We continued to impact individuals and communities with excellent programming, and because of our ability to adapt and evolve to meet the changing needs of Calgarians, we have remained a relevant, accessible organization in the city.
Our services were founded on providing
women with counselling related to their sexual and reproductive choices. Today, we provide a broad range of services to a diverse range of clients. Our services include birth control counselling for couples, sexual health programs for people with developmental disabilities and their families, support for youth
questioning their sexual orientation, and programs for survivors of sexual trauma.
We have been providing school based
comprehensive sexuality education for thirty seven years and continue to reach
thousands of youth annually through this work.
This highly respected program is responsive to the challenges faced by youth today and exemplifies our dedication to continuous improvement and high impact work.
One example of our commitment to increasing
our impact is the WiseGuyz, our school-based program for Grade 9 boys, which has gained attention
as an important prevention program. In 2012, we will initiate a research element designed to determine the long term impact and examine the program outcomes from theperspective of health sexuality and the prevention of intimate partner violence. Our goal is for WiseGuyz to become
a best-practice prevention program for young men.
Professional development has become an integral part of our work over the past three years. Through the Training Centre, we have provided
workshops to over 5000 service providers in Alberta. Participants continue to report that the training provides them with important skills that better enable them to appropriately support their clients.
This year we began to implement the third
part of our impact strategy by working to integrate sexual health into relevant
policies. For example, as bullying
policies are developed and implemented, we will work to ensure that homophobic
bullying is addressed. We know that
social change requires working at the direct service, organizational and
systems level and we are committed to that work.Our Board of Directors has focused their efforts on long term sustainability. A Fund Development Plan has been developed, and a Board Growth Development Plan is underway. Their expertise supports a 39-year legacy of innovative programs and sexual health services while building stability for future growth.
We want to thank the amazing staff and dedicated volunteers who contributed to the successes of 2011. To summarize, last year twelve staff and 98 volunteers provided programs to clients of 72 organizations and students at 37 schools. In total we impacted 28,788 Calgarians with programs, information, and resources.
Thanks to our funders and donors for being strong partners in our work. And, thank you to all of our community supporters who play an integral role in ensuring our Agency continues to thrive!
Executive Director
(View our 2011 Annual Report online or contact us to request a printed copy.)
