One of the Community Spirit Grants that SaskEnergy awarded this year went to Grenfell Elementary School for its "Prairie English Connections" program. Despite being a small town in rural Saskatchewan, there are a number of non-English speakers who have moved to the Grenfell area. Recently, the community welcomed two men from Ukraine who came to work on area farms, four care-givers from the Philippines, four families from Korea who came to learn English and six other individuals from Korea who are interning at the Grenfell Presbyterian Church.

In an effort to welcome the new community members and help them adjust to life in Canada, staff and students at Grenfell Elementary School decided to come up with a plan. They developed a program through which local volunteers provide English-language training and practice opportunities, as well as general mentorship.

SaskEnergy was inspired by the thoughtfulness of the "Prairie English Connections" program and the way in which it provides a valuable service to people who might otherwise feel intimidated or overwhelmed. As such, we gladly offered to provide them with enough money to purchase the learning resources they needed.

With its first semester nearly complete, the "Prairie English Connections" program has been a huge success, receiving appreciative feedback from participants and recognition in the local paper.

Additional recipients of Team Energy Community Spirit Grants were:

School	Area	Program
Wadena Home Care	Wadena	"Volunteens"
North West Central School	Plenty	"Youth Making Change and Relationships"
Community of Wadena	Wadena	"Buddies – People Helping Each Other"
SWITCH	Saskatoon	"5th Annual Golf Classic"

One of the Team Energy Enviro-Action Grants that SaskEnergy awarded this year went to Carlyle Elementary School for its "One Small Lot of HOPE" project. SaskEnergy and TransGas were so excited about this project they even sent volunteers to help students create the outdoor learning and recreation area.

It didn't take long for the enthusiastic volunteers to accomplish some of the tasks that the students and staff would have struggled to do on their own. In short order, they constructed a large sand box and quickly got to work on building three flower beds. Then they laid edging for a walkway, placed the stepping stones along the path and began filling it with soil and rocks.

Meanwhile, students planted and watered trees, dumped and leveled sand in the sandbox and helped fill the walkway.

Steve Peddle, a service technician from Carlyle, was also on hand with a SaskEnergy/TransGas BBQ to grill up some hot dogs for the kids, many of whom thanked the volunteers for their help and the yummy treats.

The school has more plans for the space, such as installing compost bins and a picnic table, as well as painting a hopscotch grid and math game on the asphalt. The remainder of their Team Energy grant will help complete those projects.

Additional recipients of Team Energy Enviro-Action Grants were:

School	Area	Program
Stewart Hawke Community School	Hudson	"Senior Yard Makeover"
St. Michael Community School	Saskatoon	"The Builders' Club"
Springside School Community Council	Springside	"Courtyard Restoration Project"
North Battleford Comprehensive High School	North Battleford	"Tree Planting Club"
Holy Cross High School	Saskatoon	"Environmental Club"
St. Mary School	Moose Jaw	"St. Mary Green Team Freaks"
Sheho 4-H Beef Club	Sheho	"Sheho "White-Out Project"

Team Energy: Teaching Kids to Give

Volunteerism in Saskatchewan is stronger than ever, with Saskatchewan leading the nation with the highest volunteer rate. More than half of our citizens are involved in some form of charitable endeavors; a trend we would love to see continue. At SaskEnergy, we have taken the initiative to promote a sense of generosity in youth. Through our Team Energy program, we provide funding for youth involved in community and environmental volunteer initiatives. Since inception in 2005, SaskEnergy has provided over 120 grants in 62 communities across Saskatchewan.

SaskEnergy awarded a Team Energy grant to the St. Mary’s Green Team Freaks, a group of Moose Jaw students who worked together to achieve several challenging tasks. For instance, they created a green team reading corner, cleaned their surrounding community, set up recycling and composting programs at their school, and educated their fellow students and families about environmental issues and eco friendliness.

SaskEnergy also funded the program SWITCH in Saskatoon, a program designed to facilitate post secondary student managed healthcare centers. This project provided a forum for building cooperation between learning institutions and healthcare disciplines, transferring knowledge between students and professionals, ensuring residents of Saskatoon’s core neighborhoods had access to healthcare. Students gained lifelong skills enabling them to be more knowledgeable in healthcare, as well as, better healthcare providers.

SaskEnergy also funded the program SWITCH in Saskatoon, a program designed to facilitate post secondary student managed healthcare centers. This project provided a forum for building cooperation between learning institutions and healthcare disciplines, transferring knowledge between students and professionals, ensuring residents of Saskatoon’s core neighborhoods had access to healthcare. Students gained lifelong skills enabling them to be more knowledgeable in healthcare, as well as, better healthcare providers.

When we see such impressive young people working together to accomplish tasks that would otherwise be impossible, we feel proud and humbled, knowing our seed funds are going so far for the communities of Saskatchewan. With amazing teams, such as, the St. Mary’s Green Team Freaks and SWITCH leading the way, we know our youth will keep our passion for giving alive and well for years to come.

(Green Team Reading Corner)	(Two members of the Green Team Freaks enjoy a laugh)

School	Area	Program
Bert Fox Community High School	Fort Qu'Appelle	“Salvage Savvy” Enviro-Action
Fort Qu'Appelle Elementary Community School	Fort Qu'Appelle	“PUNKS” Community Spirit/Enviro Action
Le Comite Vert de l'Ecole canadienne-francaise	Saskatoon	“Petit Club” Enviro-Action
North Battleford Comprehensive High School	North Battleford	"Tree Planting Club"
St. Michael Community School	Prince Albert	“Green Club” Enviro-Actoion
Saulteaux Heritage School	Cochin	“Elder's Home & School Enhancement” Community Spirit
FW Johnson Collegiate	Regina	“Greening the FW Johnson Grounds” Enviro-Action
U of R	Regina	“Search” Community Spirit
Laird School	Laird	“Breakfast Club” Community Spirit
Pleasant Hill Community School	Saskatoon	“SPCA” Community Spirit