Canadian Business Awards 2024 | 15 Providing quality before and after school care for elementary children of kindergarten age up to 6th grade, programmes ran by Topp Kids are done so on-site at their schools, with the activities undertaken and the environment created being done so to help children feel at home and aid their developing into young adults who are responsible and community conscious. To this end, the company’s programmes favour choice, empowering the children themselves to make the important decisions regarding what it is that they want to do during these sessions. By providing agency to the children that it serves, the business has carved out a true niche for itself, setting the example for its peers and competitors alike. For Cody, such autonomy enables children to explore their own interests, building the necessary skills that prepare them for a future of leadership or social capacity. Key elements of this model trace back to Leslie’s founding of the business back in 2010, something aided by her adoption of a “Play, Grow, Laugh, & Learn” model, with these four cornerstones serving to guide the business across everything that it does. It was 2012, when Leslie was diagnosed with Lupus, that Cody would step in and reinforce his mother’s commitment to the cause, implementing a series of improved standards and systems to solidify the company’s 12+ years of success, with a variety of locations and programmes today on offer. Topp Kids has succeeded in striking that difficult balance between playing and learning, since not only is there an extensive amount of free-play equipment for the children to use, but they can also partake in a series of more structured activities that help them to hone skills such as literacy, science, maths, art, emotional intelligence, and sports. As Cody so eloquently puts it, “our collective vision is to be recognised as [providing] outstanding When Leslie Topp established Topp Kids Out of School Clubs almost 15 years ago, she did so atop of more than 25 years’ experience thriving in early years development, with the business serving as an extension of her mission to provide top quality care and education for those living within her local community. Even though a change in leadership has occurred, the same unwavering dedication remains, with her son, Cody Topp, taking up the mantle of leader and spearheading the company’s operations. Cody tells us more about the company and its aims. Best Community & Youth Development Organisation 2024 - Alberta childcare programmes that create society’s next generation of leaders through play, exploration, and coaching.” Cody’s developments, however, are constant, and on the back of his steadfast commitment to grow and develop the brand, he designed and implemented the ELCC and Community Development Education Centre, serving as a resource hub and area of significant learning opportunities for those working within the childcare industry. Today, such resources have been made available across Alberta, but with none of that vital foundational focus lost to time or breadth. One notable element of this is the workshops and seminars on offer that are delivered by professionals and other leading community figures, the ultimate aim of which being to create a new gold standard for youth development in local communities. As a part of this process, Topp Kids is actually in the process of transforming the entirety of its operation to a non-profit model, something that will come to be known as the Topp Kids Foundation and will allow the company to secure funding from the government and other such bodies for the various future projects that it plans to undertake. These future plans primarily revolve around expansion, first into Calgary, and then into the wider Alberta region. Excitingly, this expansion plan is multifaceted, with the team also seeking to increase their outreach by doubling down on their online systems, which they hope will increase workshop attendance by removing geographical barriers. Moreover, Cody and the team are aiming to offer a no-cost care service, which will go great lengths in ensuring those families in desperate need of a quality care programme can do so with no barriers in the way. Spurred on by its mission to, “provide accessible, affordable, high-quality childcare programmes and training to Albertan families and early childhood educators while making a positive impact in our communities”, the commitment had by Topp Kids Out of School Clubs to benefiting its local community and the development of youth is clear, and a cause worthy of being championed within this awards programme. Contact: Cody Topp Company: Topp Kids Out of School Clubs Web Address: https://www.toppkids.com
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