What is a Community Animator?

A Community Animator is a local leader who helps bring people together to talk about mental health and wellbeing in their community. They are trained to guide others in creating action plans and finding solutions that work for everyone. By building relationships and encouraging participation, Animators help their community take charge of its own mental health and wellbeing.

Who Can be a Community Animator?

Anyone living outside Alberta's seven largest urban centers (Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, and Red Deer) can become a Community Animator. Community members should be passionate about mental health and wellbeing and: 

• Live locally to ensure community ownership of initiatives.  

• Are committed to fostering inclusive, community-led solutions. 

What Does a Community Animator Do?

Animators are facilitative leaders—not managers or experts—who inspire and empower their communities. Their role includes: 

• Connecting People: Bringing community members together to have conversations that foster collaboration and collective decision-making. Sometimes, this could mean developing an Action Team.

• Facilitating Conversations: Encouraging meaningful conversations about mental health and wellbeing within the community. 

• Driving Action: Guiding the development of Action Plans and supporting community-driven initiatives. 

• Empowering Communities: Helping communities build capacity and improve wellbeing for all community members. 

The Backbone Organization (Supporting Organizations) play a critical role in supporting Animators and Action Teams by providing: 

• Administrative Support: Helping manage funding and reporting.
• Resources and Connections: Could offering meeting spaces, refreshments, or introductions to different community members or potential community partners.
• Ongoing Guidance: Fostering relationships and amplifying community efforts. 

Organizations act as connectors, ensuring community voices remain at the center of all initiatives. 

Any community organization can be a backbone for a Community Animator, as long as they are not a for-profit organization.