The Camrose Regional Exhibition & Agricultural Society is launching a multi-session “Training Tomorrow’s Leaders” workshop series at the CRE Event Centre in Camrose. It runs January to April 2026 and includes six workshops: Foundations of Leadership; Communication & Confidence; Real Life Money Skills; Digital Safety; Landing the Job; and Community Leadership. Overseen by Executive Director Dianne Kohler, the series targets high school students in Grades 9 to 12 and emerging adult leaders seeking practical life skills.
This new adult and youth leadership program marks a strategic shift for the CRE, long known for agricultural fairs and the Big Valley Jamboree. After the board discontinued the Canadian Bull Congress in May 2025, the organization moved to expand its off-season calendar with educational events. By turning the CRE Event Centre into a year-round hub, the exhibition hopes to maximize facility use and boost local economic activity through winter and spring.
Each workshop features expert speakers, panel discussions and hands-on activities. Participants will explore core leadership principles, build confidence, manage personal finances, stay safe online, prepare for job interviews and plan community initiatives. The curriculum builds on earlier pilot sessions and the CRE’s Rural Opportunities Podcast, expanding basic leadership theory into comprehensive, real-world skills training.
Local partners say the series offers fresh opportunities for Camrose’s mid-week visitor economy. Tourism Camrose notes that weekday bookings give hotels, restaurants and attractions new traffic during typically slow months. The Camrose & District Chamber of Commerce also supports the program as a way to strengthen the regional workforce and tie youth to local businesses.
Funding is supported in part by CRE membership dues and government grants aimed at supporting agricultural societies. Kohler says the workshops fill a regional leadership gap, increase facility use and deliver hands-on learning that benefits both participants and the wider Camrose community. With “Training Tomorrow’s Leaders,” the CRE sets a new course for year-round engagement through the 2025–2026 event calendar.
