive a Toastmasters International SpeechCraft certificate
Career Preparation
Resume and cover letter writing
Interview skills and panel/board interviews
Making a first impression
Networking
Personal Presentation
Skin care, hair care tips and tricks, make up application, walking in heels, etiquette
History & Community Learning
Learn about the Ktunaxa people and culture
Fascinating moments in Cranbrook’s history
City of Cranbrook - Council members, meetings, decision making
Cranbrook Tourism
WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT?
We have meetings Sunday afternoons from 1pm-4:30pm between January and June, and the Program ends with the Showcase during Spirit of the Rockies Festival. A calendar is provided in January once the bulk of the programming has been confirmed and we provide as much advance notice as possible if there are changes or additions to the calendar. As community involvement is a key part of our program, we do try to accommodate community requests as they come up; however, most of the calendar is laid out in at the start of the program so families have a good grasp on the time commitment.
We do not meet on weekends with Statutory Holidays or during Spring Break.
There are also Toastmasters meetings once a week (generally Wednesday evening) from April until the beginning of June and you get a Speechcraft Certificate at the end that you can use on your resume. We do different team building and community events and we usually do at least one trip to another community.
We pack a lot in, but the skills you’ll learn through our Program, you’ll use for the rest of your life. Some of our programming his highlighted below.BURSARIES
In addition to the training offered throughout the program, we also offer a $500 scholarship to the official Youth Ambassador Team, a $500 bursary for the Community Awareness award, and a $250 Talent bursary. The Community Awareness bursary is awarded to the candidate who scores the top mark on the Community Awareness Exam - which is based on several key presentations provided by community volunteers. The Talent bursary is awarded to the candidate who receives the top score from the Selection Panel during the Showcase in June.
SPONSORS
To help ensure costs are kept to a minimum and all candidates have the same access to needed funds, we have community sponsors. Not only to these sponsors provide funding to help support the candidate’s journey through the program, they also teach the candidates about their service club/organization or business. This has lead to incredible opportunities for our candidates and is a wonderful way to give them a unique experience within our community.
WHAT IS THE SHOWCASE?
Much like a play involves months of rehearsing and the achievements of the actors are highlighted on stage during the production, the Showcase (held the 3rd weekend of June during the community festival) is intended to showcase the achievements of ALL the candidates. Among the segments of the Showcase, they present their formal speech and a talent presentation. The program provides all the training and supports leading up to the Showcase so that every candidate has the tools to be well prepared. For those unsure of what they could do for their talent, the program works with them to have something prepared.
In addition, there is also a second piece to the Showcase: the selection of the two Cranbrook Youth Ambassadors for the coming year. There is a panel interview and a selection panel spends time with the candidates and casts ballots during the Showcase as part of this selection process. This is all covered in detail with the candidates and their parents/guardians during information meetings and in January. While two ambassadors take on the responsibility formally for the coming year, it’s important to know that all candidates are invited to continue to participate and act as ambassadors throughout the year.