Why Sponsor?
Sponsoring a young person to attend the Saskatchewan Co-operative Youth Program is a great investment in the future of your organization and the health of the co-operative sector. Young people leave SCYP camps with an increased understanding of co-operatives and credit unions and the skills and self-confidence to become co-operative members, employees, academics and leaders. This is what participants and staff had to say about the program.
“I can confidently call myself a co-operator, committed and passionate to furthering the co-operative movement.” – Sasha, Saskatoon
“I think the coolest part of the SCYP program is that participants are given an opportunity to grow and better understand themselves, while at the same time, learn about larger issues that are affecting the entire globe. The learning experience encompasses everything from the individual to the world population.” - Neil, Regina
“Co-op youth seminars have changed my life, have given me the courage and determination to chase my dreams and a new confidence about who I am." – Dakota, Sedley
Participant sponsorship is just one of the ways in which an organization can support the valuable work of SYCP. Your organization is also encouraged to promote the program by prominently displaying promotional material, recruiting young people to participate, and/or providing staff for seminars.
COMING SOON! Hear why Beryl believes youth involvement is vital to a healthy co-operative sector.
Looking for ways to get young people involved in SCYP? Here are our Top 10 Ideas!
(Find our TOP 10 list in a handy printable PDF)
10. Post a link to the SCYP’s website (http://youth.sask.coop) on your organization website. This is a great way to let your members explore the program and its benefi ts on their own time.
9. Contact teachers at the local schools and ask them to recommend students who would benefit from the program. Contact the recommended students; tell them about the program and let them know you’d like to sponsor them to attend a Co-op camp.
8. Work with other co-ops and credit unions in your community to recruit participants. By working together, you can reach more young people, cut down costs, and strengthen links with other co-operatives in your area.
7. Work with members of the local Aboriginal community and immigrant and ethno-cultural organizations. Direct contact and offering to sponsor youth to attend an SCYP camp will help build your relationships in the community and help us ensure a diversity of young people are involved.
6. Develop a list of young people from your membership list to contact directly about Co-op Camp. With direct contact, youth are more likely to take an interest in the program. Use your database to do a mail-out to young members and their parents. Remember to provide the info to your own children and children of employees and board members.
5. Show the new SCYP promotional video. This is an easy way to promote the program if you have a TV and DVD player, or screen in a high traffi c area. Contact us to receive a DVD copy of the video, or download it from our website.
4. Customize the sample SCYP newspaper ad (on reverse) and run it in your newsletter and local media. Be sure to indicate who to contact, applicable deadlines, and that your organization will provide sponsorship. Contact our offi ce to receive a digital copy of the sample ad, customized with your contact information.
3. Have a past Youth Program participant make a presentation. We have a database of past participants who can act as ambassadors of the program and we’ll put you in touch with someone from your community. We may also be able to send staff from the Youth Program offi ce to do a presentation.
2. Supply your staff, school SRC, hockey team, or other local youth group with SCYP swag (t-shirts, tattoos, brochures and posters) and ensure they know about SCYP. SCYP t-shirts and buttons help us promote the program and build interest in our Co-operative Youth Seminars. Your staff wearing SCYP t-shirts also helps demonstrate your organization’s commitment to developing young co-operative leaders in Saskatchewan.
And the Top Idea for getting young people involved in SCYP is…
1. Display the poster and brochures in a prominent place and encourage your staff to point them out to young people and their parents. Participants tell us the main ways they fi nd out about the program are through co-operatives and credit unions, or they are told about SCYP by a friend or family member. Remember, young people support our communities and co-operatives. Help keep young people in Saskatchewan—get them involved in co-operative education and co-operatives! We rely on YOUR help to spread the word about the program and recruit young people!
These are just a few ideas for getting the word out about the Youth Program. Feel free to be creative and please contact us if we can help in any way.
