YOUth Studio
BGC Olds and Area Receives $20,000 Community Board Grant from the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation®, Supporting The YOUth Studio
Funding will help provide youth with access to technology, makerspace learning, entrepreneurship, coding, and financial literacy programming.
BGC Olds and Area, May 21, 2026 – BGC Olds and Area has received a $20,000 Community Board grant from the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation®, supporting the launch of The YOUth Studio, an innovative year-long makerspace and micro-enterprise program for youth.
YOUth Studio is a community-based creative entrepreneurship program designed to teach youth how to build a brand, create merchandise, represent their community with pride, and understand the basics of fundraising and financial literacy. Through hands-on workshops, collaborative projects, and mentorship, participants will develop creative, business, and leadership skills while using the studio space as a hub for learning and community connection.
The YOUth Studio will provide youth with opportunities to build confidence, creativity, leadership, coding, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship skills through hands-on learning experiences. The program will include access to makerspace technology such as Cricut machines, 3D printers, coding software, digital design tools, and youth-led business initiatives.
This funding is creating opportunities that many youth in our community would not otherwise have access to. The YOUth Studio will give youth a safe and supportive space to explore technology, creativity, entrepreneurship, and leadership while building real-world skills that will support them far beyond the program itself. Youth will not only learn how to create products, but also how to budget, market, problem-solve, and actively work together to accomplish shared goals.
This funding will support the creation of a fully functioning youth makerspace within The Zone Youth Centre, including the purchase of technology supplies, furnishings, and staff training. The program will allow youth to design and create products that can be sold through youth-led fundraising initiatives, with proceeds reinvested into activities, field trips, supplies, and future projects chosen by the youth themselves.
“Through our partnerships with charities supporting youth, we understand the challenges young people face in accessing opportunities that build skills, confidence, and belonging,” said Nimmi Kanji, Executive Director of the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation. “We are proud to support BGC Olds and Area through a Community Board grant to help launch The YOUth Studio and empower youth through technology, creativity, and entrepreneurship.”
For more information on BGC Olds and Area and watch for updates on The YOUth Studio, please visit BGC Olds and Area Website, and for more information on the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, visit Telus Friendly Future Foundation.
About BGC Olds and Area
BGC Olds and Area provides safe, supportive places where children and youth can experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, build positive relationships, and develop confidence and skills for life. Through early learning and childcare programs, out-of-school care, youth programming, family supports, mentorship, and community initiatives, BGC Olds and Area serves children, youth, and families throughout Olds and surrounding communities.
About the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation
The TELUS Friendly Future Foundation is a Canadian registered charity that believes all youth, regardless of circumstance, deserve an equal opportunity to reach their full potential. By funding more than 500 charities each year that provide education and health programs, many enabled by technology, along with educational bursaries, the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation is helping millions of youth across Canada build skills, confidence, and a sense of belonging. In 2023 alone, the Foundation provided more than $9 million in grants to over 550 charitable programs across Canada, and close to $2 million in bursaries to post-secondary students in financial need who are committed to making a difference in their communities.