School bells will be ringing at Stampede Park this month as hundreds of Calgary students head back to class at two unique schools tucked inside the Agriculture Building. Some will learn to sing and others to dance at The Young Canadian School of Performing Arts, while over at Stampede School children will learn about western heritage and values.

Both schools are supported by the Calgary Stampede Foundation. Its mandate is to provide the youth of Alberta with the opportunity to develop strong roots in their culture and heritage through programs that enhance personal growth, citizenship and education.

“An investment in the young people of Alberta is an excellent way to ensure that the Calgary Stampede and the community as a whole continues to grow with the culture of the province, and carry on the traditions of the past,” says Sue Tomney, the Foundation’s executive director. She adds,"and we are very fortunate to have strong corporate citizens like TransAlta, whose 2007 grant of $2.5 million has helped us ensure our young people continue to have these opportunities."

For 180 Calgarians aged eight to 20, attending The Young Canadians School, means up to 20 hours weekly of professional training in ballet, tap, jazz, acrobatics and vocals.

Tuition, valued at $7,500 per child, is covered by a scholarship from the Foundation and pays for everything except footwear. But even that can be covered, if needed. Also, a long-standing partnership with the Calgary Board of Education means students in grades 10 to 12 are able to claim 10 credits per year towards the Work Experience program at Chinook College.

"We have no barriers to access," says Bill Avery, The Young Canadians executive director. "If people are talented and have passion, we have a spot for them. That's the big difference between us and any other organization; they don't have to pay to participate."

At the end of the eight-month program, students have a chance to audition and perform at the Evening Grandstand Show during the 10-day Stampede.

Not far from the dance studios, hundreds of other students will enter the doors of Stampede School to gain hands-on, real-world experience with Calgary's colourful western heritage. Every week from September to May, students in the public school system learn from horse trainers, Treaty 7 First Nations cultural experts, cowboys, western artists, and volunteers such as Fred Saunders.

“We offer students and teachers the unique opportunity to relocate their classrooms to Stampede Park and delve into a world of history, agriculture, and western heritage and values,” says Anita Crowshoe, the school’s site co-ordinator.

Last year, 836 students attended Stampede School.