Calgary Television Personalities Launch Campaign for Teen Development

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Sept. 6, 2011) - This week, grades 7, 8 and 9 students at Dr. G.M. Egbert School will meet some of their favorite television personalities during a special assembly that puts the newscasters in the spotlight and focuses on the significance of world events, the challenges of growing up, living with integrity, and finding confidence in an uncertain world.

The back to school assembly launches part two of the Meet a Hero Campaign, organized by Calgary's Impact Society, a nonprofit organization focused on teen development. In honour of the campaign, Mayor Naheed Nenshi has proclaimed the month of September "Meet a Hero" month to challenge local students to discover the hero already inside and think about how they can make positive choices that will set the tone for an inspiring and successful school year. Click here for the Mayor's message to students about how to be a hero:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vTHb86LcGM&feature=player_embedded

Throughout the year, Impact Society is inviting community leaders to visit teens participating in their HEROES(TM) course, a program that builds improved planning and decision-making skills, self-esteem, resistance, self-restraint, and 26 other characteristics that contribute to teen success. http://www.impactsociety.com/downloads/Appendix.pdf

Media are invited to attend the assembly, which will feature a panel discussion about growing up, overcoming challenges in a volatile world, and the power of positive choices.

Who: Nirmala Naidoo (CBC), TBD (Global), Darrel Janz (CTV) and Tara Slone (CityTV), Jack Toth, CEO of Impact Society, staff and students of the school

Where: Dr. GM Egbert School, 6033 Madigan Drive NE

When: Thursday, September 8, at 1 pm.

Other participants in the Meet a Hero campaign include designer Paul Hardy, Chief Rick Hanson, Olympian Michelle Cameron, and W. Brett Wilson. A photo of all 18 local heroes is attached.

Background

About Impact Society

Impact Society was founded in 1994 by Jack and Collette Toth. Having worked with over 100,000 youth through HEROES(TM) and related programs, Impact Society is a Canadian leader in teen development.

The Calgary Police Service partners with Impact Society to offer About Face - a workshop for youth in conflict with authority figures such as parents, teachers or police, giving them the tools to avoid conflict and choose to make positive choices.

Impact Society has been awarded the Alberta's Promise Red Wagon for investing in the lives of children. CEO Jack Toth has also been presented with the Queen's Jubilee Award from Canada's Governor General and was also awarded the Western Legacy Award for Sustained Contribution by the Calgary Stampede in 2007.

About the HEROES(TM) program

HEROES(TM) is made available to Canadian schools through the HEROES Across Canada program, presented by TransCanada Corporation. It has also been adopted by First Nations groups wanting to create positive outcomes for youth. The core curriculum covers basic life concepts, like:



-- Knowing who you are and where you are going.
-- Finding a desire to succeed.
-- Treating yourself and others with respect.
-- Understanding the power of choices.
-- Honoring others.
-- Using positive words to build up yourself and others.
-- How to be and choose good friends.
-- Being a giver instead of taker.
-- Living by your own mission statement.
-- Bouncing back from trouble or change.



A study by psychologist Dr. Wayne Hammond from Calgary-based Resiliency Initiatives showed that students who went through the Heroes(TM) program had improved planning and decision-making skills, higher self-esteem, better resistance skills, and 26 other characteristics that contribute to greater resilience in youth. Studies show that kids who measure well in these categories do better in school and life. http://www.impactsociety.com/downloads/Appendix.pdf