SYNERGY VISION: Summer Synergy contributes to sustainable rural communities by contributing to economic growth, enhancing community capacity with volunteerism and quality of life while creating an environment with rich learning and skill development.

SYNERGY MISSION: Provide a collaborative venue to showcase youth in agriculture by combing traditional elements with innovative approaches for personal achievement and development. This will increase interbreed interaction, avoid duplicity, improve financial sustainability, engage the public and enhance the profile of rural lifestyle and primary production. Summer Synergy offers the opportunity for these young leaders to demonstrate character and realize the true life-long benefits from being generous with their expertise and their time, building volunteer capacity in rural Alberta.

SYNERGY OBJECTIVES:

• Execute a superior rural youth program that is valuable, innovative, engaging, relevant and authentic
• Lift youth to elevated skill development goals including, but not limited to leadership, communication, decision making, livestock husbandry
• Reward outstanding achievement with scholarships, trips, internships, etc.
• Facilitate a unique collaborative relationship between program stakeholders and partners

Testimonials
The best way we can tell you about how great Summer Synergy is, is to share testimonials from past participants.

• Taiya and Boeden Nickel: The Nickels have attended Summer Synergy for the past 5 years. It is an action-packed week full of hard work, competition, learning new skills and a ton of fun. We have been fortunate to participate in all the amazing learning opportunities that Summer Synergy provides. Not only have we been able to strengthen our skills in judging, trimming, marketing, team building and showing our sheep, we have also met many new people and made lifelong friends. Summer Synergy week has been the highlight of our summer and is an amazing experience you shouldn't miss!

• Carmen, Lauren, and Charles White, CLC Cattle Co.: Summer Synergy in Olds is our favourite week of the summer - for many reasons. It encourages youth to be their best self in response to the high level of competition across all categories. It has helped us build valuable skills for our future - from marketing, to livestock judging, to exhibiting stock that we've raised and prepared. There is nowhere else where you can immerse yourself in a competitive week of showing and have the chance to gain a valuable scholarship, or a once in a lifetime trip catered specifically to inspired young livestock producers. Most importantly, Summer Synergy has been a place to focus on developing a friendly and inclusive persona, making lasting friendships and meaningful new connections with mentors. The love and laughter that comes with camping with friends new and old, a photobooth pose with your herdsmanship team, or just tying your females out at night with help from friends is immeasurable. Hope to see you there! Thank you Summer Synergy.

• The Marshalls - Luke, Jade, Ward & Bret: Throughout the years of Summer Synergy the program has provided our entire family with the opportunity to learn and grow both individually and as a collective. From the first day to the last day, year to year the program is awesome. Summer Synergy is a great program that has provided us tremendous opportunity. We have achieved industry knowledge, developed and improved our skills, and made a lasting network that will continue to aid us in our life's journey. It has helped us gain confidence and learn the skills necessary to be successful and prosperous in the agricultural business and people as a whole. We would like to thank all of the sponsors and partners for supporting such an outstanding program.

• The Matejkas - Brittney, Carling & Tyson: The Summer Synergy program has been an incredible journey for our family. Each year brings new challenges in Ag Leadership, Communication, Evaluation, & Marketing. The friendships made at Synergy will last a lifetime and the experiences will never be forgotten. Our children have had the opportunity to interact with major leaders in business who are volunteers or sponsors of the program. We have watched our children challenge themselves and step outside the box as well as their own comfort zone to excel beyond our expectations. Summer Synergy, just another step of investing in our children's future.

• Cayley Peltzer - After months of hard work and dedication Summer Synergy participants get together to share, grow and learn. It doesn't matter if you show beef or sheep we all learn from each other and form friendships that can last a lifetime. I had attended Synergy for a number of years and I am now completely hooked as a committee volunteer to contribute and be an agent of change for rural youth development. The scholarships available gives youth the ability to drive towards our goals and eventually give back to those that saw something in us by helping the next generation of Summer Synergy participants.

• Casey Morey - I have had the chance to walk across the grandstand stage at the Calgary Stampede twice and it gives me chills to be able to watch the big screen while they announce the achievements of our rural youth. Synergy has been an opportunity for me to grow as a person and increase my knowledge of our vibrant industry. Synergy has brought me out of my comfort zone and exposed me to a variety of skills and activities never imaginable. I promise that you could ask any Synergy participant and they would tell the Summer Synergy has created a lifetime of opportunities and opened many doors.

The will to win is not nearly as important
as the will to prepare to win.

We send sincere appreciation to the numerous Junior Breed Associations committed to providing valued industry programming for their young breeders!
DID YOU KNOW? Between 2010 and 2022, there have been 3,855 youth involved from ages 9 to 20 - and from all across Canada!
Since our beginnings, 6,570 head of livestock have shown at Summer Synergy, representing beef, dairy, equine and sheep.