YWCA Banff offers community education programs for children, youth, and adults that are focused on empowerment, healthy relationships and understanding gender-based violence.
School & Youth Programs
Healthy Relationships
The overarching goal of this program is to promote connection, empowerment and skills for healthy relationships and self-care. The Healthy Relationships curriculum is based on the ‘Girls Circle’ and ‘Boys Council’ programs developed by the One Circle Foundation, and the Canadian Red Cross Foundation‘s ‘Beyond the Hurt’ and ‘Healthy Youth Relationships’ programs. This programming is designed with Alberta Curriculum Outcomes in mind, based on specific needs and related interests identified by both teachers and students. The Healthy Relationships program is delivered to school students in grades 4-9 in Banff, Canmore and Exshaw.
Healthy Youth Relationships
The Healthy Youth Relationships programs looks at both healthy and unhealthy peer romantic relationships. This program helps young people identify healthy dating relationships; shows them how to recognize abuse in dating relationships; and teaches participants about procedures surrounding abuse, consent, protection and reporting, as well as where to find support. This workshop reviews the legal definitions and ramifications of physical and sexualized assaults. Participants learn how to identify warning signs such as emotional harassment through written scenarios, group work and educational video content. The curriculum is based on the ‘Healthy Youth Relationships’ program developed by the Canadian Red Cross. In partnership with Bow Valley Victim Services Association, YWCA Banff delivers this program for grade 10 students as a part of their Career and Life Management education.
Power-Up
Power-Up is a program dedicated to motivation & empowerment for kids in grades 4, 5 and 6. Participants get to experience workshops that explore leadership and healthy relationships with self and others.
Power of Being a Girl and Power of Being A Girl TEEN
As part of YWCA Canada‘s commitment to violence prevention initiatives for girls and young women, YWCA Banff hosts the Power of Being a Girl™ (PBG) and PBG-Teen conferences. PBG is a signature violence prevention conference for young women in grades 4-9, offered during YWCA’s Week Without Violence™ each October. PBG is a free, full-day conference that encourages leadership, empowerment, empathy and healthy relationships with self and others.
Strength In Being A Boy
In response to the community’s request for a violence prevention program for boys, YWCA Banff hosts the Strength in Being a Boy™ (SBB). SBB is a free, full-day conference that focuses on consent, emotions, healthy relationships with self and others, and gender stereotypes. In 2018, YWCA Banff partnered with The Centre for Sexuality and facilitators from their WiseGuyz program to enhance the curriculum of this impactful day for boys from the Bow Valley.
Community Education
Women’s Circle
A group for women to connect, share, empower, build skills, and encourage one another to live authentically in mind, body, heart and spirit. Women’s Circle offers participants the chance to engage in meaningful discussions, creative arts and skill-building activities that focus on topics and issues relevant to their lives.
Domestic and Sexual Violence in Relationships
This informative program exists to educate the Bow Valley community on intimate partner violence and abuse including learning about different types of abuse and increasing skills to recognize and respond to disclosures. The intent of this program is to strengthen individuals’ support and referral skills and to build a bridge between the informal and formal supports that exist in the community. Intimate Relationships provides residents of the Bow Valley with a heightened awareness of existing supports and services available in the community. In partnership with the Town of Banff, YWCA Banff delivers this program through the Community Helpers Program funded by Alberta Health Services.
For more information about any of these programs offered by YWCA Banff, please contact 1-403-762-3560 or
Shaping a safe and inclusive Bow Valley that empowers women and their community for a better future.
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