VERMILLION, AB – Crimebeat – When police officers engage with youth, the results can be better relationships, and by extension better communities. Efforts by local students to make the world a better place have hit the RCMP’s radar in Vermillion Alberta. At a ceremony at J.R. Robson School, Sgt. Lorne Adamitz of “K” Division RCMP Drugs and Organized Crime Awareness Services, was on hand to congratulate the winners in the Vermilion is Being Empowered (VIBE) student video contest. The VIBE video contest asked local students to produce a video to Johnny Reid’s hit song, “Today I’m Going to Try and Change the World”. The challenge was to produce a video that could be used to mobilize community support for initiatives aimed at improving the lives of young people.
“The VIBE contest is a great example of what can happen when we enlist the help of young people in building safer communities,” said Sgt. Adamitz. “This contest gave kids the opportunity to convey important messages via video. They now know that they can play an important part in making sure their peers – and the entire community – hear those messages.” The RCMP works with communities throughout Alberta in support of initiatives that promote healthy lifestyle choices for youth.
Four schools participated in the contest, with each school taking home a prize. Vermilion Elementary School won in the “adult developed video” category. St. Jerome’s, J.R. Robson, and Vermilion Outreach schools tied in the “youth developed video” category. The winners will receive $1,000.00 towards a school mental health event designed to promote one of VIBES four priorities: social and emotional well-being; academic success; promotion and prevention of mental health disorders; and addictions and physical activity and nutrition. The videos will be used to mobilize local support for positive youth development initiatives in the community.
The VIBE Program is part of the Mental Health Capacity Building in Schools Initiative (MHCB) – an integrated, multidisciplinary team approach providing promotion, prevention and early intervention addiction, health and mental health services to children, families and communities throughout Alberta. VIBE is one of 38 projects involved in this initiative led by Alberta Health Services Addiction and Mental Health in partnership with Alberta Education and funded by Alberta Health and Wellness.
For more information on VIBE please contact a Coach in any Vermilion School, or the Program Coordinator Pat Calyniuk at 780-853-3718 or pat.calyniuk@btps.ca.