Tims ‘Classrooms Program’ underscores power of community at Red Deer’s Fairview Elementary

The program offers students an empowering opportunity to experience some of the activities which they’d get to do at camps, such as the one Tims Foundation operates in Kananaskis, Alberta.

“This program is important for the kids because a lot of them come to school here with a poverty of experience. Many never go two or three blocks away from home, many have tricky transportation needs, or don’t have the money for after-school programs and sports — the things kids do to have a well-rounded experience,” Principal Tataryn told rdnewsNOW.

“If kids can have that foundational knowledge of the world, we can use that to build experiences and give examples when we’re teaching. When they don’t have that understanding, they’re at a deficit, and they don’t know what it’s like to be in community.”

Fairview is the embodiment of what a community school should be, she says.

At its foundation are four pillars, which hold up the school’s ‘circle of courage,’ Tataryn explains.

Belonging, independence, mastery, and generosity — those comprise the school’s tenets for students and staff alike. Each lead to feeling seen, heard, and confident, plus the desire and drive to come back and be successful the next day.

Shawn Stetson with Tims Foundation Camps leads a session of the Tims Classrooms Programs at Red Deer’s Fairview Elementary on Jan. 14, 2026. (Image Credit: rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

“[During the program], we learn through activities and having reflection. That way, they can think about how to apply [the learning] to the classroom or their lives,” says Shawn Stetson, senior manager of facilitation with Tims Camps.

“We’ve seen kids be reluctant to participate, so we let them come and participate when they’re ready. When things get hard with a challenge, they’re able to problem solve, take a breath, work through it, maybe take a break and come back, and build that resiliency.”

As Stetson explains, because Tims Classrooms Program is geared towards schools with a higher rate of socioeconomic challenges among its student body, and much like Tims summer camps, they try to bring students they see through the program into camps later on.

That way, students who may be more reserved or facing other challenges, will already have an idea of what to expect.

In the last four months, the program has reached 9,000 kids across Canada, and is only growing.

As an arm of the Tims Foundation Camps, the Classrooms Program receives funding from different sources, including the recent Holiday Smile Cookie campaign in Red Deer, which raised just shy of $20,000 for Tims Camps, and another $20,000 for The Lending Cupboard.

For Tataryn, Tims coming in is the perfect chance to shine a light on how exemplary Fairview Elementary truly is.

Students take part in the Tims Classrooms Program at Fairview Elementary in Red Deer on Jan. 14, 2026. (Image Credit: rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

The students come from around the world, but that cultural piece each student brings with them is only used to build problem-solving and other skills here in Canada, she says.

Whether it’s Tims, another community group coming in, an experienced educational assistant going the extra mile to run a school choir, or the staff who take on the not insignificant task of managing a student support room, those opportunities make students feel special, and show them someone out there is willing to make a big effort on their behalf, says Tataryn.

School fundraising happens in partnership with many organizations, including CrossRoads Church, the Optimist Club, Hope Mission, Salvation Army, Mustard Seed, Safe Harbour, and more. And on occasion, the school has donated money back to community groups, making the experience full-circle.

“Anything we do here, that other schools often do, like swimming, skating, other field trips, we fundraise for. The community supports us,” says Tataryn.

“This is what community schools are meant to be; but it’s more than just a handout. When we do fundraisers, we set a goal, and anything we get more than that, we donate.”

About that “special place” tagline out front…

“When you first read that sign, it’s easy to think that it’s super cheesy, because everybody thinks their place is special,” says Tataryn, whose students largely come from areas of war, or have faced other trials and tribulations.

Flags honouring the home nations of Fairview Elementary’s students, past and present, line the halls. (Image Credit: rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

“But just wait until you come and hang out here at Fairview, you meet the tireless teachers, see the people who light up every day for these kids, and are really pushing hard to change the narrative that these kids are [supposedly] less than, simply because they’re on the north side or live in Riverside Meadows.”

Tataryn shares that last year, Fairview was the recipient of a grant from Red Deer’s 100+ Women Who Care group. That money allowed for the purchase of various soccer equipment, and is ultimately leading to a city-wide 15-school and international-inspired soccer tournament taking place at the school in June.

The City of Red Deer, Care for Newcomers, the U17 Renegades soccer club, and Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School are also involved.

Anything anyone has done for the school helps Fairview contribute to breaking down stigma, be it towards kids and families, or the neighbourhood as a whole, adds Tataryn.

“Please come in, see what it is like here, and meet the kids who deserve a shot. They’re good kids,” she insists.

“As soon as people come in, they can tell, and they can feel it; they get who the kids are, and I do think it’s changing the story. I do think it’s bringing positive things to this community.”

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by Josh Hall | @Vancan19

Tims ‘Classrooms Program’ underscores power of community at Red Deer’s Fairview Elementary

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