Applied Major Project
Matthew Morin (100341090)
Langara College
RECR 4400: Applied Major Project
Yue-Ching Cheng & Joanne Edey-Nicoll
March 24th, 2024

Executive Summary

Purpose
This research paper aims to examine the barriers preventing preteens from engaging in
recreation and how the Fleetwood Town Centre can improve its current outreach strategy to
increase participation in youth recreation services for preteens aged 10-13.
Methods Used
Research for this paper was conducted through four different methods: secondary
research, interviews with City of Surrey staff that are involved with preteen and youth
engagement, special status observations of Fleetwood’s drop-in youth program, front desk
communications and youth functional table, and analysis of content connected to preteen and
youth engagement.
Findings and Conclusions
The research findings highlight the complexities and challenges surrounding preteen
engagement in municipal youth services within the City of Surrey, particularly in the aftermath
of the COVID-19 pandemic. A significant aspect identified is the need to rebuild relationships
with the Surrey School District, which has been diminished, impacting preteen outreach efforts.
The City of Surrey’s Youth Functional Table is undergoing a transition phase with new
coordinators and programmers, presenting challenges in catering to underrepresented groups,
building relationship with the school district, and making it difficult to outreach and connect with
new participants. Despite these obstacles, active initiatives are underway to overcome barriers to
preteen engagement, including discussions of gender-specific programming and the
implementation of recognition initiatives. At the Fleetwood Community Centre, difficulties in
engaging preteens include excessive cell phone use and transactional conversations at the front
counter. Additionally, there is a recognized need to update internal youth content within the City
of Surrey to reflect current preteen needs better and effectively address participation barriers.
While efforts to enhance preteen engagement in municipal recreation services are evident,
ongoing challenges and transitions post-pandemic necessitate an adaptive approach to ensure
effective outreach and engagement strategies.

Recommendations
1. Define The Preteen Age Group in the City Of Surrey Recreation Department
2. The Fleetwood Community Centre Needs to Rebuild Their Relationships with the Surrey
School District
3. Update Youth Training Modules to Address Barriers to Preteen Participation in
Municipal Recreation Services
4. Collaborate with City of Surrey’s Libraries, City Hall’s Healthy Communities, and
Surrey Recreation Facilities to Improve Preteen Recreation Offerings
5. Staff in Supervisory Roles Need to Address and Plan Accordingly in Relation to Preteen
Internal Barriers for Municipal Recreation
Key Terms
Barriers, Outreach, Youth Services, Participation, Youth Functional Table

Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 6
Background and Context............................................................................................................................... 7
About Fleetwood Town Centre and City of Surrey .................................................................................. 7
Involvement with Research....................................................................................................................... 8
Literature Review.......................................................................................................................................... 9
Role Participation Plays with Preteens in Municipal Recreation.............................................................. 9
Barriers that Preteens Experience in Municipal Recreation ................................................................... 10
Best Practice for Program Participation .................................................................................................. 13
Gaps in Literature ................................................................................................................................... 13
Areas of Controversy .............................................................................................................................. 13
Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 14
Methodology ............................................................................................................................................... 14
Primary Research Plan and Rationale ..................................................................................................... 14
Interviews............................................................................................................................................ 15
Special Status Observations ................................................................................................................ 17
Content Analysis ................................................................................................................................. 17
Research Findings ....................................................................................................................................... 18
Current youth staff characteristics find it challenging to support underrepresented groups with specified
programming ........................................................................................................................................... 19
The youth portfolio is actively striving to rebuild outreach strategies and overcome barriers to preteen
engagement ............................................................................................................................................. 20
Internal youth content with the City of Surrey is outdated and needs to be updated .............................. 21
Recommendations and Analysis ................................................................................................................. 21
Define The Preteen Age Group In The City Of Surrey Recreation Department .................................... 21
The Fleetwood Community Centre Needs to Rebuild Their Relationships with the Surrey School
District .................................................................................................................................................... 22
Update Youth Training Modules to Address Barriers to Preteen Participation in Municipal Recreation
Services ................................................................................................................................................... 23
Collaborate with City of Surrey’s Libraries, City Hall’s Healthy Communities, and Surrey Recreation
Facilities to Improve Preteen Recreation Offerings ................................................................................ 24
Staff in Supervisory Roles Need to Address and Plan Accordingly in Relation to Preteen Internal
Barriers for Municipal Recreation .......................................................................................................... 24

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................25
References ..................................................................................................................................27
Appendix....................................................................................................................................31

Introduction
Preteens aged 10-13 are not engaging in after-school recreation programs due to internal
social barriers and need to be made aware of the recreation opportunities in the Fleetwood Town
Centre in Surrey. Preteens that participate in recreation programs are influenced with positive
youth development and personal development which is connected to the influence of after-school
activities and leisure (Eime et al., 2013; Holt et al., 2011; Zarrett et al., 2009; Linver et al.,
2009). Participation in community activities improves social health outcomes and enhance the
psychological health of youth (Eime et al., 2013). Therefore, it is important to outline the barriers
to preteen participation in municipal recreation centres and understand the City of Surrey’s
current youth outreach strategies to bridge preteens to participate in recreation programs.
This report will answer the question: what are the barriers preventing preteens from
engaging in recreation and how can the Fleetwood Town Centre improve its current outreach
strategy to increase participation in youth recreation services for preteens aged 10-13. The
following key areas will be discussed within this paper:
● Background and context
● About the City of Surrey
● Statistics on preteen participation in municipal recreation
● Preteen services in Fleetwood
● Literature Review
● Overview of barriers that preteens display in recreation
● Overview of the measures for preteen program participation
● Gaps in the literature
● Areas of controversy
● Summary of literature review
● Methodology for primary research
● Research findings and analysis
● Recommendations
The key terms used in the research paper are operationalized as follows:

● Engaging - Engagement is creating an interpersonal connection from city staff to the
preteen. Engaging involves bridging participants to the recreation centre and allowing the
preteens to participate in municipal recreation programs fully.
● Outreach - Outreach is raising awareness of youth and preteen opportunities through
interacting with Fleetwood’s lobby space, library, Fleetwood elementary schools and
neighbouring parks, encouraging an increase in participation and collaborating with the
Surrey School District.
● Participation - Youth staff facilitate participation for youth participating in municipal
recreation such as youth projects, city wide events, and preteen drop-in programs.
● Youth Services - Youth services within the City of Surrey are programs developed for
preteens and youth aged 10 - 18. These youth services include youth engagement
program teams, gym and sports, registered programs, and agency partnerships.
Background and Context
The City of Surrey, more precisely the Fleetwood Community Centre, caters their youth
services programs to preteens aged 10-13. Fleetwood offers many different preteen programs,
such as preteen drop-in lounges on Tuesdays and Fridays and special events that both preteens
and youth staff initiate to contribute youth engagement in Fleetwood. For this research, the
Fleetwood Community Centre will be explored to determine what barriers preteens face to
participate in preteen services and how the Fleetwood Town Centre can improve its current
outreach strategy to engage more participants to municipal recreation.
About Fleetwood Town Centre and City of Surrey
The City of Surrey is “the largest city by land area and second most populated in Metro
Vancouver” (City of Surrey, n.d.). Surrey is recognized for building sustainable communities
through fast-growing diversity and developing a complete community that provides a highquality community service and living environment (City of Surrey, n.d.). City of Surrey’s
mission is to “Serve our community to improve the quality of life for everyone through
exceptional delivery of parks, recreation and culture amenities, programs and services.” (City of

Surrey, 2018). Surrey’s vision also has “five overarching themes from the key pillars of the plan
and support the vision of a healthy, green, inclusive community.” (City of Surrey, 2018)
● High-quality parks and facilities for all
● An engaged and healthy community
● Vibrant and creative city
● Leader in environmental stewardship
● Effective management of resources (City of Surrey, 2018).
Fleetwood is a neighbourhood that offers parks and diverse residential areas and most
recently will be home to the upcoming Surrey Langley Skytrain expansion which will drive
further development. (City of Surrey, n.d.). The Fleetwood Community Centre currently is a
small community with 62,735 people residing in the community, with 25% landing in the 0-19
age bracket. (City of Surrey, 2016). The centre has opportunities for all age groups, including
preschool, children, preteens, youth, adults, and seniors, to participate in registered and drop-in
programs curated to their interest. These programs can include:
● Art based programs
● Registered and drop-in fitness
● Registered programs for general interest, including sports, cooking, languages,
dance, etc.
● Community events such as seniors holiday events, Fleetwood Festival, movie
nights, youth engagement event, and library programming.
● Licensed preschool and registered preschool themed programs
● Summer day camps
The facility has multipurpose spaces, a youth lounge, 2 halls including a fitness studio,
weight room, licensed preschools, and a library to ensure that recreation opportunities have an
appropriate space to run their program.
Involvement with Research
The Fleetwood Town Centre will benefit from this project as we can start piecing the
puzzle on the question of why preteens are not engaged in our communities. The goal to why this

is important to the Fleetwood Town Centre is that preteens are the next generation to active
community members and recreation leaders. Encouraging greater involvement within
Fleetwood’s youth community has numerous benefits. By promoting physical fitness, we can
enhance both physical and mental well-being among young people and fostering active lifestyles.
Additionally, facilitating social interaction provides valuable opportunities for developing
interpersonal skills and nurturing social development. In addition, youth will benefit from social
programs by building on their communication and conflict resolution skills which will set them
up for adulthood. The prevention of preteens who may be at more risk for behaviours such as
preteens with substance abuse will benefit the Fleetwood community. The community wants to
provide a space to safely develop youth as active members of the community rather than serve as
a deterrent to behaviours such as substance abuse. The Fleetwood Town Centre can function as
an outlet to contribute to reducing negative behaviours.

Literature Review
Role Participation Plays with Preteens in Municipal Recreation
Statistics Canada states that youth were less active during the pandemic due to screen
time and only 37.2% of youth aged 12-17 were physically active and meeting the suggested
active leisure recommendation (Statcan, 2022). One common theme among the literature on the
topic of preteen participation in municipal recreation contributes to overall positive development
and participation in active programs will foster self-efficacy; positive relationship building; and
motivations to be active (Robbins et al., 2021). An example of a study conducted in 2017
included 10 -13-year-old preteens in an ethnically diverse school district responding to a survey
asking if they currently participate on a sports team run by community groups or are physically
active outside of school (Robbins et al., 2021). The participants who participated in structured
recreation programs benefited from “self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, external regulation, and
autonomous motivation” (Robbins et al., 2021, p. 480). One of the ways participants can reduce
barriers to their personal mental, emotional, and social health is by participating in recreational
sports (PCSFN, 2020). These statistics suggest that preteens with a healthy dosage of

participation in after school activities reap the benefits of social and physical interaction resulting
in well-rounded physical and mental health.
Barriers that Preteens Experience in Municipal Recreation
Preteens do not always have the capacity to come into and participate in after-school
recreational activities. In particular, LGBTQ+ preteen participants are affected by the reduction
of participation in physical activity and transgender students are less likely to actively engage in
recreation services rather than their cisnormative counterparts (Oakleaf & Richmond, 2017). An
Australian study found that 25% of trans people experience discrimination with connection to
sports (RainbowHealthOntario, 2014). Transgender individuals encounter barriers to full
participation for leisure activities even with the recent progress to inclusive spaces and
accessibility for this demographic (Oakleaf & Richmond, 2017). Additionally, trans participants
also face barriers of security and safety in public recreation spaces as their daily interactions with
others and managing risk creates a barrier to fully participate in recreation programs (Thibodeau,
2020). Gay and bisexual teens in grade 7-12 are less likely to fully participate in sports and
recreation services then their heterosexual peers (Thibodeau, 2020). Queer participants are still
facing barriers of harassment in recreational level sports that are not welcoming to sexual
minorities which reduces the effect of social development (Thibodeau, 2020). Social
development is necessary to achieve, as it pushes individuals to reach their full potential and is
linked to the development of active healthy members of the community (Oakleaf & Richmond,
2017).
Positive social skills in leisure settings need to be implemented to reduce the barriers to
queer participants to create an inclusive leisure space. A study from the National Research
Council outlined the eight features of a positive developmental settings framework for LGBTQ+
youth (Theriault & Witt, 2014). These features include physical and psychological safety,
appropriate structure, supportive relationships, opportunities to belong, positive social norms,
support for efficacy and mattering, opportunities for skill building and integration of family and
community efforts (Theriault & Witt, 2014). Furthermore, ensuring the protection of LGBTQ+
youth from sexual identity oppression, such as establishing safe recreation programs, may

necessitate evaluation norms within programs, including physical sports that typically are
heterosexual (Theriault & Witt, 2014).
Social media consumption is another significant barrier for preteen’s participating in
recreation programs. With access to the digital world, there are many concerns as social media is
becoming a dominating factor of interpersonal interactions between peers, leaving less time for
developmental processes such as social activities (Lichy et al., 2023). 79% of kids and teens are
spending more of their leisure time on screens rather than participating in recreation and 62%
were less physically active (Participaction, 2020). These statistics suggest that children and
preteens during the pandemic were actively engaged with screens rather than participating in
active leisure. A common theme with the digital age is the self-collection of identities and
creating a new social construct. Preteen self-presentation activities, which refer to the process of
communicating one’s image to others and are associated with identity development, create a
barrier to face-to-face social interaction. (Lichy et al., 2023).
The research provided by Fairlie and Kalili highlight the danger of excessive usage by
preteens resulting in less time for social activities as the desire to stay connected through social
media is demonstrated by a dopamine-driven learned behaviour (Lichy et al., 2023). It is through
social media, preteens aged 8 - 12 stay socially connected through mobile devices rather than a
social recreation program (Lichy et al., 2023). This disconnection through face-to-face
interaction has made it difficult for municipal recreation centres to address the issue of social
media addiction. The diverse changes with the new digital age have affected social interactions
and relationships, including unresolved issues, such as internet dependency and addiction
(Avunduk, 2021). Examining the effect on social media addiction among preteens is a step to
adapting recreation services (Avunduk, 2021).
Loneliness is a subjective feeling depending on if the person is socially isolated or
socially connected but feeling lonely (Dopelt & Sahin, 2023). Loneliness is a barrier to
municipal recreation as it prevents preteens from actively engaging in recreation activities as a
lonely individual over time can become hypersensitive to stimuli that come from a social
environment (Dopelt & Sahin, 2023). This can be reflected in preteen social spaces as the

participants will focus on negative interactions with peers because the effects of loneliness stem
from negative expectations rather than remembering the positive ones (Dopelt & Sahin, 2023).
A 2021 Statistics Canada report highlights that nearly 1 in 4 youth mention that they feel
lonely (Statcan, 2021). The feeling of loneliness affects the vulnerable population of children and
adolescents as the uncertainty from COVID-19 can present depression and anxiety given the
social isolation barriers (Rego et al., 2021). Studies have found that leisure and physical activity
are an influencing factor of loneliness and sports participation encourages interaction which
satisfies social needs and protects them from feeling social isolation (Tubić et al., 2023).
Loneliness and physical activity connect negatively and participants that do not possess active
social skills are less likely to participate in recreational sport (Tubic et al., 2023). The Lived
Experience Advisory Group utilizes their firsthand experience navigating the challenges and
consequences of poverty; they contribute valuable insight to shape, execute, and oversee cities'
poverty reduction strategy (Pearce et al., 2021). Based on evidence from the Lived Experience
Advisory Group (LEAG), therapeutic intervention is required before engagement with social
opportunities to reduce the impact of loneliness (Pearce et al., 2021). Given the nature of
recreation social settings, the support for relationship building and utilizing recreation staff as a
bridge for therapeutic intervention will yield the reduction of loneliness for young people (Pearce
et al., 2021).
LEAG has mentioned that language, accessing information, engaging with support
resources, and participating in community activities can overcome the barrier of loneliness
(Pearce et al., 2021). ‘Interpersonal Strategies’ described by Mann, creates social strategies for
participants that face loneliness to engage with the community (Pearce et al., 2021). These
strategies include wide community approaches that involve peers in communities to increase the
number of opportunities for social contact (Pearce at al., 2021). Drawing from the conclusions of
interpersonal strategies, this asset can connect to the City of Surrey’s Youth Engagement
Handbook, the connecting components are in correlation with interpersonal communications as
community outreach helps bridge preteens to municipal youth services programs (City of Surrey,
2015).

Best Practice for Program Participation
The Tiffany-Eckenrode Program Participation Scale (TEPPS) marks a step forward in
assessing the quality of youth engagement in after-school programs. The TEPPS model analyzes
the key dimensions of participation including “personal development, voice/influence,
safety/support, and community engagement” (Tiffany et al., 2012). This model offers a
framework to evaluate youth participation beyond attendance statistics and highlights the holistic
development and well-being of youth engagement (Tiffany et al., 2012). Municipal recreation
centres can utilize these measures to assess the overall satisfaction of a program and create a
more diverse outlook on how leaders view programs, thus equipping initiatives that can combat
barriers to preteen engagement. Overall, youth engagement can vary based on the capacity of the
program staff spending time to create an inclusive space for the participants (BCRPA, 2017).
Gaps in Literature
There are gaps that impose on addressing preteen barriers to youth recreation services.
Firstly, the preteen age group is unique and specific, making it difficult to find literature. Many
sources addressing recreation barriers apply to children aged 6-10 or youth aged 13-18. Another
gap in the literature is that sources address the overconsumption of social media during the
pandemic, and the repercussions of social media statistics are still currently being researched.
The literature may have addressed the problem of overconsumption of media, but the alternatives
and conclusions on the outcomes are still inconclusive. Moreover, another gap, depression, and
anxiety, are the overlying factors of the aforementioned barriers. Rarely does the literature
consider family influences, religious practices, household financial status or puberty changes, yet
these factors play crucial roles in shaping individual mental health and development. The gaps in
the literature create a misunderstanding of the barriers to preteen participation as the specific
preteen age group isn’t defined, and the research of preteen barriers is still to be discovered.
Areas of Controversy
Measuring the barriers to municipal recreation preteen programs is specific and
challenging to accomplish. There is a plethora of different barriers that can be addressed but the
implications to creating shared social spaces feeling safe for all is controversial. Joseph Martin

mentions that people who identify as LGBT may experience unprejudiced access to recreation
programs as parts of the world are not open to queer participants (Martin, 2017). Regardless of
race, religion, and orientation, the controversy lies in how municipal recreation centres can create
youth spaces that are accepting of everyone regardless of their internal values and beliefs.
The controversy for social media and overconsumption can also conflict within social
recreation spaces. Social media could be used in municipal recreation as a positive outlet. Online
communication can open preteens to experiences they may not have in real life conversation
such as healthy communication with friends from different parts of the world or in their own
community (Homayoun, 2018). Youth engagement staff cannot force them off social media as
the integration of the social media world identifies with preteens' self-concept of social identity
remains a status symbol for youth (Lichy et al., 2021). Lastly, social isolation mental illness
focuses on anxiety and depression which is difficult to overcome especially when preteens are
entering puberty. It is difficult to identify how social isolation affects preteens as COVID-19 was
a large contributor to social isolation and the aftereffects are still difficult to identify.
Summary
Research highlights preteen participation in municipal recreation centres and the
numerous benefits including enhanced self-efficacy, positive relationships, and intrinsic
motivation. However, barriers such as LGBTQ+ discrimination, excessive social media
consumption, and feelings of loneliness can hinder preteen engagement to youth services in
recreation centres. There are strategies to overcome these barriers including creating inclusive
spaces, implementing interpersonal strategies, and addressing the impact of social media
addiction. Despite the gaps in literature and controversies surrounding acceptance, prioritizing
positive youth development, and reducing the barriers preteens in municipal recreation remains
at utmost importance.
Methodology
Primary Research Plan and Rationale
Through three forms of primary research, such as interviews, special status observations,
and content analysis, the primary research will help explore barriers preventing preteens from

engaging in recreation and how the Fleetwood Town Centre can improve its current outreach
strategy to increase participation in youth recreation services for preteens aged 10-13. The
primary research provides more insight into how this research topic is being addressed in
municipal recreation and how the Fleetwood Town Centre is currently addressing preteens’
barriers to participation and implementing current outreach strategies.
Interviews
Five Interviews were conducted with various youth departments within the City of Surrey
through in-person and virtual “Microsoft Teams” formats. The interviews were conducted with
the citywide Youth Engagement and Intervention Programmer, the Youth Services Functional
Manager, the Youth Coordinator, Youth Engagement Staff and the Teen Information’s Librarian
at the Fleetwood Community Centre. Each staff member who was approved to be part of the
interview was provided with questions curated to their department and role with preteens. All
questions remained unbiased, and answers were recorded in a transcript format to capture their
responses. Please refer to Appendix 1A for interview details, and 1B for interview questions
guide.
The Youth Engagement and Intervention Programmer at Healthy Communities is
responsible for running youth engagement events with over 200 youth. This position also
oversees 2 youth leadership groups, SLYC (Surrey Leadership Youth Council) and the Girls
Empowerment Group and Peer Mentorship Program, and supports the Leisure Access Program
(LAP). The programmer was able to share their experiences working with a broad preteen and
youth demographic in relations to the barriers that exist in outreaching to youth and preteens and
the current barriers to preteen engagement for large special event in Surrey. The Youth Services
Functional Manager is part of the youth functional table, which meets monthly to deliver a
consistent approach to philosophy, training modules, and recruitment. The Youth Functional
Manager provided context of the work that is currently being done at a higher level, including
addressing barriers, rebuilding community relationships such as the Surrey School District,
preteen and youth engagement initiatives and serving the needs of operations for the City of
Surrey facilities. Fleetwood Community Centre’s Youth Coordinator role is to help facilitate and
organize youth and preteen events, identify areas of partnerships with schools and departments,

and to support the needs of youth and preteens within the Fleetwood Town Centre as needed.
This staff was able to share their experience and perspective on working in a position that creates
relationships with outreach partnerships and manages Fleetwood’s preteens and youth offerings.
The Fleetwood’s Teen Information Librarian creates youth community programs within
Fleetwood. This staff provided their experiences facilitating the Teen Leadership Council and
described the reach of participants attending their programs. Lastly, the Fleetwood Youth
Engagement Staff shared their initiatives to create a space of inclusivity and caring adults. The
staff also share their experience of engaging with the preteens in different ways to help them
interact with face-to-face communication. This perspective gave a front-line experience to what
youth staff see in today’s preteens in the capacity of barriers to participation and utilizing the
City of Surrey’s current outreach strategy.
By interviewing this wide range of individuals from different youth departments, one can
see how each department’s outreach looks different within their own unique communities and
context. The diverse roles and capacity for preteen engagement in the City of Surrey were vast,
and each person identified different barriers to preteen engagement in their departments.
Additionally, each interviewee had different strategies for engaging preteens in programs based
on the department the interviewees worked for.
Interview Details
Interview 1 - Arielle Patterson - Youth Function Manager, Guildford Recreation Centre, Town
Centre Manager
Date: March 1st, 2024, at 1:30 pm
Interview 2 - Imran Nijjar - Youth Engagement/Intervention Programmer - City of Surrey,
Healthy Communities
Date: March 2nd, 2024, at 1:00 pm
Interview 3 - Claire Badali - Teen Information’s Services Librarian - Fleetwood Library
Date: March 4th, 2024, at 11:50 am
Interview 4 - Cece Atkinson - Youth Engagement Staff - Community Service Assistant 2 Fleetwood Community Centre
Date: March 5th, 2024, at 5:00 pm
Interview 5 - Katrina Di Vincenzo – Youth Functional Coordinator – Fleetwood Town Centre

Date: March 8th, 2024, at 4:00 pm
Special Status Observations
Observations were conducted in a preteen drop in and front desk operations to determine
which youth strategies are currently being used by staff, as well as observing outreach in the
Fleetwood Community Centre’s lobby space. In addition, attending a Youth Functional Table
meeting to observe how strategies are discussed and determined at higher recreation positions.
Analyzing outreach efforts and observing barriers to preteen participation sheds light on the
municipality's current approach to youth development, revealing themes, patterns, challenges,
and opportunities. Please refer to Appendix 2A for observation details.
The special status observation method required a checklist to be created before
conducting observations. The observation checklists were created based on two sections that
guided questions based on barriers to preteen engaging in recreation services and outreach
initiatives. Barriers to participation focused on understanding the current situation within preteen
participation, including the number of participants, their engagement levels, demographic
diversity, staff involvement, activities initiated, environmental factors, and potential issues such
as bullying. These themes seek to identify any challenges or barriers that preteens might face in
participating fully in the program. The second set of themes focuses on outreach opportunities
and the effectiveness of outreach efforts to attract new preteens to the program and bridge them
to the recreation centre. It also examines whether the staff actively engages with participants and
whether there are efforts to build trust and maintain communication with existing and potential
participants. Please refer to Appendix 2B for observation checklist and field notes.
Content Analysis
A content analysis was conducted using a tracking sheet with specific questions to assess
the strategies, information, and trends related to preteen engagement and outreach in recreation
services in the City of Surrey. Please refer to Appendix 3A for content analysis details and 3B
for content analysis tracking sheet. The City of Surrey’s Youth Engagement Handbook was
analyzed initially to understand how the municipality communicates the youth engagement
philosophy, information on the current outreach strategy, and strategies to reduce barriers to

youth engagement to front-line staff while directly working with preteens and youth. These
discoveries led to the City of Surrey’s Strategic Plan, which sought to provide a broad overview
of the City of Surrey’s goals and objectives in the capacity of youth and preteen services. After
understanding the broad perspective of preteen and youth recreation services, the City of
Surrey’s Spring 2024 Recreation Guide was analyzed to determine how facilities promote
preteen and youth programs, opportunities for participants to learn about preteen services and
information about upcoming large-scale events. Lastly, the Staff Youth Engagement Binder 2024
was assessed to see if communications loops were passed from front-line staff to the preteen and
youth supervisor. This resource highlighted staff’s communication about outreach efforts within
the Fleetwood Community Centre lobby, neighbouring parks, and school connections. Please
refer to Appendix 3C for content analysis field notes.
This research method presented a better understanding of the current documentation of
preteen engagement and how it is being implemented at Fleetwood’s Preteen Spaces. An analysis
of frameworks provided by the City of Surrey offers information on the current approach to
youth engagement, outreach strategies, and insights on measuring program successes, challenges,
and opportunities, which helps youth engagement staff create a qualitative recreation experience.
All content analyzed in this research method served as a different intent to address barriers to
preteen recreation and reveal the purpose of outreach strategies within the City of Surrey.

Research Findings
Successful engagement of preteens in youth services post COVID-19 depends on rebuilding
relationships with the Surrey School District
Outreach and engagement with the community has been in a rebuilding process postCOVID-19 as connections with the school districts have been diminished, which is a large
contributor to preteen outreach. Arielle Patterson, the Youth Functional Manager and Town
Centre Manager for Guildford Recreation Centre, discussed that city-wide the Youth Function is
transitioning with new coordinators and programmers. There are interactions being to be done

within the youth function, including the capacity to be educated on the youth philosophy of
healthy engagement, youth training requirements, learning how to run youth registered programs
and drop-ins successfully. The youth portfolio is handling the core needs to run a facility with
the capacity of preteen and youth. From a City Hall perspective, Imran Nijjar mentions that her
preteen and youth portfolio struggles to reconnect with the Surrey School District and rebuilding relationships with administration staff. Katrina Di Vincenzo and Claire Badali, staff
from the Fleetwood Community Centre, all share similar frustrations with the current outreach
strategies in terms of rebuilding a relationship with Surrey’s School District and creating a
strategy to become a presence in the neighbouring schools in Fleetwood.
Current youth staff characteristics find it challenging to support underrepresented groups with
specified programming
Through the interviews with Imran Nijjar and Arielle Patterson, who oversee a broad
youth and preteen portfolio, it is evident that the City of Surrey’s staff capacities are creating
barriers to participation. Oakleaf & Richmond mention that queer participants encounter barriers
and they are less likely to engage in municipal recreation programs (Oakleaf & Richmond,
2017). The connection to staff capacities for diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented
preteen groups such as queer participants and those from diverse religious backgrounds, are not
represented in preteen programming in recreation centres. Arielle Patterson highlights that it’s
challenging for the current youth staff capacities to support underrepresented groups with
specified programming, such as queer spaces, because the youth staff in recreation centres are
predominately cis-gendered or male-dominated. In addition, Claire Badali, who oversees the
Fleetwood Library, mentions that groups of newcomer youth from different countries struggle to
find resources for language programs. Claire says that staff capacities such as diverse staff that
speak different languages are not readily available. Katrina Di Vincenzo from Fleetwood
Community Centre mentions that staff are shy and lack confidence which creates a barrier to
trust building with preteens as it’s necessary to bridge them to the recreation centres.

The youth portfolio is actively striving to rebuild outreach strategies and overcome barriers to
preteen engagement
The youth portfolio actively strives to rebuild outreach strategies and overcome barriers
to preteen engagement. Through the functional meeting hosted at Fleetwood Community Centre,
conversations about Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion were a topic presented by Jessica Danyk
with Healthy Communities. The Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion policy connects to Theriault
& Witt as LGBTQ+ youth are currently facing sexual identity oppression and establishing safe
recreation programs are a necessity to reduce barriers to preteen and youth recreation (Theriault
& Witt, 2014). This discussion leads coordinators city-wide to discuss gender-specific
programming and ensure options are readily available to bridge preteen girls to recreation
programs. The youth functional meeting identified that barriers to underrepresented preteens are
being addressed and strategies, including crafting different programs catered towards targeted
preteen niches. Outreach strategies were also being discussed to praise preteens and youth for
positive behaviour, with a “Youth of the Week” initiative and plans for Surrey’s “Youth Week”
were being finalized and piloted out to participating Surrey preteen and youth lounges.
Preteens gravitate towards the scheduled preteen drop-in times run at the Fleetwood
Community Centre. While observing, it was noticeable that the preteens in the lounge spaces at
Fleetwood were addicted to their cell phones, and interpersonal social communication was done
through a screen rather than face-to-face interactions, as observed through the quiet nature of the
lounge space. Youth staff at the Fleetwood Community Centre tried multiple times to engage in
physical activities such as board games, structured sports and face-to-face conversations;
however, participants' attention spans were minimal. Youth staff attempted to connect by
bridging lobby preteens into the drop-in programs by handing out free recreation passes.
However, none were obliged, and staff lost the confidence to try a similar outreach tactic. In
addition, front desk staff communications relaying information about preteen services could have
been more effective, as observed through the interaction between a front desk staff member and a
preteen. The welcoming environment piece, such as friendly greetings, assistance with program
information and creating an interpersonal connection with community members, needed to be
included at the front desk.

Internal youth content with the City of Surrey is outdated and needs to be updated
The content analysis identified outdated information and needs to reflect the current
preteens' needs. The public, looking at the Spring Recreation guide, receives a glimpse into the
offerings of large preteen events and drop-in schedules. The Youth Engagement Handbook
revealed that barriers to preteen participation were not addressed. As mentioned in the literature
review, preteens are facing barriers such as LGBTQ+ participation, addiction to social media
resulting in the lack of face-to face communication, and loneliness. The handbook additionally
highlights staff being present in their recreation centres and utilizing schools to bring preteens to
the recreation centres. The Tiffany-Eckenrode Program Participation Scale is a practice that
could be implemented in the Youth Engagement Handbook to measure the effectiveness of
program participation (Tiffany et al., 2012). Internal youth content should incorporate a best
practice measurement to create a more diverse outlook on how youth engagement staff evaluate
their drop-in programs (Tiffany et al., 2012). In addition, the outreach piece was not utilized as
the Fleetwood Youth Communications Binder needs evidence, such as written documentation of
when staff outreach to the community and support connecting efforts is being conducted at
Fleetwood Community Centre. The City of Surrey’s Strategic Plan does outline goals and
objectives to improve outreach and address barriers when exploring inclusion and accessibility
by developing welcoming spaces for residents to create a sense of community engagement by
recognizing gaps in complex demographics (City of Surrey, 2017, p.55). These goals and
objectives were identified in 2017 and have not been updated from the effects of COVID-19.

Recommendations and Analysis
Define The Preteen Age Group In The City Of Surrey Recreation Department
Arielle Patterson mentions that a challenge to preteen municipal recreation services is a
philosophical question: where does the 10-13 functions live, how much effort is a function put
into it, and is it ambiguous to determine responsibilities for each function put into preteens
(Patterson, 2024). Through the City of Surrey, there is a plethora of youth programming that
includes large-scale special events such as Surrey’s Slam Jam, Surrey Steps Up, and Youth
Week. These programs are marketed for youth aged 13-18 and the engagement for these

community events are large and successful. However, the City of Surrey and Fleetwood
Community Centre should explore expanding their preteen program offerings to reduce barriers
to municipal recreation participation. Preteen participation in municipal recreation contributes to
overall positive development, and participation in active programs will foster self-efficacy,
positive relationship building; and motivation to be active (Robbins et al., 2021). The Youth
Space hosted at White Rock, Bakerview Park is an inclusive space for preteens and youth to
share their own interests and create specified events for the youth in the community (The Youth
Space, n.d.). This organization offers drop-in programs specifically for preteens aged 10-12,
including model clay making, rainbow connections for LGBTQ+ preteens, sushi making, and
paint nights (The Youth Space, n.d.) Evidently, having recreational opportunities and defining
the preteen age group will ensure that the preteens are engaging in recreational activities that
allow preteens to grow with independence, socially develop through connecting to mental health
resources and meeting new people in their community. The City of Surrey and Fleetwood
Community Centre should create more specified programming or large-scale events for the
preteen age group to reduce the barrier of limited preteen offerings in the City of Surrey. The
youth functional table should incorporate a defined age group to make decisions of preteen
engagement projects and the creation of more preteen-registered programs. These initiatives will
impact other recreation facilities to ensure that the preteen age group in their communities are
benefiting from recreational opportunities.
The Fleetwood Community Centre Needs to Rebuild Their Relationships with the Surrey School
District
The Fleetwood Community Centre neighbours four elementary schools, including Walnut
Road Elementary, Coyote Creek Elementary, Coast Merdian Elementary, and William Watson
Elementary School. It is important for the Fleetwood Community Centre to utilize the Surrey
School District to improve its current outreach approach. Katrina Di Vincenzo mentioned that
the barrier of COVID-19 impacted the current relationships with the Surrey School Districts
based on staff turnover and the momentum of marketing programs within the elementary schools
(Di Vincenzo, 2024). Recognizing that school staff turnover may disrupt the consistency and
momentum of existing partnerships calls for the Fleetwood Community Centre to create a
flexible partnership model to ensure that collaboration with elementary schools doesn’t disrupt

outreach to preteens. This model is a collaborative framework designed to accommodate various
needs, circumstances, and changes within partnering organizations. It emphasizes being
adaptable, responsive, and creating a mutual benefit to foster a successful partnership (Scott &
Manning, 2022). The Fleetwood Community Centre must ensure that relationships with
administration staff and teachers stay consistent regardless of staff turnover or changes in
administration. The facility should utilize youth engagement staff to teach certification programs
such as “Home Alone Safety or Babysitter Training” (City of Surrey, 2024), which involves
facilitating resource sharing and support between the community centre and the school. This
outreach strategy can improve marketing to the neighbouring schools and educate the preteens
on the current recreation opportunities in Fleetwood.
Update Youth Training Modules to Address Barriers to Preteen Participation in Municipal
Recreation Services
Statistics Canada states that youth were less active during the pandemic, and only 37.2%
of youth aged 12-17 were physically active and meeting the suggested active leisure
recommendation (Statcan, 2022). Currently, the City of Surrey does have youth training modules
that all staff must complete before working in youth and preteen spaces. Although the four
different modules outline the policies and procedures, youth engagement history, Positive Youth
Development, and communicating with bridging preteens and youth to drop-in programs, they
are not updated to meet the current capacities of preteens.
The City of Surrey’s Youth Engagement Training should incorporate preteens aged 10-13
as the specific age group undergoes significant change in cognitive, physical, and socioemotional changes as they transition from children to youth. Their needs, interests and
capabilities differ from those of younger children and older youth. The current training modules
should incorporate current research and understanding of preteen development to ensure that
staff are equipped to engage with the specific age group. Moreover, the Youth Engagement
Training should suggest ways to build positive relationships with preteens as internal barriers
such as LGBTQ+ participation, preteen loneliness, and overconsumption of social media is
present in preteens. Training modules should guide staff on establishing trust, communicating
effectively, and creating a supportive environment where preteens feel valued and respected, thus
reducing barriers to preteen participation in municipal recreation programs.

Collaborate with City of Surrey’s Libraries, City Hall’s Healthy Communities, and Surrey
Recreation Facilities to Improve Preteen Recreation Offerings
The City of Surrey youth services function has many different departments with their
own skill sets. Healthy Communities is located at Surrey’s City Hall, encouraging large-scale
youth events all over Surrey. These events are highly marketed through Instagram Reels and
Youth E-Newsletter. Surrey Libraries have a relationship with high schools, as Claire Badali
from the Fleetwood Branch started a “Get Carded” outreach program that encourages library
staff to go to local schools and give a presentation on how to get a library card. Guildford Town
Centre is home to a large following of drop-in basketball participants who attend weekly.
Although participation levels are consistent, staff and supervisors recognize it is the same group
of preteens attending each time and there is not a lot of new participation from the
underrepresented groups. Given the number of preteens and schools in Fleetwood, there is only a
small sampling from one elementary school. Therefore, Fleetwood Town Centre should
collaborate with other departments utilized on outreach preteen programs to bridge participants
to preteen recreation services. Fleetwood staff should collaborate with Healthy Communities to
host large-scale preteen events and outreach using online marketing materials to ensure the
targeted demographic are aware of preteen offerings. Moreover, the libraries were a successful
partner in the past and is a great way to collaborate on delivering presentations about preteen
recreation services as Fleetwood could hand out “Rec 4 Youth” passes. These passes allows
preteens and youth to drop-in to recreational activities four times for free. Collaboration with
other departments that practice youth and preteen development will ultimately diversify preteen
recreational opportunities at the Fleetwood Community Centre and reach new preteen
participants.
Staff in Supervisory Roles Need to Address and Plan Accordingly in Relation to Preteen Internal
Barriers for Municipal Recreation
The City of Surrey’s Youth Functional Team is currently going through a transitional
phase with supervisory turnover and recreation professionals entering a new portfolio. Arielle
Patterson mentioned that the youth function is going through a growth and learning period, and

youth supervisors with abundant experience and information about youth services have
progressed into different roles within the City of Surrey (Patterson, 2024). The new youth
functional team must understand youth services, including training modules, youth philosophy,
drop-in programs, and operational needs. However, barriers to preteen participation need to be
addressed to enhance the quality of youth services within the City of Surrey. The Youth
Functional Table meets monthly to discuss updates on the current operations of the youth
recreational services within the City of Surrey. A recommendation or action that should be
incorporated is to have a standing agenda item for each meeting to discuss and address barriers to
preteen participation in programs. Each month, a barrier should be addressed at the functional
table, such as LGBTQ+ participation, and all town centre coordinators should discuss action
items to either address the barrier or work together to create offerings to combat the barrier.
Whether that looks like collaborating with Healthy Communities and creating a queer-inclusive
event that encourages acceptance, conversation, or mental health resources. The pandemic
largely impacts these barriers to preteen participation in recreation, and supervisors from all City
of Surrey Centres must address barriers to reach preteens and engage them with municipal
recreational programs.

Conclusion
Through the review of scholarly literature and primary research, such as interviews,
special status observations, and content analysis, it has been determined that preteen barriers to
participation in municipal recreation programs exist, and the current outreach strategy needs to
be improved to bridge preteens to their community centre. Engagement of preteens in municipal
recreation centres offers a plethora of benefits such as fostering positive relationships, improving
self-efficacy, and nurturing intrinsic motivation. Nonetheless, preteen barriers exist including
LGBTQ+ discrimination, excessive use of social media, and feelings of isolation can impede
their involvement in preteen programming. The strategies to overcome these barriers are
establishing inclusive environments, employing interpersonal strategies, and addressing social
media dependencies in preteen spaces.

The primary research conducted within the City of Surrey reveals the role of the Surrey
School District in bridging preteens to recreational programs. Interviews with city staff
highlighted the importance of rebuilding relationships with the school district and updating
current youth training modules to better support underrepresented groups. Special status
observations revealed ongoing efforts within the youth portfolio to improve outreach strategies
and address internal barriers to preteen engagement. Additionally, content analysis highlighted
gaps in current internal youth content, indicating a need for updated resources and collaborative
efforts across various youth departments.
In conclusion, it is evident that preteen participation in municipal recreation services
faces significant barriers that require comprehensive strategies for improvement. By defining the
preteen age group within programming, fostering stronger relationships with Surrey School
District, updating training modules, and collaborating with other youth departments in Surrey,
the City of Surrey can take proactive steps towards enhancing preteen engagement in
recreational services. Through collaboration, addressing preteen barriers, improving outreach,
the Fleetwood Town Centre and the City of Surrey can work towards creating inclusive and
accessible spaces that prioritize positive youth development and address the unique needs of
preteens in our community.

References
Almeida, I. L. L., Rego, J. F., Teixeira, A. C. G., & Moreira, M. R. (2021). Social isolation and
its impact on child and adolescent development: a systematic review. Revista paulista de
pediatria : orgao oficial da Sociedade de Pediatria de Sao Paulo, 40, e2020385.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1984-0462/2022/40/2020385 (List A)
Anderson, L. (2011). Structuring Recreation and Youth Programs to Facilitate Social Inclusion.
Institute on Community Integration. Retrieved February 4, 2024, from
https://publications.ici.umn.edu/impact/24-1/structuring-recreation-and-youth-programsto-facilitate-social-inclusion (List A)
Avunduk, Y. (2021). The Relationship between Leisure Satisfaction and Social Media
Addictions of Individuals at University. Journal of Educational Issues, 7(1), 507–522.
(List A)
Barker Scott, B. A., & Manning, M. R. (2024). Designing the Collaborative Organization: A
Framework for how Collaborative Work, Relationships, and Behaviors Generate
Collaborative Capacity. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 60(1), 149-193.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.langara.ca/10.1177/00218863221106245 (List A)
BCRPA. (2017, October). Youth. Recreation and Parks BC, Fall 2017, 4-15. (List B)
City of Surrey, (2016). Youth Engagement Handbook. City of Surrey. (List B)
City of Surrey, (2018). Parks, Recreation & Culture Strategic Plan 2018-2027.
City of Surrey. (List C)
Di Vincenzo, Katrina. Youth Functional Coordinator. (2024, March 8). Personal Interview.

Eime, R. M., Young, J. A., Harvey, J. T., Charity, M. J., & Payne, W. R. (2013). A systematic
review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and
adolescents: Informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport.
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 10(1), 98.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-10-98 (List A)
Fleetwood Community Centre, (2024). Staff Youth Engagement Binder.
City of Surrey. (List C)
Homayoun, A. (2018). Social media wellness. Corwin, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781071873199
(List A)
Liberman, A., Habteselasse, S., Hanft, S. & Moore, K. (2021, February 18). Youth Programs
Can Improve Engagement by Reducing Barriers and Strengthening Relationships. Child
Trends. Retrieved February 7, 2024, from https://www.childtrends.org/blog/youthprograms-can-improve-engagement-by-reducing-barriers-and-strengthening-relationships
(List B)
Lichy, J., McLeay, F., Burdfield, C., & Matthias, O. (2023). Understanding pre‐teen consumers
social media engagement. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(1), 202–215.
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12821 (List A)
Martin, J. (2017, June 1). Promoting LGBT Inclusion and Awareness in Programs and Facilities.
NRPA. Retrieved February 14, 2024, from https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreationmagazine/2017/june/promoting-lgbt-inclusion-and-awareness-in-programs-and-facilities/
(List B)
Nijjar, Imran. Youth Engagement/Youth Intervention Programmer. (2024, March 2). Personal
Interview.

Oakleaf, L., & Richmond, L. P. (2017). Dreaming About Access: The Experiences of
Transgender Individuals in Public Recreation. Journal of Park & Recreation
Administration. 35(2), 108–119. https://doi-org.ezproxy.langara.ca/10.18666/JPRA-2017V35-I2-7363 (List A)
ParticipACTION. (2020). 2020 Children and Youth Report Card. ParticipACTION. Retrieved
February 13, 2024 from https://www.participaction.com/the-science/2020-child-andyouth-report-card/ (List C)
Patterson, Arielle. Youth Functional Manager, Guildford Recreation Centre. (2024, March 1).
Microsoft Teams Interview.
PCSFN. (2020, September 14). Benefits of Youth Sports. PCSFN Science Board. Retrieved
February 12, 2024, from https://health.gov/sites/default/files/202009/YSS_Report_OnePager_2020-08-31_web.pdf (List B)
Pearce, E., Myles-Hooton, P., Johnson, S., Hards, E., Olsen, S., Clisu, D., Pais, S. M. A.,
Chesters, H. A., Shah, S., Jerwood, G., Politis, M., Melwani, J., Andersson, G., &
Shafran, R. (2021). Loneliness as an active ingredient in preventing or alleviating youth
anxiety and depression: A critical interpretative synthesis incorporating principles from
rapid realist reviews. Translational Psychiatry, 11(1), Article 1.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01740-w (List A)
Rainbow Health Ontario. (2014, March). LGBTQ People and Exercise. Rainbow Health Ontario.
Retrieved Febrauary 13, 2024, from https://www.rainbowhealthontario.ca/wpcontent/uploads/2015/06/RHO_FactSheet_LGBTEXERCISE_E.pdf (List B)
Statistics Canada, S. C. (2022, February 2). 60 minutes of play, every day!
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/310-60-minutes-play-every-day (List C)

Theriault, D., & Witt, P. A. (2014). Features of Positive Developmental Leisure Settings for
LGBTQ Youth. Journal of Park & Recreation Administration, 32(2), 83–97. (List A)
The Youth Space (n.d.) About Us. Retrieved March 17, 2024 from
https://www.theyouthspace.com/about-us (List C)
Thibodeau, D. (2020, June 3). LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Sport. Sportanddev. Retrieved February 9,
2024, from https://www.sportanddev.org/latest/news/lgbtq-inclusion-sports (List B)
Tiffany JS, Exner-Cortens D, Eckenrode J. (2012) A New Measure for Assessing Youth Program
Participation. J Community Psychol. 40(3), 277-291. (List A)
Tubić, T., Modrić, T., Sekulić, D., Bianco, A., Radjo, I., & Drid, P. (2023). Loneliness in sports
active and non-active school-age children: Can sport protect children against loneliness?
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1063714 (List
A)
Witt, P. A., & Caldwell, L. L. (2010). The Rationale for Recreation Services for Youth: An
Evidenced Based Approach. nrpa.org. https://www.nrpa.org/globalassets/research/wittcaldwell-full-research-paper.pdf (List A)

Appendix

1A. Interview Details
Interview 1 - Arielle Patterson - Youth Function Manager, Guildford Recreation Centre, Town
Centre Manager
Date: March 1st, 2024, at 1:30 pm
Interview 2 - Imran Nijjar - Youth Engagement/Intervention Programmer - City of Surrey,
Healthy Communities
Date: March 2nd, 2024, at 1:00 pm
Interview 3 - Claire Badali - Teen Information’s Services Librarian - Fleetwood Library
Date: March 4th, 2024, at 11:50 am
Interview 4 - Cece Atkinson - Youth Engagement Staff - Community Service Assistant 2 Fleetwood Community Centre
Date: March 5th, 2024, at 5:00 pm
Interview 5 - Katrina Di Vincenzo – Youth Functional Coordinator – Fleetwood Town Centre
Date: March 8th, 2024, at 4:00 pm
1B. Question Checklist
Youth Functional Recreation Manager
1. What is your position? What is your role with youth and preteens?
2. How long have you been working with youth and preteens?
3. Do you think that preteens benefit from attending drop-in programs? In what ways?
4. Do you believe the City of Surrey has barriers to preteen engagement in municipal
recreation programs? Please describe examples that you may have encountered in your
role.
5. How do you currently measure the effectiveness of our current outreach strategies for
promoting preteen recreation services?
6. How often do you personally engage with preteens in your youth programs?

7. What are your thoughts on the current outreach strategy for preteens? Do you think it’s
effective?
8. What are some challenges that you face when reaching preteens in the community?
9. Can you identify any successful outreach strategies or initiatives that have effectively
increased preteen recreational participation that are not listed in the youth engagement
handbook?
10. How do you stay connected with the trends of preteens and adapt youth programs to meet
their needs?
11. Do you have any additional comments based on the questions asked in this interview?
Youth Engagement Front Line Staff
1. What is your position? What is your role with youth and preteens?
2. How long have you been working with youth and preteens?
3. During your drop-in programs, have you noticed any barriers preteens display when
trying to engage with them?
4. What are the benefits of the preteen lounge? What strategies do you use to create a
welcoming environment?
5. In your experience, what approaches have been most effective in capturing the attention
and interest of preteens?
6. Can you share some instances where preteens have encountered difficulties or reluctance
in engaging with active recreation services?
7. What strategies have you used to build rapport and trust with preteens to promote
engagement?
8. Can you describe how you reach out to preteens during your shift at Fleetwood? Do you
find challenges when trying to connect preteens with the lounge?
Teen Information Librarian
1. What is your position? What is your role with youth and preteens?
2. How long have you been working with youth and preteens?
3. Do preteens benefit from attending drop-in programs? In what ways?

4. Do you believe the City of Surrey has barriers to preteen engagement in municipal
recreation programs? Please describe examples that you have encountered in your role.
5. How do you currently measure the effectiveness of our current outreach strategies for
promoting preteen recreation services?
6. How often do you personally engage with preteens in your youth programs?
7. What are your thoughts on the current outreach strategy for preteens? Do you think it’s
effective?
8. What challenges do you face when outreaching out to preteens in the community?
9. Are there any specific demographics or groups of preteens that are particularly difficult to
reach or engage in drop-in programs?
10. Can you identify any successful outreach strategies or initiatives that have effectively
increased preteen participation in recreation that need to be listed in the youth
engagement handbook?
11. How do you stay connected with the trends of preteens and adapt youth programs to meet
their needs?
Healthy Communities - Youth Engagement Programmer
1. What is your position? What is your role with youth and preteens?
2. How long have you been working with youth and preteens?
3. Do preteens benefit from attending community events? In what ways?
4. Do you believe the City of Surrey has barriers to preteen engagement in municipal
recreation programs? Please describe examples that you may have encountered in your
role.
5. From a broad perspective of community events, what environmental factors contribute to
the lack of engagement among preteens?
6. How do demographic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors influence preteens’ access to
participate in youth recreational programs citywide?
7. What does your outreach strategy look like in your position? Is it different from the
facility's standard of outreach?
8. What measures does your team use to determine the success of its outreach strategies and
participation in community events?

9. What challenges do you and your team face when reaching the community?
Community Service Youth Coordinators
1. What is your position? What is your role with youth and preteens?
2. How long have you been working with youth and preteens?
3. Do preteens benefit from attending drop-in programs? In what ways?
4. Do you believe the City of Surrey has barriers to preteen engagement in municipal
recreation programs? Please describe examples that you have encountered in your role.
5. How do you currently measure the effectiveness of our current outreach strategies for
promoting preteen recreation services?
6. How often do you personally engage with preteens in your youth programs?
7. What are your thoughts on the current outreach strategy for preteens? Do you think it’s
effective?
8. What challenges do you face when outreaching out to preteens in the community?
9. Are there any specific demographics or groups of preteens that are particularly difficult to
reach or engage in drop-in programs?
10. Can you identify any successful outreach strategies or initiatives that have effectively
increased preteen participation in recreation that need to be listed in the youth
engagement handbook?
11. How do you stay connected with the trends of preteens and adapt youth programs to meet
their needs?
1C. Interview Transcripts
Interview notes were edited for clarity. The transcripts for each interview accurately
represent the answers to the interview questions.
Interview #1
Date and Time of Interview
Thursday, March 1st, 2024, at 1:30 pm

Person Interviewed
Arielle Patterson - Youth Functional Manager, Guildford Recreation Centre Town Centre
Manager
Location Interviewed
Teams.
Transcript
1. Arielle Patterson is the Section Manager for Guildford Recreation Centre and Fraser
Heights Recreation Centre. She is also part of the youth functional table, which meets
monthly to deliver a consistent approach to philosophy, training modules, and
recruitment. This ensures that youth attending South Surrey Recreation Centre have the
same experience if they attended a similar program in Guildford.
2. Arielle has been with the City of Surrey on and off for 20 years. She started in Surrey as
an instructor teaching sports to different age groups and worked in the youth lounge at
Guildford. From there, she became a youth programmer and eventually a youth
coordinator with Guildford.
3. Arielle says yes! She mentions that preteens do benefit from drop-in programs. The
transition ages of 10-13 are interesting, and specific kids in that age group identify as
children or youth. Preteen drop-in allows the upcoming youth to experience growth and
independence. As kids grow older and mature faster, offerings for each type of young
person can change. Recreation centres create a safe space for preteens and give them an
opportunity to create connections with caring adults, as well as leadership opportunities
and explore the transition from child to youth. Preteen services are also important for
service providers, and it is necessary to have preteen participation and outreach. As youth
grow up with friends and personal calendars such as homework deadlines or sports
practices, engaging with them is harder. If recreation youth staff can capture them at
preteen ages 10-13, it’s a great opportunity to connect for adult and peer connection, not

afraid to try something new, and make new friends, 13- 18; it becomes less and less. If
we can get them at a preteen age, it's easier to build rapport, create a safe place for them
and retain their engagement.
4. Arielle says that finding recreational facilities and spaces is a challenge. We must find a
balance for all the different age groups and assess their wants and needs. Within the City
of Surrey, there are stand-alone facilities for youth, and the only thing that happened was
youth programming to build autonomy. Still, those facilities competed with senior and
children's programming in the recreation centres. The main difficulty is revenue, as
middle-year programs are money makers, youth programs are social enterprises, and
offerings lose revenue. The City of Surrey is comfortable and has funds for youth
programming. We see the demands and decisions that must be made and sacrifices.
Arielle mentions that we should look at other spaces outside the recreation centres, but
they also create challenges. If Surrey satisfies one barrier with spaces, other barriers are
created. For example, working with the school district in Surrey costs money and requires
less supervision from city supervisors. These are some of the considerations for preteen
engagement. Arielle also mentions that historically, there is a philosophical question:
where do the 10-13 functions live, how much effort is a function put into it, and is it
ambiguous to determine responsibilities for each function put into preteens? The preteen
age group overlaps with youth and middle years; if there isn't a clear definition of the age
group, there is a gap. Preteens are less mobile; they must be driven and dropped off, and
we have to consider if the timing is convenient for parents to drop them off. The struggle
in engaging preteens is that the prime time is 3:00 pm, but some centres are destination
centres as it's harder to access by transit.
5. Arielle mentions that statistics are not a fulsome method when assessing preteen
engagement. It’s difficult to rely on quantitative data, and you can’t assign the same
measures of success for all age groups. For example, it's a successful engagement if it’s
full in the first 5 minutes of registration in a children's pottery class. Youth and preteens,
that age group, move around the facilities differently, and they aren’t looking for
registered programs; they are more transient and not as committed. If 3 preteens show up

consistently, that's a successful turnout, and it's successful because the word is getting
out; they are enjoying the program and are creating meaningful connections. If you put
that towards a children's program, it's considered a failure. In the youth functions, we do
look at statistics but more anecdotal data, including if new kids are attending, the number
of incidents happening in the facilities, how many schools we have been to, the
redemption of rec for youth passes, who has given it out, when was it redeemed. We use
those data points when measuring our youth programs. If we take rec 4 youth passes out
to a school or event; we can collect that data.
6. Arielle tries to attend all youth city-wide events and help the event organizers. It’s an
opportunity to return to roots, engage with kids, and chat with young people. An example
of a youth event is Surrey Steps Up. She says there is lots of preteen involvement and
projects, showcasing action projects with a positive outcome to the community. I ask
them to be curious about their projects and see what they have done. It is a great way to
see them shine, gush about their work, talk, and hear positive interactions. In facilities,
the interactions aren’t always positive; corrective behaviours and trying to make an
exploratory conversation. There are not always positive interactions because of policies
and procedures. Arielle uses some of the youth's experiences to observe spaces, lobbies,
paid spaces, and lounges. She can notice things before they happen, follow up, adjust,
and create new offerings based on trends.
7. Arielle does have challenges with the current outreach strategy because the youth
function is rooted in a group of new coordinators and programmers. The group dynamic
is currently in a growth and learning period. There is a lot of change due to COVID-19,
such as moving to new positions and supervisors with lots of experience being removed
from the youth portfolio. There are lots of new people who are coming into the function
and learning their roles. The outreach comes in a future phase or stage. Arielle mentions
that the portfolio has identified the must-haves, including youth training, youth
engagement staff, drop-in spaces and youth camps. Right now, lots of time is spent on the
youth portfolio's necessities. Outreach events and youth engagement come later. The new
youth coordinators need to understand their role more and have the capacity to learn more

about youth. Once they have the experience, the outreach strategies require more
knowledge about the youth. Currently, the functional team has a good handle on the core
needs, and the next steps are to determine what’s next and what new activities will make
the mind more innovative. The makeup of our current functional table and reliance on
relationships with schools, such as inviting a class to come on a field trip, going to
schools to talk about preteens and building relationships with schools, have deteriorated
over time, which creates a challenge. Arielle says that schools are a captive audience and
audience, and it’s a great outreach strategy. If Surrey can get someone in the schools, you
don’t have to attend, and word of mouth will spread. Those relationships at the school
will spread the word and encourage kids to go. There are many opportunities for
creativity and brainstorming activities and many possibilities for conversations.
8. Arielle mentions that preteens refer to kids 10-13 years old. Preteen might not yet be
ready for an independent experience. Drop-in programs allow them more independent
space, including not crossing people off on attendance. If parents or children are not
ready for that independence, engaging with them in that experience is hard. There are
also notable cultural factors, including some families and parents not being okay with
their children leaving the house, some having a shorter leash and more oversight on their
children's lives. Naturally, what we offer allows kids to come and go, trying on some
independence or not ready to do it successfully; we miss that group of kids. Middle Years
captures it but in a different way.
9. A successful outreach strategy is to make school visits and invite the schools for a field
trip to the recreation centres, which provides an experience for the kids in grades 6-7.
Surrey staff will create activities in the different spaces, such as doing a craft, providing
snacks, and facilitating active games. These recreational field trips promote drop-in
schedules, program opportunities, meeting the staff teams, and building relationships
with the kids. We did an introduction to the recreation centres to show that they are safe
and have lots to do, and we had a lot of success, such as kids coming back and answering
the parents' questions. Arielle schedules these field trips in late May and June and bridges

them to the community centre before summer. It drags kids into the facilities, and they
may not know if it exists.
10. Arielle leaves trends with the programmer team, as they have ears to the ground, know
preteen trends, and are connected to the front-line staff. It is up to the programmers to
mine for diamonds and ask the front-line staff questions about trends and things from the
kids. The front-line staff don’t know that it's important, or they are not comfortable
connecting trends.
11. Arielle added; Are we carving a space for new identities or others. We lean on what kids
want to do. It's a blessing for kids that 100 kids show up for basketball, but who is not
coming, it could be intimidating because they don’t see the activity as belonging. This is
an assumption: you aren’t seeing the kids, and we aren’t offering because the kids are
coming. It's a blessing and curse. Do we have enough staff that represents the spaces of
inclusivity or representing, do we have trans staff, non-binary, queer staff to help create
safe spaces.
Interview #2
Date and Time of Interview
Thursday, March 2nd, 2024 at 1:00 pm
Person Interviewed
Imran Nijjar - Youth Engagement Programmer, Healthy Communities
Location Interviewed
In Person at City of Surrey’s Healthy Communities
1. Imran has been in her current position for 3 years as a youth engagement and youth
intervention programmer. She has run youth engagement events with over 200 youth,
such as The Sassy Awards, Surrey Rides, and Youth Cooking Showdown. She also

oversees 2 youth leadership SLYC (Surrey Leadership Youth Council). In her Youth
intervention portfolio, she hosts the Girls Empowerment Group and Peer Mentorship
Program and supports the Leisure Access Program (LAP).
2. Imran mentions outside the City of Surrey, she has been working with youth for 6 years.
With the City of Surrey directly, she has worked for 3 years.
3. Imran says yes! She noticed in this portfolio more evident with SLYC; they have grown
so much and engage with other preteens and youth in the community. The Youth
Cooking Showdown teaches diverse cooking methods and gives the role of a responsible
youth and preteens. She also explains that events create a safe space to grow and connect
with other youth in the community.
4. Imran explains that funding is a barrier she notices in her work. The decreased funding
from last year and the lack of resources for youth can’t provide them with what they
need. The Girls Empowerment group's money has decreased. In addition, the staffing,
quick turnover rate, and lack of positive relationships with youth are other noticeable
barriers because they break relationship building with the preteens and youth. Surrey's
Slam Jam is male-dominated. Last year, there was only one session with the female group
and unfortunately, there is a lack of availability for different genders. Another barrier is
the lack of language support when attending the events. With Surrey Steps Up, lots of
newcomers come to the event. It’s difficult to put the resources out there and half the
time no one knows events are happening in the community. This causes missed
opportunities due to the lack of resources to get the word out.
5. Imrans says it is location-based. Surrey’s Slam Jam is in a great location for certain
communities such as Fleetwood, Guildford, and Surrey Centre. With that specific
location, it is disconnected from farther centres such as Cloverdale and South Surrey.
Large events happen at Guildford Recreation Centre or City Hall in Surrey Central. The
events at this time are not expanding to different locations. Another environmental barrier
is Transit accessibility, as some of the bus roots and access is more difficult and less

available. South Surrey for example is hard to reach because of the poor Transit system in
that community.
6. Imran mentions the Guildford community is different as newcomers aren’t as present and
the resources for newcomer events such as transition signs, translators, etc. Imran says
that the newcomer basis is at Newton. The cultural events with the City of Surrey include
Vaisakhi, other Indian events, Christmas celebrations and Chinese New Year Events. She
mentions that the City doesn’t cover all cultures. For example, Muslim events are not
being created in the City of Surrey. This impacts preteens because they don’t see their
culture being represented. Imran questions, how to get their culture involved. This is
currently a large barrier to preteens because they notice that their cultures aren’t being
represented and they want to attend their cultural events with family and friends but there
is no access.
7. Imran says that her team does have a current outreach strategy. An example of an
outreach strategy at Healthy Communities is based on 1 on 1 connections such as going
to the schools and visiting. Healthy Communities works with Kwantlen High School and
Coast Salish High School. Her team goes to their schools and builds a relationship based
at lunchtime. She builds rapport and communicates with them about recreational
activities. The team then creates the base of the relationship and makes them feel safe
when promoting recreation opportunities.
8. With Healthy Communities, the scale and measure stem from participation numbers. The
Girls Empowerment started with 12 participants, and it now its 15-20. Her team noticed
the awareness and drive to come to the program. Larger events are measured with fares
and prizes. When preteens and youth come to the event, they will more likely want to join
SLYC or Youth Events Squad (YES). Imran also notices the growth in volunteers as
some volunteers end up working as city staff. She sees the growth from the beginning to
the end. For all of our events, the numbers have doubled, through posters, and videos on
Instagram, because of the work done at Healthy Communities.

9. Imran mentions that the main challenge faced is that they are not part of school district
staff. Healthy Communities is not in the school 24/7, and they only have one hour during
lunch period and its hard to build rapport for one hour. One example is the Girls
Empowerment and starting it up. Creating initial conversations teaching the preteens and
youth how to get them to join the program and relationship building. Healthy
Communities works out of City Hall; there aren’t preteens or youth walking around City
Hall compared to the recreation facilities; they have to go on-site physically. The main
thing is building the 1 on 1 relationship. Imran mentions that they don’t see the youth as
often as the recreation centres.
Interview #3
Date and Time of Interview
Monday, March 4th, 2024 at 11:50 am
Person Interviewed
Claire Badali - Teen Informations Services Library - Fleetwood Library
Location Interviewed
In Person at Fleetwood Library
Transcript
1. Claire is a Teen Information Services Librarian - Professional management plan
addressing creating youth community programs within Fleetwood.
2. Claire has worked in the libraries for 8 years with Surrey Libraries.
3. Claire mentions that the library is a safe place for teens to gather and make connections.
It’s a free outlet and has zero barriers for income status; Claire runs recurring programs
(Teen Book Club). She would have the same teens from kids in grades 7-12 they would

participate. They formed meaningful connections with the community and others. She
also hosts one-off events for like-minded interests such as K-pop fan nights, murder
mystery nights, and crafting events. The same preteens would come to similar events and
find their own community outside of school or religious organizations. It is a unique
position in the community.
4. Claire says that staff capacities are a huge barrier. For other programs we wish that we
could offer, staff is not readily available. Claire mentions that they are trying to connect
with newcomer youth but only one English conversation program should be offered in
the libraries due to staff capacities. Populations with Surrey youth should be connecting
better. They run programs that they have run and are easy to do. Libraries' social media is
horrible and lacks a connection to the youth. They have no social media presence, and
that outreach method is lacking. With preteens, the parents are on the library website and
will register. The discovery from the teens is not being reached.
5. Libraries do not have an official evaluative strategy within libraries. Claire mentions that
she evaluates attendance statistics for programs on their registration system and checks
how many library cards were created.
6. Claire engages with preteens and youth once a week. Some notable programs are the
Teen Library Council, teen programming such as seasonal special events and reading
buddies.
7. Claire thinks that the current outreach strategy is effective. Post-COVID-19, she is slowly
seeing original numbers and participation. Claire will seasonally go to the local high
schools and promote preteen/youth programs happening in their community. She will
meet with the grade 8 students and present to teach them about library services.
8. Claire mentions that budgetary challenges are prevalent. We could engage more with
snacks or enticing things. When she goes out to outreach, it’s nice to bring something for
the youth to have. It all depends on staff capacity and timing. The best time to meet the

youth is after school and library schedules overlap therefore it is challenging to meet with
them due to scheduling.
9. Claire says that at-risk youth and preteens are challenging to reach. She mentions that she
thinks the library programs are not interesting for those types of kids. Libraries focus on
skill-based and literacy such as the Teen Book Clubs. They may not feel comfortable
with educational or learning-based programming. They may not feel inclined to come.
She is starting to promote more play-based programs to engage this demographic. To join
the Teen Library Council, all preteens and youth must complete a Police Information
Check and complete an interview which could cause a barrier.
10. Claire initiated the grade 8 outreach program outreach: Grade 8 Get Carded. It is now
offered at all libraries in Surrey. This outreach strategy involves going to the high
schools, meeting with the grade 8’s, presenting on how to get a library card, and engaging
them to the facility.
11. Claire keeps up with trends by talking with them, showing what’s trending, asking about
social media use, and talking about school/home life.
Interview #4
Date and Time of Interview
Thursday, March 1st, 2024 at 4:50 pm
Person Interviewed
Cece Atkinson - Youth Engagement Staff - Community Service Assistant 2 - Fleetwood Town
Centre
Location Interviewed
In Person at Fleetwood Community Centre

Transcript
1. Cece is a supervisor of the youth space. She creates a space of inclusivity and caring
adults. She engages with the preteens in different types of games to help them interact
with face-to-face communication.
2. Cece has worked with preteens since 2019. These programs include MYzone, a preteen
drop-in lounge, and preteen summer camps.
3. Cece mentions that technology is a barrier. She says it’s easier for preteens to have
laptops or phones for comfort; it’s their safe space. The preteens are uncomfortable
playing typical games at that age without incentives. Bribes are necessary to get them
engaged in active play. When they do eventually engage, they end up having fun.
4. Cece says that Preteen Lounge's benefits are creating friendships outside of school, a
place to come and have other people to connect with outside their social circles regarding
school drama. One preteen’s transition to high school was difficult. He was lonely.
Through the Preteen Lounge, he had a group of friends who were connected through the
lounge and gained confidence and social skills. He doesn’t feel as isolated or anxious at
his elementary school. Cece mentions that when a new person comes, she tries to engage
in conversation, get to know them, keep mental notes of their personalities and activities,
and ask them about their passions. Another strategy is that she makes sure that there is
something to do, such as playing the Nintendo Switch, riddle of the day, arts and crafts,
and board games.
5. Cece says that having goals and stuff to look forward to is important. Reward incentives,
talking about different mini youth events, and baking days that will get them excited and
allow them to have the preteen's input.
6. Cece says when she tries to get the kids to play outdoor games, most of the group has to
want to play for the activity to succeed. Since they started to bring their own devices, it’s

harder for them to engage; they eventually get bored, but getting the group together is
difficult. With gaming, they do play together, but it’s hard for them to want to play games
in real life rather than through a screen.
7. Cece says she always tries to show interest in their lives, asking for updates about their
schooling or hobbies. Cece tries to stay neutral or on their side with what the preteens
share, creating a trustful bond with the participants and giving advice. She also ensures
that she shows that she cares about their conversations.
8. Cece says she has tried to go out and talk to kids in the lobby at Fleetwood Community
Centre. She finds that the preteens in the lobby are either here to study or that they are too
old to participate in the recreation centre. She believes promoting an event is an easier
way to talk and communicate with the lobby kids, but she doesn’t try to engage with the
older youth because of the age demographic in Fleetwood Lounge.
Interview #5

Date and Time of Interview
Thursday, March 8th, 2024 at 3:45 pm
Person Interviewed
Katrina Di Vincenzo - Middle Years and Youth Coordinator - Fleetwood Community Centre
Location Interviewed
In Person at Fleetwood Community Centre
Transcript
1. Katrina is a Fleetwood Town Centres Middle Years and Youth Coordinator. Her role is to
help facilitate and organize youth and preteen events, identify areas of partnerships with

schools and departments, and to support the town centres' youth and preteens issues that
are needed.
2. Katrina has been working with youth and preteens for 15 years.
3. Katrina mentions that she does think that preteens benefit because it allows for
socialization and to recreate, meet new friends from different schools, and are in the same
neighbourhood. Positive interactions with adults who aren’t teachers or parents. Potential
mentorship opportunities and the ability to learn to do something new with peers.
4. Katrina mentioned that she noticed a barrier after COVID. Before COVID-19, there were
relationships established with school districts or siblings; it created a continuum, their
older siblings attending a preteen dance, and the younger preteens, they would look
forward to participating. After COVID, staff turnover and networking opportunities were
delayed, and the sibling continuum was disrupted. It is more difficult to market and entice
the preteens to attend the programs. However, Katrina mentions often, that we have
interactions with registered programs such as day camps, where we see them before the
preteen age, there is an opportunity to bridge them before they are preteens. We don’t
have as many staff working in cross-functional roles, and that opportunity is not as strong
as it used to be. In addition, schools are not as willing to have relationships with the
recreation centres the kids post COVID-19, the preteens use their phones to stay
connected with their peers, and during COVID-19, they learned how to interact with
people virtually. She adds preteens use social media platforms to access their information
about recreation programs. The City of Surrey cannot advertise on Discord, TikTok, or
Snapchat, the City of Surrey advertises on Instagram and Facebook, which might not be a
platform that preteens utilize heavily.
5. Katrina mentions with preteens, we rely on their parents to register into programs to get
them into the facility. Staff reliance to bridge them into preteen services. As mentioned
earlier, we do not have the staff capacity to bridge them to drop-in programs. We hand
out physical copies of rack cards and word of mouth. The only way to measure
effectiveness is through case studies. If a staff handed out a rack card for promotional
materials to preteen drop-in programs and one kid came to the drop-in program, that is
how Fleetwood evaluates a successful outreach strategy.

6. Katrina goes to the programs one to two times a week. If she notices other preteens going
to other programs, she will refer them to check out the preteen drop-in lounge.
7. Katrina mentions that the outreach strategy could be more effective. This is based on skill
sets and staff capacities. You need somebody to sell the programs to the preteens that
haven’t been. It is more difficult because they might not have other preteens who have
been to the program, which is a main measure to motivate the new preteens to enter the
lounge spaces.
8. Katrina mentions that there is a lack of interest and trust. It is hard to invite preteens to do
something that they may not be interested in doing. Preteens are shy; they might not have
the skillset or desire to come.
9. Katrina says she would do school visits and promote Youth Week events in assemblies.
She would promote a free food concept and partner with the libraries to teach them how
to get a library card. The librarian at Fleetwood has connections with the high schools.
She also mentions, that she started the preteen drop-in programs during the summer camp
season. This promotes hanging out with leaders and staff in a more relaxed manner,
which also is a good way to bridge participants who were registered in programs by their
parents to the other recreation opportunities for their age group.
10. Katrina listens to first-hand experiences by listening to the preteens in the spaces and
talking to front-line staff about the trends. Part of the philosophy of YEP is to meet youth
where they are, and if there is a trend while interacting with the preteens, we can adapt
our spaces to meet their needs. It can also be a challenge because it might not be allowed
to be in the lounge. For example, it might not be a long-term trend, and by the time we
are ready to implement it, the youth might have already moved on. We also stay
connected with youth trends through the youth functional committee, networking
connections, meeting with school districts, and working with youth in the neighbourhood.
11. Kat adds that COVID really disrupted the momentum of preteen engagement. There have
been lots of staffing changes across the departments and the school district. Our youth
staffing teams are not as experienced and lack confidence in some of the outreach
strategies we use or currently use. People are less likely to talk to or hang out in an
environment that they are not familiar with; this affects both the staff and participants.
Sometimes, even when preteens come to activities, they are not engaged in the present;

they are engaged with their cellphones, and we are exploring creative ways to utilize
screens to create a social experience.

2A. Special Status Observation Details
Observation 1 - Preteen Drop-In Lounge
Date: March 2nd, 2024 at 3:15 pm
Observation 2 - Youth Functional Monthly Meeting
Date: March 4th, 2024
Observation 3 - Front Desk Observation
Date: March 5th, 2024
2B. Observation Checklist/Field Notes
Observation #1
Date and Time of the Observation
March 2nd, 2024
Who/what was Observed.
The Preteen Drop-in Lounge is a designated space at the Fleetwood Community Centre designed
to cater to preteens aged 10-13. It’s a supervised area where preteens can gather, socialize, and
engage in various activities in a safe and supportive environment. The lounge is equipped with
furniture, board games, video games, and a kitchen for cooking activities. It serves as a place
where preteens can unwind and interact with their peers.
Location Observed
Fleetwood Community Centre
Observation Checklist

Looking for in Observation
Barriers to participation
● How many preteens are

What I Observed
● 15 preteens were flowing in and out of the
preteen lounge from 3:15 pm - 8:00 pm.

currently in the lounge?

Participants left the facility to grab snacks from

What is the flow of the

convenience stores and return.

participants entering and

● 4:00 pm - 13 preteens on their phones, two

leaving throughout the

preteens alone scrolling on social media or

program?

gaming on their laptops. Group of 6 preteens

● How many preteens are
currently on their phones?
● What role do staff play in

giggling to themselves scrolling videos on
TikTok.
● Youth staff talked about playing a board game

getting preteens off their

at 4:15 pm. Youth staff reminded the

phones and engaging in

participants of a phone break, and 5 preteens

conversation?

participated in a game of Mafia. The game

● What is the demographic
diversity among the preteens
participating in the drop-in

lasted 13 minutes before the preteens returned
to their phones.
● Youth space had the Nintendo Switch running

program? Age, gender,

with music playing in the background. Harsh

ethnicity, economic

lights were turned off, and lamps were turned

background?

on to create soft mood lighting. Couches were

● What activities did the youth

set up and tables/chairs were set up in the

staff initiate during the drop-

middle of the room. One table had a vision

in program?

board activity, the other table had board games.

● What does the youth space

● Staff initiated a talent show at 6:45 pm. Out of

look like? Did the youth staff

the 15 preteens, 14 participated in small groups.

create a welcoming

They were laughing, practicing, high-fiving. 1

environment?

preteen was left out, youth staff partnered up

● Are there cultural or social
norms within the program
that could discourage certain

with the participant.
● Confrontation from two preteens. They were
upset at each other about a school incident. The

groups of preteens from

youth staff took them aside and had a private

participating in recreational

conversation, ensuring that both preteens were

activities?

properly supported.

● Are there limited resources

● A parent dropped off 7 preteens at the lounge.

in the lounge space to

The preteens were related to each other.

accommodate the needs of

● One preteen was using derogatory terms.

participants
● Is their bullying present in
the lounge?
● How many preteens are
alone in the lounge?

Outreach Opportunities
● How many new preteens

● Three new Preteens were new to the program.

went to the program?

The youth staff created a conversation with the

● Did youth staff initiate a

preteens, explaining the plans for the lounge.

conversation with lobby

The staff was inviting and made the space feel

preteens to bridge them into

safe.

the centre?

● As I was following the youth staff in the large

● Is there evidence of trust-

hall gym, the youth staff left for 5 minutes.

building efforts through

● The three new preteens stayed in the lounge for

communication?
● Evidence of follow-up

1 hour. They were isolated at first, but the youth
staff started to engage with them. The

documentation of outreach

conversation was about their school life, mental

efforts?

health, and drama.
● The youth staff showed me the youth
communications binder. It was listed in the
“outreach” section that 3 new preteens came to
participate in the program. No signs of the
method of outreach and the strategy they

implemented.

Observation #2
Date and Time of the Observation
March 4th at 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Who/what was Observed
Youth Functional Meeting’s are monthly meetings for the City of Surrey’s youth portfolio that
involve representatives from various departments, community organizations, and stakeholders
who are responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing youth-related activities and
services.
Location Observed
Fleetwood Community Centre
Observation Checklist
Looking for in Observation
Barriers to Participation
Discussions
● Are there any

What I Observed
● Jessica Danyk - Healthy Communities. Mentions
about welcoming and accepting environments.
Jessica read the EDI policy on the functional table.

observable barriers or

She mentions that EDI will eventually have an action

discussion that are

plan, but nothing formal. Highlighted

mentioned in the

intersectionality - she mentions that it’s complex to

meeting regarding

meet everyone’s needs based on gender, sexuality,

preteen participation?

race, etc. She provided an example of a transgender

● Are facilitators

participant in a volleyball league; the rule is placed

responsive to the

for female genders. They can participate in the

interests or needs of the

gender they identify as.

preteens?
● Is there a clear goal for

● To support the EDI policy, creating a SharePoint hub
in collaboration with A&I - the functional table will

further steps to

now share things they would like to add to the share

addressing barriers?

point.

● What have other town

● David (FCC) shares that documents should be

centre coordinators

implemented into SharePoint that identify gender

mentioned when

definitions, and resources. Tools to support

addressing preteen

conversations and how to navigate advice and

barriers?

support. Educational resources.

● Discussions of reducing

● Ariel mentions that navigating the conflicts and

barriers to preteen

conversations that could come out of nowhere or

recreation.

negative interactions, how as staff person is supposed

● Is mental health being

to interact with that conversation and use facilities to

discussed? In what

how they identify. Additional training might need to

capacity?

be implemented, including washroom policies. This

● Are there new
resources or

is the expectation of a staff person.
● Aliesha (South Surrey) - Book about LGBTQ; parent

partnerships that are

came the next day and was not thrilled. The staff

being discussed to

managed it well and mitigated the conversation. She

reduce barriers to

mentions that she wants to know if certain books

recreation? What are

should be in the recreation centre.

they?
● Is COVID-19 still a

● Jessica Dansk mentions that she wants to have a wide
variety of books that are welcoming for all learners.

topic of discussion for

Appropriateness for age based on age. The team

preteen participation in

wants to come up with a 1-page document to look for

recreation programs?

if the book is appropriate and aligns with the EDI

What are the concerns?

policy.
● PRC managers are being accessed to EDI policy, they
want to build Surrey Learns training.
● Ariel talks about changing gendered camps and

created a discussion about opening up a conversation
about gendered and understanding the rationale for
that.
● David talks about culture in different communities; it
will be tricky for some communities to move away
from those labels.
● Jenny talks about marginalization with pools at
Newton; she doesn’t agree with an all-girls swim.
Goes back and forth with youth boys' night and girls'
night. It isn’t fair.
● Janessa says that she has one of each; anyone is
welcome regardless of identity; girls' night is a
lipgloss and skincare nights, talk about self-esteem,
where girls in grades 6-8 struggle with self-worth.
They have that space to share. Everybody is
technically welcome; it is arbitrary. Figure out a way
to reword.
● Ariel talks about adding just-for-girls programs and
identifying a gap in youth services, creating a just for
girls program.
● Jessica talks about fair across the board isn’t equity.
Meet people where they are at if they want to have an
only gendered program.
● Arielle mentions that there should be an intent to the
program; maybe it’s a shift to an activity based on the
interests, maybe it does make sense and is advertised
to the public.
● Janessa talks about ensuring that options are available
for all genders.
● Female participation is underrepresented.

● Discussions about new course descriptions to make it
gender inclusive.
● Talks about nonbinary activity descriptions, and
updates in the Summer.
● Arielle mentions - Need to give more resources to be
even to push them to a place where they want to
participate.
Outreach Discussions
● Are there any

● Youth week discussions.
● Discussion of the youth calendars for marketing and

observable barriers or

outreach. Talking about updating the calendar format

discussions that are

for clearer and more concise registration and

mentioned in the

communication with preteen participants online.

meeting regarding

● Arielle mentions to the functional table that activity

preteen participation?

descriptions do not match PRCMS vs activity

● Are facilitators
responsive to the

descriptions.
● Talks about how to facilitate the preteens' needs for

interests or needs of the

gendered activities. Meeting groups where they are

preteens?

at.

● Is there a clear goal for
further steps to

● Communications about gendered programs.
● Youth of the month initiative, the group mentions

addressing outreach

discussion started from the code of conduct,

strategies?

investment in reinforcing positive behaviour, we may

● What have other town

see more positive development. From a financial

centre coordinators

expense, youth membership could be feasible. The

discussed when

group thinks youth should be rewarded each time

mentioning outreach?

they do something good.

● Discussions of

● David mentions that a monthly theme or a targeted

initiatives to retain

push should be incorporated because of a budget

youth in the centres?

blowout and retaining preteens. It works well to

● Is mental health being

reinforce positive behaviour.

discussed? In what
capacity?

● Janessa talks about giving prizes to all youth in the
lounge rather than youth in a lounge or playing

● Are there new

basketball, giving prizes to the front desk.

resources or

● Arielle mentions that consultancy and a push for

partnerships that are

prizes in facilities for youth will be beneficial.

being discussed to

● YEP training

activate outreach to

● Talks about the flexibility of sports drop-in if it’s a

recreation? What are

free drop-in. Removing specified drop-ins in the

they?

summer.

● Is COVID-19 still a
topic of discussion for

● Aliesha mentions that equity for specified sports
could be a barrier to their participation.

preteen participation in

● Janessa and Colleen talk about Rec 4 Youth passes

recreation programs?

and donations to grade 7 graduation classes for

What are the concerns?

outreach.
● Arielle mentions what to do when schools request
Rec 4 Youth Passes, the table says: these passes are a
connection tool, I like it when we're engaged with it,
city staff connecting to the preteens and youth. David
says it would be interesting to see how many come
back to the facility, Arielle says that it is an
engagement tool. There is a difference between comp
passes vs rec 4 youth. Rec 4 Youth is an interpersonal
communication tool for city engagement staff to
preteens/youth.
● The Youth Week City of Surrey, advertising the
youth week with event Id’s for communication and
feedback loops from the front counter to patrons.
Changing the process of how preteens register for
Youth Week.

Observation #3
Date and Time of the Observation
March 5th at 3:00 pm
Who/what was Observed
Front Desk Observation
Location Observed
Fleetwood Community Centre
Observation Checklist

Looking for in Observation

What I Observed

Barriers to participation

19 preteens in the lobby currently

● How many preteens are currently in

● 6 playing with the lobby foosball,

the lobby? What is the flow of the

● 9 kids using the lobby tables to study

participants entering and leaving
throughout the facility?
● How many preteens are currently on

or read.
● 4 kids had headphones in and seemed
to be by themselves.

their phones?
● Investigate the front desk interactions.
Are they helpful? Engaging with the
preteens? Assisting with programs?
● What is the demographic diversity

The preteen leader left once to walk around
the lobby to talk to some preteens
● 6 preteens playing foosball did not
want to come drop in; they were

among the preteens? Age, gender,

engaged with the lobby activities and

ethnicity, economic background?

chatting amongst peers.

● What is the body language of the front
desk staff? Are they welcoming?

● Are preteens sitting alone? What

● At 3:40 pm, the Front desk staff was

activities are they doing? Do they have

not engaging with preteens, and the

headphones in?

procedure was not followed.

● Are their limited resources provided
by the front desk to accommodate the
needs of participants

● At 4:30 pm, the front desk staff
welcomed preteens when signing in.
● At 4:45 pm, the Front desk shared the

● Is their bullying present in the lobby?

preteen drop-in schedule, helped him

● Are their groups of preteens studying?

set up a youth services membership,

Playing board games? Utlizing lobby

and bridged a new preteen to the

activities? How many?

lounge.
● A preteen “confrontation” happened
between one kid in the lobby front
desk staff.
● Preteens playing badminton outside in
the courtyard, group of 2 preteens.
● One preteen walking around the
facility with a binder and notebook sat
down to study.
● Friendly conversation with the front
desk staff; preteen came to say hi to
the front counter. Had a conversation
with the preteen about anime, TV
shows, and video games. Noticed
friendly engagement.
● The flow of preteens peaked at 4:15
pm, with preteens signing in for
lounge time, breakdancing drop-in,
studying in the lobby, and playing
lobby games/activities. The constant
flow stopped at 5:30 pm.

● A group of preteens stopped at looked
at the Fleetwood Community Centre
spotlight wall.
Outreach Opportunities
● How many preteens are wandering the
facility?
● Did youth staff initiate a conversation
with lobby preteens to bridge them
into the centre?

● One youth staff was walking around
the lobby. Initiated 2 conversations
about the preteen drop-in lounge.
● No new preteen went to check out the
drop-in preteen program.
● Youth staff gave the child a Rec 4

● Is there evidence of trust-building

youth pass, and the front desk

efforts through communication?

redeemed it on their account.

● Evidence of follow-up documentation
of outreach efforts?

3A. Content Analysis Details
1. City of Surrey’s Youth Engagement Handbook - The Youth Services Functional Team
developed the youth services handbook to dissect reflection, critical thinking, and the role
of becoming a youth staff member with the City of Surrey. The handbook outlines an
understanding of what youth engagement means to Community and Recreation Services
to positively impact young people’s development (City of Surrey, 2015). The handbook
provides information on positive youth development, youth services core vision,
relationships with youth, the delivery model of youth services, an overview of youth
engagement staff’s role, and the operations matrix of youth engagement (City of Surrey
2015). Before working with youth, this training handbook must be delivered to all youth
engagement staff. This document was assessed on the City of Surrey’s Microsoft
SharePoint under “youth.”

2. City of Surrey’s Strategic Plan - The City of Surrey’s Strategic Plan is “committed to
planning responsibility with foresight to ensure that its communities are built to serve its
increasing population best” (City of Surrey, 2018). This document provides a broad
overview of the City of Surrey’s approach to parks, recreation, and culture. This
document was analyzed for its content related to preteens and youth on specific goals and
objectives for the 10-year plan. This strategic plan was assessed through a physical copy.
3. City of Surrey’s Spring Recreation Guide - The City of Surrey’s Recreation Guide was
analyzed to determine the current youth programs and events that are offered in the City
of Surrey. The recreation guides are accessible to the public at any local Surrey
community centre and through the City of Surrey’s website as a digital guide. The
recreation guide provides the public an overview of upcoming registered programs, dropin programs, and information about upcoming special events city-wide. This data was
assessed on the City of Surrey’s website.
4. Staff Youth Engagement Binder 2024 - The Fleetwood Community Centre has a staff
communications binder outlining different preteen drop-in shift components. The
elements included in this document are supervisor notes, participation statistics,
connecting efforts, shift logs, and concession items sold. This document was assessed
through the Fleetwood Community Centre youth lounge in physical form.
Dates When Documents Were Accessed
1. The City of Surrey’s Youth Engagement Handbook was accessed on March 1st, 2024
through the City of Surrey’s Microsoft SharePoint sub-section “Youth”.
2. The City of Surrey’s Strategic Plan was accessed on March 2nd, 2024 through a physical
copy.
3. The City of Surrey’s Spring 2024 Recreation Leisure Guide was accessed on March 3rd,
2024 through a physical copy.
4. The Fleetwood Community Centre’s Staff Youth Engagement Binder 2024 was accessed
on March 3rd, 2024 through a physical copy.

3B. Content Analysis Tracking Guide
The Content will be analyzed to:
● Assess the strategies and information provided to youth engagement staff.
● Determine when the documents were created or reviewed for updates.
● Investigate the number of registrants in preteen registered and drop-in programs.
● Analyze preteen trends (i.e. new programs, events, strategies) How many outreach
opportunities are there?
● Evaluate the City of Surrey’s progress towards goals and objectives related to municipal
youth recreation programs.
● Conduct data analysis to identify patterns, themes, and trends in relation to preteen
recreation services.
● Review the number of preteen recreation opportunities available in Fleetwood. Are there
gaps in opportunities?
Keywords to look out for
● Participation
● Outreach
● Engagement
● Support
● Opportunities
● Strategies
● Registration
3C. Content Analysis Field Notes
Youth Engagement Handbook

Who created the document? Have there been
revisions or updates?

● The City of Surrey’s Youth Services
team.

● 2016 is mentioned in the handbook.
Examples of youth engagement
projects are dated from 2014-2015.
● The handbook went through a 2-year
process with the collaboration of the
youth engagement function. The
handbook outlines the role of a youth
engagement staff and how the City of
Surrey can impact youth through
positive development.

Purpose of the document?

● The document aims to “build a
foundation of background research and
information to help provide context for
the work of YEP team and break down
the roles and responsibilities of YEP
teams.” (City of Surrey, n.d.).

What is the intent of the document?

● Provide the background and
foundation for positive youth
development and youth engagement.
● Analyze the core vision statements for
youth services.
● Explain the youth engagement model
and how it applies to municipal youth
recreation programs.
● Provide an understanding of how to
work with youth and the impacts of
positive youth development.
● Provide case studies of previous youth

engagement projects from City of
Surrey’s recreation facilities.
Identification of Barriers
● Does the content clearly identify and
describe the barriers preventing
preteens aged 10-13 from engaging in
recreation activities?

● The document shares how to build a
relationship with youth and how to
respond to their needs.
● In the document, barriers are
mentioned once in the context of youth
spaces. The space includes drop-in
spaces which are staff-supervised to
build relationships with youth, monitor
for safety, and provide opportunities to
increase the level of leadership (City
of Surrey, n.d., p. 28)

Analysis of Current Outreach Strategy
● Does the content provide analysis of

● Outreach strategies are specifically
mentioned once. The YEP team's

outreach efforts for preteen recreation

detailed description of connection is

services?

described to contribute to facility
connecting and community
connection. Both highlight youth staff
being present within the facility,
spending time at a specific program,
being present in schools, sharing
information and resources about youth
recreation opportunities, and building
connections between youth and the
community (City of Surrey, n.d.,
p.25).

Measurement and Evaluation
● Does the research outline methods for

● Registration numbers are not
referenced in this document.

measuring the effectiveness and
impact of preteen recreation
programs?
● Are there clear indicators or metrics
suggested to track changes in preteens’
participation?
What are the preteen recreation opportunities

● Youth projects are highlighted in the

available? Are there gaps in opportunities for

document. These projects can be either

certain demographics?

staff-initiated with youth consultation,
youth engagement projects, which are
staff-initiated and run by youth, or
youth-led projects, which are youthinitiated and staff-supported (City of
Surrey, n.d., p.23).

City of Surrey’s Spring 2024 Recreation Guide

Who created the document? Have there been
revisions or updates?

● The City of Surrey created this
document. The recreation guide is
updated seasonally.

Purpose of the document?

● To inform the community about the
current youth/preteen events at each
City of Surrey location.

What is the intent of the document?

● Inform preteens and youth about
current events program offerings.
● Share information about large youth
engagement projects (i.e. Surrey Slam

Jam).
Identification of Barriers
● Does the content clearly identify and
describe the barriers preventing

● This document doesn’t mention
barriers to preteen recreation services.
● The document does have different

preteens aged 10-13 from engaging in

preteen opportunities, including spread

recreation activities?

across 3 pages. These opportunities
include online seminars for LGBTQ+,
special events for preteens, mentions
of youth week events, preteen drop-in
schedules for sports, cooking, social
spaces, and breakdancing

Analysis of Current Outreach Strategy
● Does the content provide analysis of

● Outreach isn’t directly mentioned in
this document.

outreach efforts for preteen recreation
services?

Measurement and Evaluation

● N/A

● Does the research outline methods for
measuring the effectiveness and
impact of preteen recreation
programs?
● Are there clear indicators or metrics
suggested to track changes in preteens’
participation?
What are the types of visuals or methods of

● Visuals of stock images of preteens are

communication? How is the information

present in the youth section of the

being relayed to the public?

recreation guide.

City of Surrey’s Strategic Plan
Who created the document? Have there been
revisions or updates?

● The City of Surrey Parks, Recreation,
and Culture team developed a 10-year
strategic plan from 2018-2027

Purpose of the document?

● “The Parks, Recreation & Culture
Strategic Plan provides a blueprint for
determining PRC facility and service
decisions over the next 10 years. It
guides future decision making while
allowing the city to be responsive to
changing needs and demographics.
Specifically, this plan has two
purposes: Set direction and guide
investment” (City of Surrey, 2018)

What is the intent of the document?

● To inform the reader on current goals
and objectives in relation to
community parks, recreational
opportunities, and cultural efforts.

Identification of Barriers

● In section 6.2, Key Issues and

● Does the content clearly identify and

Opportunities, the strategic plan

describe the barriers preventing

outlines the following issues in

preteens aged 10-13 from engaging in

relation to preteens:

recreation activities?

● “Inclusion and Accessibility” Recreation facilities need to develop
welcoming spaces for all residents to
provide a sense of community and
belonging to support diverse
populations (City of Surrey, 2018 p.
55).

● “Community Engagement” Recognizing gaps to serve complex
demographics and build staff
competencies to develop engagement
resources (City of Surrey, 2018, p. 55)
Analysis of Current Outreach Strategy
● Does the content provide an analysis

● Objective CRS 3 states to “strengthen
our approach to community

of outreach efforts for preteen

engagement” (City of Surrey, 2018,

recreation services?

p.60).
● “Increasing community development,
programs, events, and celebrations,
Providing meaningful opportunities
for public consultation, and
streamlining programming and
services that welcome and support
newcomers to Surrey” (City of Surrey,
2018, p.60).

Measurement and Evaluation

● N/A

● Does the research outline methods for
measuring the effectiveness and
impact of preteen recreation
programs?
● Are there clear indicators or metrics
suggested to track changes in preteens’
participation?
What are the types of visuals or methods of

● Uses a wide range of imagery and

communication? How is the information

pictures of facilities and graphs

being relayed to the public?

demonstrating statistics of populations,
images of recreation facilities, and

stock images of recreation.

Fleetwood Community Centre - Staff Youth Engagement Binder 2024

Who created the document? Have there been
revisions or updates?

● The Fleetwood Community Centre
created the Youth Engagement Binder.
● The communications binder has been
updated in 2022.

Purpose of the document?

● The purpose of the Youth Engagement
Binder is to act as a communications
tool from front-line staff to
Fleetwood’s supervisory team.

What is the intent of the document?

● The intent of the Youth Engagement
Communications Binder is to keep
front-line youth staff up to date with
communications of youth’s
conversations, concession sales,
statistics of preteen participation,
activities ran, safety checklists, and
outreach efforts bridging preteens into
the drop-in space.

Identification of Barriers

● The Youth Engagement

● Does the content clearly identify and

Communications binder doesn’t have a

describe the barriers preventing

definitive section outlining barriers to

preteens aged 10-13 from engaging in

preteens engaging in recreation.

recreation activities?

● The “shift logs” section does provide
information from staff’s previous
experiences while connecting with the

preteens concerning information that
should be brought up to the
supervisory team, and activities that
were successful during their shift.
● During the month of January, shift
logs relating to barriers, including
bullying based on cultural factors,
preteens not participating due to
screen usage, and mentions of preteens
feeling isolated in the lounge were
written down by front-line staff.
Analysis of Current Outreach Strategy
● Does the content provide analysis of

● The Youth Engagement
Communications Binder does have a

outreach efforts for preteen recreation

section titled “connecting”. This

services?

section provides the youth staff’s
strategy to outreach outside the lounge
space to bridge new preteens into
recreation spaces.
● There hasn’t been a lot of written
communications about outreach
efforts.

Measurement and Evaluation

● The Youth Engagement Binder has a

● Does the research outline methods for

section tracking the number of

measuring the effectiveness and

participations with tally marks.

impact of preteen recreation
programs?
● Are there clear indicators or metrics
suggested to track changes in preteens’
participation?

● These are the clear indicators to
recognize trends and patterns of
preteen engagement in lounge spaces.

What are the types of visuals or methods of
communication? How is the information
being relayed to the public?

● N/A