John G. Diefenbaker High School is pleased to partner with diverse community groups in order to better support our students, families and staff.
The Alex Community Health Bus
The Alex Community Health Bus removes barriers to health care by providing direct services, education, and advocacy free of charge to our City’s most vulnerable in poverty and homelessness. Bus clients have historically encountered many difficulties when attempting to access health care and support services, one of which is transportation to specific medical offices.
All in for Youth
Completing high school opens doors to better jobs, higher wages, and acts as a gateway to post-secondary institutions. In Calgary, however, many youth are not graduating from high school on time (within three years of starting Grade 10). Poverty, mental health issues, language barriers, and lack of positive supports prevent many young Calgarians from graduating with their classmates. In 2012, 25% of Calgary youth were not completing high school on time. Today, that number has been reduced to 20%—thanks in part to All In for Youth, a citywide movement focused on increasing and addressing high school completion. All In for Youth provides innovative solutions to help youth stay in school, complete school, and successfully transition to the workforce and adulthood. This initiative connects youth to positive adults, removes financial and social barriers to high school completion, and encourages varied paths of learning and success.
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters provides direct service to children and youth facing adversity by matching them with caring volunteers in quality one-to-one mentoring relationships. Our agency staff members are experts at recruiting and screening volunteers; making intentional, meaningful matches; and providing the support necessary for mentoring relationships to have a lasting impact.
Burns Memorial Fund
Burns Memorial Fund is the gift of Senator Patrick Burns–a successful rancher, businessman and philanthropist. Senator Burns was an active citizen of Calgary, contributing to the development of many of the city’s institutions and charities. He passed away in 1937, leaving this legacy for the children of Calgary.
Today, Burns Memorial Fund administers its own programs to provide financial assistance to children, youth, and their families. The Burns Fund also allocates funding to Calgary-based charities working with vulnerable children and youth and participates in community-wide collaborations intended to address the systemic issues which negatively impact low-income individuals.
Brown Bagging for Calgary's Kids
People are at the core of everything we do. Every individual connected to this community – the kids we feed, school staff, volunteers and donors and our staff team – matters immensely. We act with great love and respect in every relationship.
It’s the action we take that really matters. We work locally at a grassroots level, giving real food to real kids, every day. Donors and volunteers can see a direct path from their generosity to a healthy meal being handed to a hungry child.
Canadian Mental Health Association
It is Canadian Mental Health Association – Calgary Region’s (CMHA Calgary) mission to be a leader in reducing the impact of mental illness and addiction in community. For more than 60 years, we have provided a person and family centered integrated service model focused on early intervention and prevention of a mental health or substance use concern that delivers a measurable increase in community resiliency.
Our long standing belief is that recovery is possible. Our recovery model focuses on wellness by shifting the emphasis from a narrow, limiting view of a diagnosis, towards empowering individuals, building their strengths, resiliency and hope for a meaningful life. This recovery is demonstrated in the advancement of Peer Support where individuals with personal experience of a mental health or substance use concern are trained to support others through shared understanding and hope.
We believe that we have an obligation and duty to provide a platform for advocacy and leadership in the community. We have a proven ability to engage, help organize, empower and support the community in building the capacity to understand and support those living with mental health and substance use challenges.
The Calgary Bridge Foundation
In School Settlement
The In School Settlement Program operates in schools across the city offering comprehensive, client centered settlement services, and delivering information sessions and workshops on housing, employment, Canadian customs, traditions, and more.
Afterschool Program
The Afterschool Program works with immigrant youth throughout their school years (grades 1-12) and focuses on keeping youth positively engaged by providing academic support, English development, recreational and healthy life skills.
Mentorship Program
The Mentorship Program introduces immigrant youth (grades 7 – 12) to Calgary through afterschool programs, peer mentoring, field trips and one-on-one support. Our mentors provide a support system by offering school tours, translation and friendship.
Volunteer Resources Program
RBC Youth Empowerment
Transitioning into Post-Secondary
Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS)
Calgary Catholic Immigration Society is a non-profit organization which provides settlement and integration services to all immigrants and refugees in Southern Alberta.
Since our inception in 1981, we have been a community leader with solid experience in the design and delivery of comprehensive services for our newest neighbours. We deliver these services through a dynamic multi-cultural, multi-denominational and multi-disciplinary team of professionals, who collectively speak over 60 languages.
Calgary Police Service
The School Resource Officer (SRO) program operates as an agreement between the Calgary Police Service, the Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Catholic School District.
School Resource Officers are sworn law enforcement officers with the Calgary Police Service who are placed in schools. A School Resource Officer generally possesses a background in working with youth and community-based programs. The officers provide a visible and positive image of law enforcement. They are usually seen as a friend or mentor to students rather than a uniformed officer. The officers provide advice and guidance, and can assist in instances of bullying and school violence.
The program is committed to fostering partnerships among law enforcement, the school and the community. It helps to ensure safe school environments, successful students and productive citizens.
School Resource Officers have a strong relationship with Crime Stoppers. When tips are related to a high school the SRO is assigned to, the tip will generally go directly to the officer to be dealt with. This partnership helps the officer to identify offenders.
Calgary Sexual Health Centre
High School Program: CALM
Students will:
- Learn what encompasses the term “sexuality” and what it means to be sexually healthy
- Increase their comfort discussing sexuality
- Explore how personal and societal values impact their sexual health
- Develop knowledge and regarding gender & sexual diversity
- Learn about choices that are available to them regarding their sexual and reproductive health , such as birth control and choosing abstinence
- Practice identifying risks involved in sexual activities and the options they have available to prevent those risks
- Explore the topic of consent and how it relates to their sexual & reproductive rights
- Examine and gain appreciation for healthy relationships
- Practice decision-making and communication regarding their sexual health in relationships
- Critically reflect on what oppression looks like and how it affects themselves and others
- Determine ways that they can address oppression and embrace diversity
- Visit Website
Save On Foods
We are pleased to announce our partnership with Save-on-Foods Hunterhorn Location! Save-on-Foods has graciously agreed to help the Diefenbaker community by giving back 5% of all purchases made (at the Hunterhorn location) to the school. Students and parents of Diefenbaker are encouraged to bring their receipts from Save on Foods to the school Main Office throughout the year to help our school community. Only purchases made at the Hunterhorn location will be eligible for the 5% rebate. Please head over to Save-on-Foods, Hunterhorn to support our community!
Youth at Risk Development Program (YARD)
The Youth at Risk Development Program (YARD) is a community-based early intervention initiative, delivered in partnership with the Calgary Police Service, Calgary Neighbourhoods, and Alberta Health Services, that supports youth who are at risk of gang involvement. YARD works with youth aged 10-17 who are currently at risk, affiliated with a gang or involved in gang activity. Youth participation in YARD is voluntary. YARD teams, consisting of a police officer and a registered social worker, work closely with youth, their families, schools and community agencies. YARD works to develop an individualized case plan that is family centered in order to help youth at risk avoid or escape the gang life style.
