This email is being sent to all CPF BC & Yukon Chapter Representatives. Please forward to your local mailing lists and contacts

Kids starting to get bored?

Maybe they would enjoy a fun fall event! Apply for a Sociocultural Grant to help fund your fall activities!

The deadline is October 10th, so don't delay!

Here's some things chapters have been approved for over the past few years:

• French family movie night
• Philosopher's cafe for youth (en francais)
• Community carnival
• French family picnic
• French storytime at the library

There is $65,000 available in grants!!!!!  Apply HERE

Check out the 'How-to' document for more infomation and how to apply: Sociocultural

For more information please contact Heather Bartlett at: projects@cpf.bc.ca or 778-329-9115 Ext. 317

Chapters all across BC & Yukon are working hard this October recruiting members for our membership drive! We love hearing about the different events, activities and strategies your chapters are using to bring in new members! Vernon made these cool t-shirts for a picnic, Richmond (our newest chapter) put together welcome packages packages for the new school year and will be holding a Hallowe'en party this October. Cambell River has been busy making sure that all the FI schools have brochures to hand out to the students, and parents in Chilliwack are working hard to form a chapter before the end of October. It's been a busy month, and these are only a few examples of the hard work our volunteers are doing this fall! Merci aux bénévoles!!

We were sent this link from about the 5 must-have strategies for successful membership recruitment Check it out!

For more information about our Membership Drive 2012 please CLICK HERE

Kirsty Peterson of Canadian Parents for French BC & Yukon Branch shares why French Immersion is an important part of preparing tomorrow's workforce, and why an increasing number of immigrant families are schoosing to enroll their ESL children in FSL immersion programs. These parents are embracing their new home by embracing both of Canada's official languages, and proving that French Immersion is a program that works for students of all different backgrounds.Check it out on Lifestrategies.ca's Diversity at Work blog:  Parents Building Multilingualism In A Multicultural Economy

Start planning your events for French Immersion Celebration week! This year it will be held from February 3rd-9th. Once again this year CPF BC & Yukon would like to appreciate all of the volunteers that recruit members, host events and support French education for children, not only during this week but all year-round.

We will be reimbursing chapters up to $100 for appreciation activities hosted for your volunteers. These events, initiatives or gifts cannot include alcoholic beverages, tobacco or travel and must occur between February 1st and 29th.

Sept 28th - 30th, Northern Chapters got together for the Northern Regional Conference. They networked with other chapters, shared best practices and attended a variety of workshops. Some of the workshops covered topics like working with volunteers, French funding, maintaining a healthy chapter, and supporting their French Immersion children when you don't speak French. This was a lively group that walked away with new connections and solid plans about how they will partner with other chapters to apply for sociocultural grants, increase their chapter visibility and host more events. Delegates walked away looking forward to working with other chapters to enhance the amazing work they already do in their communities. Thanks to everyone who attended!

Our next regional conference will be for our Vancouver Island chapters and will take place in Victoria, the first week of February. Watch for details in future CRUs!

If your chapter is in close proximity to the lower mainland, able to travel or which to organize a grand adventure in Squamish, consider organizing an event at the North Vancouver Outdoor School:

The North Vancouver Outdoor School (NVOS) in Brackendale, just 10 mins north of Squamish, is situated on 420 acres of ecological reserve in the Cheakaums River Valley.  Since its inception in 1969, the NVOS has been involved in experiential overnight field-based studies for environmental and outdoor education.  NVOS has afforded K-12 students the opportunity to acquire values, skills and understanding required to create and manage a financially viable, sustainable economy that minimizes its environmental impact.   Students learn through programs using our on-site working farm, salmon hatchery, forest with 1000 year old cedar trees and our Coast Salish Big House.

A revitalizaton plan has been developed to bring the campus back to it's natural ecological footprint and to minimize the environmental impact.  We are pleased to announce the completion of Phase 1, the North Shore Credit Union Environmental Learning Centre, which opened this summer.  This venue is sustainably designed with a raised floor that elevates guests to the magic of the forest canopy.  This unique "green-built" centre overlooks our canoe pond and boasts sweeping forest views.  Our sustainable building design is targeting a LEED Platinum Certification. Attached is a pdf with some photos, meeting room sizes and capacities.

Currently, our onsite accommodation are 10 rustic cabins with twin bunk beds which can accommodate up to 16 people each.  The cabins are heated and have shared washrooms.  We also have our Conference Centre which is a dorm-style set-up with 20 rooms and can accommodate up to 40 people.  This centre is equipped with a dining room, meeting room and shared washrooms. 

Further information can be found at www.nvos.ca

Proceeds from facility rentals help support environmental leadership & learning programs for children and youth

Encourage your school to participate in this cool bilingual poetry competition!

PRIZES FOR ONLINE SEMIFINALS:

Students who advance from the Online Semifinals win a trip to compete in the National Finals, which will be held in Toronto on May 14 and 15, 2013. Poetry In Voice will cover travel costs for each student and his or her adult chaperone and will arrange and cover hotel rooms for the duration of the National Finals.

ENGLISH PRIZE: $5,000 for the student champion, $1,000 for the student champion’s school library ($500 reserved for the purchase of poetry books)
For the best combined score of three recitations in English.
FRENCH PRIZE: $5,000 for the student champion, $1,000 for the student champion’s school library ($500 reserved for the purchase of poetry books)
For the best combined score of three recitations in French.
BILINGUAL PRIZE: $5,000 for the student champion, $1,000 for the student champion’s school library ($500 reserved for the purchase of poetry books)
For the best combined score of one poem in English and one poem in French.

Learn more at www.poetryinvoice.com