Foundations For Life: Encouraging, Equipping, and Empowering Students

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Presidents Report from our Annual General Meeting: November 2024

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Hello Foundations for Life Members, Donors and Supporters.

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This is our year-end report for the 2023-2024 School Year and also the Board President’s AGM report.

 

  Foundations began the fall of 2023 with some difficulty as our Educator Bobbi Barkman got up to speed with the higher-grade course material previously managed by her departed partner Tiffany, while trying to manage the elementary school presentations, as well as office administration. By November, Bobbi was presenting in Jr and Sr high schools as well as elementary. As indicated in last year’s report, we did hire a new Educator as planned in December of 2023 – Shashi Goel. She quickly got up to speed with the course material and was presenting all grades by the end of February. In addition, Shashi began to take on more of the fundraising and Executive Director (ED) tasks that I had been doing as Board President. In June of 2024, we were able to promote Shashi to Executive Director / Educator.
 

  School bookings continued to increase with a very busy spring of 2024 which has continued into the fall of 2024. Our continued expansion into public schools had many new schools requesting our presentations. In addition, other community groups are requesting presentations to support their clients and members in developing healthy relationships, solid vision and value for their lives and avoiding some of the traps and red flags in our social media environment.
 

  As always thank all our members and donors for your support. We had two very successful fundraising events in 2024. Because of you, students and other at-risk community members across the Grande Prairie and Peace River region are becoming more informed and enlightened about life issues, healthy relationships, and red flags on abuse, internet risks and pornography.
 

  Please continue to be generous in your donations so that this essential work can carry on and reach even more students.

 

Kevin Walker, Board President

 

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Educator Report from our Annual General Meeting: November 2024

 

Hello Foundations for Life Supporters, 

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  I am pleased to present the Educators Report for our year-end for the 2023-2024 school year. As Kevin mentioned, we went through some staff changes in the fall and winter of 2023, and I completed my training for the high school presentations. We welcomed Shashi Goel to the team and are thankful for her contribution. Despite the few curve balls, it was and continues to be a privilege to deliver life-giving health class presentations to our community.
 

  Last school year we did presentations in 18 different schools, scattered all through out the city and county of GP, and we presented to approximately 2,700 students. We also did 1 presentation to a parent committee at a county school. 5 of those 18 schools were new to us this year, the others were previously visited schools that we were happy to be invited back to. We offered 15 different presentations from grades K-12 that follow the AB health curriculum, and all were received well by students and staff. Due to required training, the high school presentations were only made available after the new year, therefore the least booked presentations were the Human Trafficking and Skills for Healthy Relationships for grades 10-12. Our most requested presentations were grade 4 and grade 5 Puberty and Reproductive Anatomy.
 

  Another exciting development has been that Foundations for Life welcomed their first ever male educator, Caleb Barkman, as a volunteer position and he has accompanied me to presentations when teacher’s requested boys and girls be separated for the puberty and reproductive anatomy presentation. Caleb delivers the presentations to the young boys and I to the girls. The teachers have commented on how having a male educator for the boys has been invaluable, and we greatly appreciate Caleb’s willingness to volunteer this service.
 

  I also had the opportunity to teach two parent workshops last year at the Pregnancy Care Centre on the topics of Healthy Relationships and Body Awareness/Abuse Prevention for Children, both the clients and staff and the PCC thoroughly enjoyed the workshops. Our staff team also attended or hosted 11 other community events to spread awareness and build community connections for Foundations for Life.

Highlights throughout the school year from many different classroom were the humorous questions students ask, the light bulb moments when a student would realize an important health or safety fact, as well as numerous comments from teachers about how valuable and insightful the presentations are. We also had a handful of parents ask to sit in on a few presentations, and afterwards the parents thanked the educator, expressing how grateful they were for safe and age-appropriate material taught on sensitive subjects.
 

  The kick off to the 2024 school year has been an exciting and successful one. I am pleased to say that just from September-November we have presented in 5 more new schools, as well as 8 schools that we have previously presented to. One of those new classrooms was the Northwest Polytechnic, our local college. I had the privilege of doing a prenatal presentation to a class, and the professor was so pleased that she asked to make it an annual occurrence. We also initiated a recent partnership with Rising Above which resulted in an invitation to teach to their participants, and we are excited to see that unfold.

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  I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to my co-workers, board members, our donors and members, parents and teachers who continue to partner with us. Thanks to your ongoing support we can bring the message to more and more students that they have a voice, immense value, and a vision for their future.

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Sincerely,

Bobbi Barkman, Educator

 

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Executive Director Report (parts of) from our Annual General Meeting: November 2024

  Introduced first-time presentations at the Sturgeon Lake Public School, Whispering Ridge Community School, and Roy Bickel Public School. Thank you for having us!

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Events and Community Engagement: 

• Teacher Convention (March 7–8, 2024): Engaged over 165 businesses and organizations, highlighting FFL’s mission. Resulted in increased school bookings and record book sales. 

• GP Chamber of Commerce Booth (April 25, 2024): Participated in the Spring Business Showcase, sharing initiatives with local businesses and fostering partnerships. 

• Golf Tournament (June 22, 2024): Raised $14,000 for programs while providing a day of sunshine, networking, and enjoyment for participants. 

• Disc Golf Event (June 23, 2024): Organized a successful event with strong community support, promoting active lifestyles and FFL's mission. 

• Fall Gala (October 5, 2024): Featured a silent auction, live dessert auction, and mission presentation, attracting widespread community support and inspiring attendees. 

• Grande Prairie Victim Services: Project submitted at last moment and able to successfully get $25,000 donation. So, one should be prepared for those time and moment to get push for best 😊. 

Rotary Presentation: Delivered a compelling presentation to the Grande Prairie Rotary Club, gaining recognition and fostering connections for future collaborations. 

 

Recognition and Partnerships: 

• Top 10 Nomination for Highest Community Impact: Proudly nominated by the Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce as one of the top 10 organizations making a significant impact in the community. 

• Community Partnerships established:  Rising Above for biweekly recovery classes. GP Alliance Church for strategic alignment in community service. Churches and Faith-Based Groups, including St. Joe’s Catholic Church, Grace Fellowship in Sexsmith, Faith Family Church, Christain Fellowship Assembly, Catholic Women's League, and GP Alliance Women’s Ministry. 

• Booth Set-Ups and Exhibits: Actively participated in local events and highlights to spread awareness, including the GP Alliance Father's Day car show, GP Chamber of Commerce, and community fairs. 

• New Collaborations: Engaged with several organizations for upcoming partnerships to expand FFL’s reach and impact further like Center for Newcomer, Center for Young Parents etc. 
   

Volunteer and Donor Contributions: 

• Volunteer Growth: Expanded volunteer base to support events, presentations, and community outreach; looking to have more volunteers. So, if you feel connected, please share your few hours with Foundations for Life to uplift our community. 

• Donor Support: Significant contributions through the Aquatera Bottle Drive, city grants, private sponsorships, Grande Prairie Victim Services, and recurring donor programs.

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Acknowledgments and Looking Ahead 

Thank You: 

• Board Members, Staff, Donors, Sponsors, Volunteers, Volunteer Educator for their dedication to FFL’s mission. 

• Community organizations, churches, and sponsors for their unwavering support and partnership. 

Future: 

• Continue expanding outreach to indigenous communities, rural schools, and new demographics. 

• Strengthen partnerships with educational institutions, faith groups, and recovery programs. 

• Launch new initiatives, including online resources to extend FFL’s impact beyond Grande Prairie.

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Together, we are fostering voices, values, and visions for a brighter future for our young generations. 

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Sincerely, 
Shashi Goel, Executive Director

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Foundations for Life:

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Foundations for Life is a grassroots organization that thrives on the generous engagement and support from our Donors and Members. This ongoing support allows us to continue our school presentations and other efforts in our local community and beyond.

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Donors: Our Donors are individuals and businesses who believe in giving everyone a Voice, helping them realize their Value, and fostering a Vision for their future. They support us through one-time or recurring monthly donations, ensuring we can continue this essential work.

 

Members: Our Members play a crucial role by paying a yearly membership fee to our Society and having voting rights at our Annual General Meeting. They provide valuable feedback, vote for Board Members, and help guide our growth and adaptation.

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Please consider becoming a Donor or Member to support our mission. We are grateful for all the support we receive and aim to expand our reach beyond Grande Prairie as we grow online.

Click here to donate (Donate Now) or e-transfer at: finance@myfoundations.ca

Click here to become a Member (Membership)

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Upcoming Events:
 

3rd Annual Golf Tournament: Save the date for our next Golf Tournament on June 14, 2025, at Morningview Park Golf Club. Stay tuned for more details in the new year.​
 

Join Our Community:

Stay connected and inspired through our social media channels:

• Facebook: My Foundations for Life Facebook

• Instagram: @myfoundationsfor life Instagram
   

Become a Volunteer with Foundations for Life! Help us spread our awareness and mission around in order for more people to be educated, equipped, and encouraged. Your help could be used throughout the year in multiple ways, including helping out at community events. 

Or join us as a volunteer Board Member  which allows you to be a part of our team in a way where your voice and vote matters. You would provide critical feedback and help guide our organization as we continue to grow and adapt. You would be required to attend monthly board meetings (with the exception of summer months). 

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Contact Us:

For inquiries, donations or support, reach out to us:

• Email: office@myfoundations.ca

• Phone: 780-538-3344

• Address: PO Box 23008, Grande Prairie RPO Prairie Mall, AB, T8V 6X2
   

Thank you for being an integral part of Foundations for Life. 

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Warm regards,

  the Foundations for Life Team

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