Improve your English. Share your story.
Meet other immigrant women in the Bow Valley.
The Shoe Project is a free writing and performance program for immigrant and refugee women in the Bow Valley. In this program, you will use a pair of your own shoes as inspiration to write and share a personal story. You will engage in an 8-10 session memoir writing workshop, a 10-12 session voice coaching workshop, and a series of live performances to share your story.
The Shoe Project supports learning, growth, and confidence in immigrant and refugee women. The program helps you improve your English writing and speaking, gain leadership skills, and build relationships with other women in your community.
Supported by:
Who can join
To participate in The Shoe Project, you must meet the following criteria:
- Identify as a woman or gender diverse person
- Have moved to Canada as an adult
- Be 18 to 75-years-old
- Speak English at an intermediate level
- English is not your first language
No previous writing or public speaking experience is required. If childcare or transportation may be a barrier to accessing this opportunity, please connect with Jenesa at to see if support may be provided.
Workshops and timelines
Meet in a small, supportive group of 8-12 participants.
Writing workshop
- Date: May to June 2026
- Time commitment: Two one-hour sessions per week
- Goal: Write a 600-word personal story
Over 8-10 sessions, you will work with a professional Canadian author to write your story. The mentor helps edit the story and connects with you one-on-one to write your final draft.
Public speaking workshop
- Date: September to October 2026
- Time commitment: Two one-hour sessions per week
- Goal: Create a live performance telling your story
Over 10-12 sessions, you will work with a voice coach to learn about public speaking and stage presence. Together, you will prepare your written story to be shared on stage.
Live performances
- Date: November 2026
- Goal: Perform your story for a supportive audience in Banff or Canmore
Using your new writing, public speaking, and leadership skills, you will perform your story to a live audience.
Mentors
Helen Rolfe is a professional writer and editor in mountain literature and avalanche safety. Her first book, Women Explorers: One Hundred Years of Courage and Audacity, is a collection of stories of pioneering adventurers. This is Helen’s third Shoe Project as the writing mentor. She is committed to the artistry of the written word and enjoys sharing writing lessons that unleash the story within.
Nan Hughes is a mezzo-soprano with a career that spans the globe, touring and recording throughout Europe, the United States, Canada, Ukraine and Brazil. She founded the close harmony vocal trio, Times Three, which performs the American songbook across North America. Nan enjoys teaching voice and public speaking, at the Banff Centre, for The Shoe Project in the Bow Valley, and in her private studio.
Shaping a safe and inclusive Bow Valley that empowers women and their community for a better future.
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