Staff and students in Red River College’s Youth Recreation Activity Worker program celebrated the achievements of a new graduating class last week.

The program’s most recent batch of grads were joined by community leaders and local dignitaries (among them, City Councillor Thomas Steen and MLA Kevin Chief) to mark the program’s 11th year of making a difference in the lives of inner city youth.

The program -- which trains adults 18-29 to work with inner city youth -- was first launched in 2001, in response to increased demand for trained staff to facilitate drop-in programming at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg.

Building on existing materials from the College’s Child and Youth Care program, RRC developed the new 10-month certificate program to train a new generation of young adults to serve as recreational leaders.

Grads of the program, many of whom face socio-economic barriers themselves, often go on to find jobs with Boys and Girls Clubs and other inner city youth agencies, or as childhood educators and teachers’ aides.

"Many of the students in this program have overcome a diverse range of challenges and issues that we cannot begin to comprehend, and because of it they have acquired a unique insight and ability to understand the children and teens they will be working with," says Cynthia Horgan, Corporate Training Manager at RRC. "The academic knowledge they gather through the program -- coupled with their life experiences -- enables and empowers them to be exceptional role models and mentors."

At least one of this year’s grads has already been singled out for his effort: In May 2012, Armando Galinda was named Outstanding Student of the Year by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg, in recognition of his commitment to the organization, and to children in the community. Click here to learn more about Galinda’s efforts, here to see photos from the grad event, and here to learn more about the Youth Recreation Activity Worker program at RRC.