As the summer winds down, the Estevan Public Youth Centre (EPYC) is celebrating a season filled with community events and outdoor activities, marking a successful summer of engagement and connection with local youth.
Friday saw a busy day with a BBQ fundraiser at Southern Plains Co-op, followed by an open house at EPYC, where visitors enjoyed hot dogs and hamburgers.
"Several families came out, and some younger siblings checked out the space," said Scarlett, executive director of EPYC. "It was a really fun night."
Scarlett mentioned plans to host another event in a couple of months, inviting more families to see the space again. "Just stay tuned for when that's going to come out," she said.
With the transition to fall, EPYC will slightly adjust its schedule. Thursday hours will now be from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
"Ideally, we're going to try for tween Thursdays, targeting grades 6 to 9," Scarlett explained. "That being said, there could be older kids, and I'm not going to turn them away."
Friday and Saturday hours will remain from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Reflecting on the summer, Scarlett highlighted getting to know the youth as her top experience. "My top highlight was getting to know the youth and having them open up and spend a lot of time here."
She also enjoyed leading outdoor activities at Churchill Park. "Doing hide-and-seek in the dark or capture the flag—we had a lot of youth come out for that. Seeing them hanging out and playing these games brought me back to when I was a kid. It was very nice to have these youth socializing and having a group big enough to do these games on a large scale."
The youth in attendance have expressed their appreciation for this style of programming, and Scarlett said they are working on transitioning it into the fall.
"I'm learning that the more group games I do, the more the youth respond. So, we'll definitely look to continue that in the fall and try to find indoor spaces to do so."
EPYC is also planning an open house for the community near the end of September. "It's an opportunity to come by, hear a presentation about EPYC, where we're going, our future, and what we need from the community," said Scarlett. "This is not just for families but also for business owners, people interested in giving back, or those curious about what we're doing here and who may have ideas for programs."
EPYC is also eager to get feedback on potential improvements and to involve more volunteers to take the youth center to the next level.