Tree House Youth Theatre
THRIVE
Thrive is an innovative mental health program by Tree House Youth Theatre designed to empower teens, aged 13–17, who are experiencing anxiety and/or depression, that live in the Red Deer area. Through theatre-based activities and exercises, Thrive combines creative expression with evidence-based mental health strategies to help participants develop essential coping skills, emotional resilience, and self-confidence.
Our program utilizes the Red Deer Primary Care Network's Anxiety to Calm and Youth Pathways to Happiness curriculums as the basis for our own curriculum. Guided by skilled facilitators and supported by mental health professionals, participants engage in improvisation, role-playing, and storytelling activities that promote mindfulness, emotional regulation, and self-expression within a supportive and collaborative environment.
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In addition to building their own skills, participants design and deliver theatre-based mental health workshops that they will tour and present for elementary school students, introducing younger audiences to accessible tools for managing emotions and building resilience. This unique initiative fosters leadership, advocacy, and a sense of purpose among the teens, while creating a lasting impact in the wider community.
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With strong support from partners like the Red Deer Primary Care Network, Move Your Mood Studio, Red Deer YMCA, and Red Deer Polytechnic, Thrive is more than just a program-it’s a movement to reduce stigma around mental health and equip young people with the tools to thrive. By fostering connection, creativity, and confidence, Thrive ensures that teens in central Alberta and beyond can navigate life’s challenges with strength and resilience.
Mission
To empower teens aged 13–17 with emotional resilience, self-confidence, and coping skills through theatre-based workshops that promote mental health awareness and advocacy.
Vision
To create a future where all teens feel supported, resilient, and empowered to lead healthier lives through the transformative power of theatre and mental health education.
THRIVE Overview
WHAT IS THRIVE?
Thrive is a transformative theatre-based mental health program designed for central Alberta teens aged 13–17, running from September to June, and split into two-terms (Sept-Jan/Feb-June). Teens can be referred to Thrive by mental health professionals, school counsellors, and doctors. There is no fee to participate in Thrive. Our program combines theatre exercises, mindfulness practices, and peer-led initiatives to equip participants with essential tools to manage anxiety and depression, while fostering emotional resilience and a sense of community.
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Thrive is presented in three phases: Learning, Building, and Workshops.
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LEARNING PHASE
For three months, from either September to November or February to April, teens will learn both the ​Anxiety to Calm and Youth Pathways to Happiness courses (6-weeks each) using theatre games, exercises and activities. Teens will meet in Red Deer at either the YMCA of Northern Alberta on the north end, or the Move Your Mood Studio (Sheldon Kennedy Centre for Excellence) on the south end, once a week after school for 90-min. Sessions are structured to gradually build participants’ confidence, coping skills, and self-expression.
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Thank you to the YMCA of Northern Alberta, and Move Your Mood Studio for generously donating space for our programming. Thank you to the Red Deer Primary Care Network for curriculum use, and support.
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BUILDING PHASE​
In either December or May, the program will transition into a community engagement phase, where participants create and design, a theatre-based workshop for elementary school students throughout central Alberta. This peer-led initiative reinforces their learning while promoting mental health awareness to younger audiences. With the guidance of skilled facilitators and mental health professionals, teens will develop a workshop of theatre games that can be played by elementary school students that help promote positive coping skills and techniques for managing anxiety and depression. The teens will reinforce the skills they taught in the Learning part of the program.
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WORKSHOP PHASE
In the final month of the program, in January or June, teens will tour to elementary schools for one afternoon to lead the workshop they designed. Each teen will get one tour day out of four to lead workshops in schools. This helps to reinforce the skills they have learned, and will help to destigmatize mental health in our community.​
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HOW TO JOIN
Teens experiencing anxiety/and or depression can talk to a school counsellor, doctor, or therapist about Thrive, and then the professional can contact us at info@treehouseyouththeatre.ca for registration information. ​
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We Need Your Support
THRIVE
Partners
Help Us Make a Difference
To keep Thrive accessible and free for all participants, we rely on the generous support of the Central Alberta community. By sponsoring this program, your organization can play a vital role in empowering teens to build resilience, develop coping skills, and foster mental wellness.
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The cost to operate Thrive, with donated space to meet in, is $48,000.00 per year. This covers administration, facilitation, curriculum development and updates, and material printing. Our goal is to offer Thrive to 80 teens per year (40 per term), at a cost of $600.00 per teen.
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We need community support to make this program happen.
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The City of Red Deer has awarded us a three-year Community Culture Development Fund grant in the amount of $30,000.00 per year. This grant will cover the costs of 50 participants each year for three years, and we are incredibly grateful for this support.
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This leaves $18,000.00 to be covered by the community each year—the equivalent of 30 participants. This is where we need your help. Your company can sponsor one or more youth to join our program. Each youth sponsorship is $600.00.
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Join us in creating a brighter future for youth in Central Alberta—your support truly changes lives.
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If your organization or company would like to support Thrive, please email us at info@treehouseyouththeatre.ca.