PREACHING

We have a number of staff who would be happy to share a message of hope and encouragement with your church congregation, small group, or event participants.

SEED SERVE

We offer week-long service-learning programs for youth aged 13-17 as part of a youth group. These alternative mission trips are an opportunity for teens to learn about poverty and homelessness, develop a deeper understanding of God’s heart for our city, and practice faith in action through service projects. Programming runs for two separate weeks in the month of July; we also offer weekend or spring break opportunities for youth groups who have previous summer commitments.

Visit SeedServe Tab

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Our presentations cover the forms & causes of homelessness, statistics relevant to Calgary, information about our programming, and opportunities for the community to get involved. Presentations can be tailored to address specific topics or relate to Biblical themes

Book a Speaker

Engaging Vulnerable People Workshop

Homelessness 101

SPIRITUAL LEARNING

Day In The Life

• An immersive and experiential day of learning. Groups will have a glimpse into the day in the life of someone who experiences homelessness and poverty. The purpose of the day is to gain compassion and empathy for the most vulnerable in our city.

Register Here

Social Issues Walk

• Our self-guided social issues walk journeys to various landmarks around the Downtown Core and Beltline neighbourhoods and addresses social issues in our city relevant to each stop.
• To find out more or schedule email CommunityEngagement@theseed.ca

TOURS

If you would like to tour one of our facilities one of our staff would be happy to help you.

We offer week-long or half week service-learning programs for youth aged 13-17 as part of a youth group. These alternative mission trips are an opportunity for teens to learn about poverty and homelessness, develop a deeper understanding of God’s heart for our city, and practice faith in action through service projects. Our mission is to serve and be served. It's an opportunity where you will exemplify the spirit of Jesus through the act of service.

At Seed Serve you have the chance to experience the presence of Jesus within our guests who are living in poverty and homelessness while serving the community you are placed in. We're told in Micah 6:8 that we are to “act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.”

The purpose of Seed Serve is to do just that. Our goal is to understand God’s perspective for our most vulnerable community members, as well as growing in our discipleship to Jesus.

We would love for you to join us on this experience! Below is an example schedule of what your week with us could look like. We offer this program in Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer. While the schedule might look different in each city, the truth in Micah 6:8 remains the focal point.

Please register for Seed Serve here.

Individual Application

Universities & Colleges

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Our presentations cover the forms & causes of homelessness, statistics relevant to Calgary, information about our programming, and opportunities for students to get involved. Presentations can be tailored to address specific topics or relate to programs of study (e.g. nursing, social work, addictions & community health).

Book a Speaker

WEEKEND AND WEEK-LONG
Opportunities to volunteer, share meals with residents, host community-building activities, and participate in learning on a variety of topics related to homelessness and poverty

Grade Schools

SEED SCHOOL
A 5-day field study program through Campus Calgary/Open Minds. Classes of Gr. 3-12 students can attend SEEDschool for an entire week of study to learn about social issues, empathy, and how we can create healthy communities together. During this week, students will learn from experts, explore the Beltline and Downtown neighbourhoods, hear real stories of resilience and hope, and work together to find ways to make their own communities safer, more inclusive, and more vibrant.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Our presentations cover the forms & causes of homelessness, statistics relevant to Calgary, information about our programming, and opportunities for students to get involved. Presentations can be tailored for various time lengths and ages.

Book a Speaker

Experiential Learning

• Day in the Life
  
  
  • An immersive and experiential day of learning. Groups will have a glimpse into the day in the life of someone who experiences homelessness and poverty. The purpose of the day is to gain compassion and empathy for the most vulnerable in our city.
• Social Issues Walk
  
  
  • Our self-guided social issues walk journeys to various landmarks around the Downtown Core and Beltline neighbourhoods and addresses social issues in our city relevant to each stop.
  • To find our more or schedule email communityengagement@theseed.ca

Tours

If you would like to tour one of our facilities one of our staff would be happy to help you.

Book a Tour

Resources

The Community Engagement team is also delighted to provide educational resources to teachers, including our Educator's Toolkit that provides curriculum surrounding homelessness, poverty, and empathy, as well as our Booklist that recommends children's books focused on these topics.

Please contact us or read our 2022 – 2023 Student Engagement Opportunities to learn more about how we can be a part of your students' learning!

Please visit SeedSchool tab or view resources

• Contact Cecily Letendre:

Transforming Perspectives, Shaping Communities

SEEDschool is a program of The Mustard Seed in partnership with Campus Calgary / Open Minds, which provides Calgary teachers the opportunity to move their classes into a vibrant community site for an entire week of curriculum-based experience, designed to meet the needs of each individual learner. Teachers design and implement a year-long interdisciplinary study that uses the week at the site as a catalyst for learning.

History of SEEDschool

The Mustard Seed has long been engaged in intentional student learning experiences. SEEDschool evolved out of 22 years of summer learning programs, and two decades of speaking and teaching in school classrooms. During the 2016-17 school year, The Mustard Seed and Campus Calgary began to dream about initiating a pilot program at The Mustard Seed. After our initial pilot year in 2017-18 with 5 weeks of programming, we are now an official site running 14 weeks of programming per year.

Why Campus Calgary / Open Minds (CC/OM) at SEEDschool?

A week at The Mustard Seed is a catalyst for students to become engaged in the creation of their own year-long learning pathway. By incorporating student choice and design, teachers and site experts act as facilitators, working collaboratively with students and grounding education in the local community, students can see the relevance of what they are learning and therefore become more engaged in the learning process. Students engage in hands-on learning about poverty, homelessness, and social issues, thereby challenging students to consider their role in growing and nurturing the community.

Please email CommunityEngagement@theseed.ca for more information

Applying for SEEDschool

Any Calgary teacher can apply through Campus CC/OM for their class to participate in SEEDschool. However, we are currently only accepting applications from Grades 3 – 12. Applications become available in February for the following school year. Completed applications will include a proposal describing how you (the teacher) would implement an extended interdisciplinary study using the week at the site as a focus. Selections aren't made on a first come first serve basis but are based on the year-long inquiry plan and factors like whether students and teachers have attended a CC/OM program before, whether a teacher has applied previously and not been accepted, time of year requested, etc. For teachers new to the CC/OM experiences, further questions will be answered and forms explained at the information sessions offered in January and at the teacher’s convention. More information on applications is available here. If you have questions specific to SEEDschool, we invite you to contact us at CommunityEngagement@theseed.ca

Apply to SeedSchool

• Contact Cecily Letendre

Lunch & Learn

Join our Community Engagement Team for an in-person or virtual lunch and learn! We will spend time discussing homelessness and poverty, it's causes and context, and how The Mustard Seed is responding in Calgary.
Email communityengagement@theseed.ca to book a session.

We offer a one-hour Engaging Vulnerable People course to help your team learn how to safely and compassionately engage with people experiencing homelessness in our city. This course teaches participants how to evaluation a situation to see if it’s safe and provides resources for supporting people experiencing homelessness.

Workshops

• Engaging Vulnerable Workshop
  
  
  • We offer a one-hour Engaging Vulnerable People course to help your team learn how to safely and compassionately engage with people experiencing homelessness in our city. This course teaches participants how to evaluation a situation to see if it’s safe and provides resources for supporting people experiencing homelessness.
• Homelessness 101
  
  
  • This workshop gives people an introduction to homelessness & poverty in our city. It also seeks to correct stereotypes/misinformation as well as highlight the services and programs that The Mustard Seed offers.

Book a Workshop

Tours

If you would like to tour one of our facilities one of our staff would be happy to help you

Book a Tour

• Book a Speaker
• Booklist
• Educators Toolkit
• Link to Calgary Homeless Foundation
• Link to Enough for All Poverty Map
• Link to Homeless Hub