The Saskatchewan Co-operative Association has decided to document the history of its youth program, now entering its 80th year.
The program has been credited with educating 42,000 young people in the province about the co-op movement.
Chassidy Puchala, who is spending the summer researching the development of the Saskatchewan Co-operative Youth Program, said in the 1920s and 1930s the program was used to teach youth how to start their own co-ops.
These days it tells them of the advantages of belonging to a co-op but also teaches leadership skills and self-esteem.
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The youth project’s most obvious vehicle is the summer co-op camps. Eight week-long seminars held at resort areas handle about 100 teens each in three levels of introductory, intermediate and graduate workshops.
Puchala said that after attending one of the camps, the young people tend to want to join a retail co-op.
Some also participate in co-op projects involving travel to developing countries or hosting foreign visitors.
Puchala said she would like information from past program participants to help her research. It can be in the form of photographs, pamphlets or personal stories.
People willing to share their experiences can contact her at 306-244-3702 or e-mail scypresearch@sask.coop.
Youth wanting more information about the summer camps can check the website at youth.sask.coop.php.
