Youth Engagement
2010 has brought forth some exciting growth in United Way’s youth engagement initiatives. We have a dedicated and active group of leaders on our Youth Advisory Council who played a key role in organizing and participating in all the activities for BC Youth Week. Youth Week is an international celebration of youth held annually during the first week of May. It is a week of fun, interaction and celebration intending to build a strong connection between young people and their communities and to profile the issues, accomplishments and diversity of youth across the province.
On Sunday, May 2nd, the Youth Advisory Council hosted an afternoon of volunteering at PIT Stop, a free community meal program run out of the Kamloops United Church. A team of 16 youth from Mount Dufferin Elementary School along with Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and Youth Advisory Group (YAG) from Thompson Rivers University (TRU) came together to feed 100 people in need of a hot meal. Click here to see photos on our United Way Blog.
On Wednesday May 5th, United Way’s 2nd annual region-wide Youth Day of Caring took place. 180 students from 7 High schools simultaneously completed 6 projects at non-profit organizations across the region as far reaching as Clearwater. The students then celebrated their achievements with a barbeque and some live entertainment at Spirit Square. We are so excited to see our local youth becoming engaged with our non-profit agencies working to serve our community. Click here to see articles from the Kamloops Daily News and Kamloops This Week about the 2010 Youth Day of Caring.
On Friday, May 7th the 2nd annual “Say What” youth conference sponsored by CURA and the Centre for Community-Based Youth Health Research at TRU took place at the Henry Grube Education Centre. The day offered youth a chance to learn about local research being done with their demographic and gave them a chance to respond through a variety of workshops and forums. Two of the 2009 United Way Youth Initiative Grant recipients were in attendance to showcase their completed projects.
In addition, throughout BC Youth Week, the Boys and Girls Club youth drop in program displayed their artwork at the Kamloops Art Gallery through their “Tell Your Story” project. This project was funded by a Youth Initiative Grant and gives “high potential” youth an opportunity to tell their story and express themselves through a creative medium.
The Youth Advisory Council provides youth an opportunity to be heard in the community and make a difference through United Way. Through our Youth Initiative Grants, members of the Youth Advisory Council will be allocating funds from the United Way campaign to support local youth in developing and undertaking their own projects that benefit youth in the community. We are currently accepting applications for our 2010 Youth Initiative Grants and new members for our Youth Advisory Council. Email youth@unitedwaytnc.ca to apply for Youth Initiative Grants or to request more information on our Youth Advisory Council, Youth Initiative Grants and how you can get involved.
