Blog

Sofia Rathjen is a community champion by no stretch of the imagination. At 13 years old, Sofia is an advocate for inclusion and representation in books. As a successful Community Change Grant applicant in 2019, she was able to use the grant funds for over 130 school library books to represent diverse stories and lives. The following is an excerpt from her English “class passion project” essay, titled “Technicolour Bookshelves”.  

In a year of isolation, upheaval and fear, volunteers are the superheroes coming to save the day. And while they may not have a proton pack or wear spandex, they will show up on your doorstep with a friendly smile and groceries in hand. As part of National Volunteer Week, the Social Action team connected with Volunteer Strathcona to learn more about the important role community volunteers have played during the pandemic.

The Gilmore Park Community League has been bringing residents closer together for over a decade. This year, they created a Glen Allan History Walk in partnership with the Strathcona County Museum & Archives to encourage connection and share the history of their neighbourhood.

Sometimes you just have to dance it out, and no one knows that better than Isaac Shabbits, the 13 year old leader behind the Boys Dance Too initiative. Read how Isaac is challenging stereotypes to encourage and support boys in dance. 

Strathcona County Art Gallery@501 is celebrating 10 years of inclusive arts and culture opportunities and is now hosting a virtual exhibition experience, "Walking Gently: Spirit Stories and the 13 Moons", featuring two Métis artists. We had the opportunity to ask the artists what it meant to them to share cultural knowledge and connection through their paintings. 

How do you Dad? Find out more about Joe's story and his involvement with the community, that all started off with Saturday mornings at the Library. 

Read how next generation leaders are looking to make a change in their community and are playing a role in developing a Youth Strategy for Strathcona County.

National Child Day is about celebrating children as active participants in their own lives, as active citizens who can and should meaningfully contribute to decision-making in their community. To celebrate, Strathcona County Child and Youth Coalition held a creative mask design competition as an opportunity for children and youth to express themselves through art, poetry, and creative writing.

“I have fantastic neighbours!” says Marianne West of the Village on the Park neighbourhood of South Viscount Cresent. A main organizer of the neighbourhood’s annual block parties for the past 24 years, Marianne knew that the need for physical distancing meant they would have to do something different.