WAKAW — The Town of Wakaw, with funding support from the Community Initiatives Fund (CIF), is hiring for two positions with the Summer Kids Club Program.
The Community Initiatives Fund offers financial support to Saskatchewan community projects through two grant programs: the Community Grant Program and the Summer Grant Program. These grant programs are in place to support program delivery that benefits folks of all ages across the province of Saskatchewan.
The CIF is a Special Purpose Fund created by the Government of Saskatchewan through The Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan Corporation Act to distribute a portion of the net profits generated by SaskGaming for the benefit of Saskatchewan people and communities. As defined in the Act, CIF receives 25 per cent of annual net profits, less a portion that is shared with the Clarence Campeau Development Fund.
Kids’ Club began as a volunteer-run program in 2003. It was created by the Town of Wakaw, and the co-ordination and organization of the program was carried out by the recreation director. That responsibility passed to the recreation and community development manager with the creation of that position. As the Kids’ Club grew in popularity, there was an increased need for funds to continue running the program, and so grants were sought to help provide those funds. Since 2007, Kids’ Club has been the beneficiary of financial support through grants from the federal government, as well as receiving sponsorship support from local businesses for supplies and materials for activities.
The program operates out of the Wakaw Jubilee Arena and will run from Thursday, July 2, to Friday, Aug.13. Excluding holidays, the successful candidates’ normal workday will start at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with some adjustments possible, for the course of the program. An eight-hour training session will be held before the start of the program. Each of the two positions is for a maximum of 140 working hours.
Since its inception, the program has been delivered free of charge to families, enabling it to qualify for grant funding as well as ensuring that all families can access the program. The Town of Wakaw offers the program to provide fun activities for children during the summer. Students hired to deliver the program receive support in planning and organizing the program, which they are then in charge of delivering on a Monday-Friday basis. Included in the responsibilities of those hired are creating daily and weekly plans, co-ordinating field trips or special events, and leading children aged 5-12 in games, crafts, music, and other activities. The student employees receive supervision, guidance, and feedback to facilitate their growth as employees.
In 2023, families in the community were surprised when the annual program had to be cancelled after funding could not be secured. After the program had been available for more than 20 years, many families had come to count on it to provide consistent and reliable recreational opportunities for their children during the summer months. Since then, different funding streams have been sourced, other than the Canada Summer Jobs grant, which had long been the source through which funding was secured.
Young people interested in the employment opportunity should submit their resumes to Dwane Burke at the Wakaw town office.
