Help Spark the Next Generation
Thank you, Wordfesters, for your enthusiastic embrace of our June 6 show with Tegan & Sara! In addition to the sold-out event at Central Library, Wordfest has partnered with Arts Commons and Raincoast Books to connect more than 400 junior high students for a special morning event with Calgary’s most famous twins. These Wordfest Youth experiences, which include free admission, books and busing, are made possible by individual donors.
If you want to spark the next generation, you can donate at the button below. For questions about making a contribution, please contact Everett Wilson, Senior Director of Development and Operations at ewilson@wordfest.com.
Life-Changing Experiences
Wordfest™ can’t wait to bring back its signature high-impact, high-energy author experiences for youth. Over the past decade, we’ve connected more than 100,000 Calgary students with the world’s most inspiring speakers and authors, including Indigenous authors Cherie Dimaline, Bob Joseph, and Jesse Thistle; Olympic Gold Medalist & social justice activist Mark Tewksbury, NASA astronaut Dave Williams; Governor-General Literary Award-winning graphic novelists Mariko and Jillian Tamaki; and Scotiabank Giller Prize winner Omar El Akkad.
I was ecstatic to meet the man who was able to resuscitate my heart through his beautiful and riveting writing. Omar El Akkad gave us rare insights and pushed us to open our minds to the world beyond our cellphones. His words both on paper and in our ears held a magnitude of rich messages that every student at some point needs to hear.” –Grade 12 CBE student
Books in Schools
With donor support, we provide class sets of age-appropriate books by each featured author in our youth program for Calgary junior and senior high schools. We believe strongly that providing equal access to books, ideas and world-class authors enables every child to envision their best selves.
Here is a Global News feature about Wordfest’s 2021 Black History Month initiative to enable Calgary students to actively participate in conversations about racism and inclusion during Black History Month. Because of our donors, we were able to donate books by four Black authors, including Calgary’s Cheryl Foggo, to Calgary junior and senior high schools. https://globalnews.ca/video/7661306/fantastic-program-provides-anti-racism-books-for-calgary-students
“It makes the students want to do more, want to learn more.” –CCSD principal
Continue This Calgary Story of
Innovative Youth Activation
For questions about making a contribution, please contact Everett Wilson, Director of Development and Audience Engagement at ewilson@wordfest.com.