Youthopia , Youth for Inclusion Program

In 2011, as part of its BUILDING VITAL COMMUNITIES grant program, the Guelph Community Foundation  awarded $4,450 to Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington for its Youthopia , Youth for Inclusion, program.

Youthopia set out to engage newcomer youth through the arts with spoken word, drama and media, while building leadership skills and broader engagement in the community.

“Moving to a new school is difficult enough for youth, now imagine being new to the country, city, neighbourhood, and having to function in a second language,” said Roya Rabbani, Executive Director of Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington.

Over a period of six months, participants met with trained youth facilitators to work on a variety of activities. This process led to a core group choosing to work on a live production to honour the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination . Another group continued to meet weekly to work on smaller arts projects. Youth also participated in community and civic engagement activities in the Guelph community.

What did it mean to youth participating?

Youthtopia’s RiseUp! event poster said it best: “life is no longer about hiding in the shadows or trying to get by – it’s about laughing and crying, and all the things in between; it’s about the opposite of disappearing. Watch as we come out of our cocoons …”

Roya Rabbani, who recently spoke at the Foundation’s Fall Community Celebration, told the audience that two-thirds of Canada’s growth is coming through immigration. Like trees, these newcomers are uprooted from their homelands and transplanted here, and that is a difficult process. “A caring community allows those trees to take root, to flourish and bear fruit,” she said.

Spoken word was one of many activities undertaken.   To view a short clip from one of Youthopia’s Spoken Word sessions, click here.

Andrea Olson is Executive Director of Guelph Community Foundation

Vital Youth Café melds youth, wisdom and expertise

Community Foundations of Canada’s recent Vital Youth Café brought together a multitude of individuals – mainly youth, but there were also others on hand to help move the discussion forward.

One of the various volunteers was Leah Walker, a writer, editor and broadcaster who spent part of the day as an Information Studies volunteer. Her mission? To provide research services to participants on questions related to helping vulnerable youth.

Read what Leah had to say about the event.

Our Vital Signs blog is moving! Check out our new home here…

Vital Youth Café digs deep, finds fertile soil

Vital Youth Café, the dialogue and design workshop hosted by Community Foundations of Canada in Ottawa this week, gave Montreal-based youth activist Jonathan Glencross the shot in the arm he was seeking.

“I wanted to see if what I’d been experiencing was also happening elsewhere – this disconnect between potential and impact,” he said afterward.

“It just really affirmed my understanding that we need to create spaces where youth can imagine seriously and break free from cookie-cutter expectations,” said the McGill University graduate.  “We need to ask bigger questions, find support and funding. We need sustained support to take a different path. I feel more strongly about that now than I ever have before. ”

The Vital Youth Café, held a day after the release of Canada’s Vital Signs 2012 – Vital Youth, drew a dynamic crowd of about 35 delegates to the stunning Panorama Room at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull.

The day-long event – taking us from statistics to solutions – was marked by raucous discussion and debate, both in small and large groups, as well as compelling presentations of ideas by participants.

“I can’t stress enough how great the facilitation was. It was a day of unexpected learnings and reflections and that’s always nice,” said Glencross. “I felt I was able to learn more things by diving into other people’s experiences … it felt like fertile soil.”

Agreed Amanda Mayer, Coordinator of the National Alliance for Children and Youth (NACY):  “Taking part in the Vital Youth Dialogue was a great way for me to help shine light on Canadian youth and issues we face today. I was energized by colleagues around the table and the discussions on new ideas, unique concepts and redefining success and failure amongst youth. There was lots of exuberant dialogue, compelling and practical solutions for GenerationFlux that I look forward to working on in the near future. Kudos to CFC for convening such a great community of colleagues to collectively work on solutions! ”

Our Vital Signs blog is moving! Check out our new home here…

Hope. Connect. Care.

That’s what you get when you involve young people – Generation Flux, if you will – in the decision-making process.

“They will make sure you walk the talk,” Marc Langlois, facilitator for the Vital Youth Café, said yesterday.

The Vital Youth dialogue and design workshop, held a day after the release of Canada’s Vital Signs 2012 – Vital Youth, drew a dynamic crowd of about 35 delegates to the stunning Panorama Room at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull.

They came as engaged citizens, and as representatives of organizations as diverse as TakingItGlobal, National Alliance for Children and Youth, Vancouver Foundation, Greater Saint John Community Foundation, Canadian Index of Wellbeing, Carleton University, Otesha Project, Ici Par Les Arts, Child and Youth Friendly Ottawa, University of Ottawa, and our partners in Vital Youth, Deloitte.

The day-long event – taking us from statistics to solutions – was marked by raucous discussion and debate, both in small and large groups, as well as compelling presentations of ideas by participants.

As Langlois said: “I’m tired of hearing young people aren’t engaged. They are engaged. It’s just that Stats Can doesn’t know how to measure it.”

With the intent of sharing and building on a variety of perspectives and strategies on sustainability, entrepreneurship, employment, physical and mental health, accessibility, immigration, engagement, inclusion and more, Vital Youth Café will serve as a prototype for similar discussions at CFC 2013 Conference in Winnipeg next June, and in communities nationally.

“If you infuse youth in critical decision-making roles, there will be 1. More hope – because young people focus on vision – 2. You will have more connections, more relationships, and 3. There will be more of a focus on caring,” said Langlois.

In our next post … ideas and solutions from Vital Youth Café participants!

Our Vital Signs blog is moving! Check out our new home here…

VitalYouth shines some light on Canadian youth

Canada’s Vital Signs 2012 – Vital Youth launched yesterday, focusing on the myriad issues facing Generation Flux. We garnered lots of media attention, which kept CFC’s President and CEO Ian Bird hopping with back-to-back interviews throughout most of the day and evening. That continues today, amidst the backdrop of Vital Youth Café, our dialogue and design workshop happening at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Here’s a sampling of media coverage so far:

• Carleton U.’s School of Public Policy and Administration
• CBC News
• HuffingtonPost
• CBC News (video)
• Metro News
• Vancouver Sun
• Ottawa Sun

Our Vital Signs blog is moving! Check out our new home here…

Generation Flux: Seismic shifts shaking Canadian youth, says report from Community Foundations of Canada

The predictable trajectory that guided the lives of their parents is gone and Canada’s youth are coming of age in an era of complexity and uncertainty that has delayed or even destroyed the landmarks that once signalled life transitions, says the Canada’s Vital Signs 2012 -Vital Youth report.

“The linear path from school to career, home ownership, and family has disappeared,” said Ian Bird, President and CEO of Community Foundations of Canada. “We want communities to recognize that this is ‘the new normal.’ We need to work with youth to find better ways of preparing and supporting them for a journey that is less certain and more fragmented.”

The national quality-of-life report, released today, aims to provide communities and policy-makers with a snapshot of the youth experience in Canada. It pulls together research conducted by many organizations to paint a comprehensive picture of the economic, educational and societal factors affecting youth as they enter adulthood, amidst a backdrop of rapid change.

Among the report’s key findings are:

Big debt, little work. After graduation, youth are saddled with debt that can take 14 years to pay off. Then only piecemeal or part-time employment awaits: 1 out of 3 move into a low-skilled job after graduation.

Summer jobs at all-time low. The youth unemployment rate is consistently double the national average. In June, it was 14.8% compared to the national average of 7.2% and summer jobs in 2012 were at the lowest level since data was first collected in 1977.

Delays in post-secondary. Young people are delaying the start of post-secondary education to improve high-school grades, or save for tuition, which has risen up to 200% in some provinces in the past 20 years.

Retirees still working. Young people today face competition from Baby Boomers who are hanging onto jobs longer, or returning to work after retirement age.

Young people are already feeling financial and other impacts.A staggering 3.2 million of 12- to 19-year-olds in Canada are at risk for developing depression. A recent CAMH study of Ontario students also found that “the rate of students reporting psychological distress has risen to 43%, up from 36% in the 1999 survey.”

But growing up in an era of rapid change has also helped prepare youth for some of the challenges ahead. They are tech-savvy, connected to vast networks and are passionate about public policy and global issues, even if they don’t show it on voting day or via traditional institutions. They place a high value on personal relationships and want to align their values with the work they do.

“If any country can grapple with these challenges, it’s Canada,” said Bird. “We are one of the best educated countries in the world. But like others, we need to come to grips with the gap between who is thriving and who is being left behind. The consequences of inaction are too serious – for young people and our communities.”

The Vital Youth report is supported by Deloitte and will be released today at 9:30 a.m. at Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration, followed by a press conference at Parliament Hill at 12 noon. Community Foundations of Canada is also holding a Vital Youth Dialogue and Design Workshop in Ottawa on Oct. 3, to begin moving from research to action.

Communities across Canada releasing local reports
Vital Signs is an annual community check-up conducted by community foundations across Canada. It provides a comprehensive, reader-friendly look at how our communities are faring in key quality-of-life areas such as learning, health, housing and the environment.

Today, 14 community foundations across Canada launch their own local reports at vitalsignscanada.ca.

Community Foundations of Canada is the national network for Canada’s more than 180 community foundations, which help Canadians invest in building strong and resilient places to live, work, and play. Find out more at www.cfc-fcc.ca.

Find out how seismic shifts are shaking Canada’s youth on Oct. 2

Youth will be the focus of CFC’s 2012 Canada’s Vital Signs report, to be released during a special presentation by President & CEO Ian Bird at Carleton University’s School of Public Policy & Administration on Oct. 2. We’ll spend the rest of the day on Parliament Hill, briefing media and politicians about our findings and then hosting some close colleagues in our new Ottawa office.

We’ll post all the stats and research, including a new YouTube video, on our newly redesigned Vital Signs website on Oct. 2.

Join us @ Carleton!

Canada’s Vital Signs 2012 digs deep into youth issues

Each fall Community Foundations of Canada releases its national Vital Signs report, and youth issues have consistently been flagged every year since its inception in 2006.

We know education, employment, health and technology are among the huge concerns facing Canada’s young people.

That’s why we’re dedicating Canada’s Vital Signs 2012 to youth, making connections between research in various areas to provide a critical snapshot of the issues facing Canadian youth at this point in our history.

On Oct. 2, we will be releasing our youth research along with a YouTube video promo that encapsulates some of the key findings from our Vital Signs research. Our focus on youth is intended to act as a catalyst for candid and creative conversations that will lead to action among Canada’s community foundations and Canadian communities.

To help move from statistics to solutions, we’re also hosting a Vital Youth Dialogue and Design Workshop on Oct. 3, a day for youth and youth advocates to share and build on a variety of perspectives and strategies on sustainability, entrepreneurship, employment, physical and mental health, accessibility, immigration, engagement, inclusion and more.

This highly interactive, solutions-focused day will serve as a prototype for similar discussions at the CFC 2013 Conference in Winnipeg next June, and in communities nationally.

Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks …

Surprise bequest will help Fundy scholarship fund

By Barb Rayner

$50,000 US – A surprise bequest of $50,000 (US) from a former resident will give a big boost to the Florence Hegan Spinney Scholarship Fund in New Brunswick.

Retired elementary teacher Bev Ingram explained that Spinney was a long-time kindergarten teacher in the town, fondly remembered by many Eastern Charlotte residents who received their early childhood education through her love and devotion.

Following Spinney’s death, she said a group of people whose children had attended her kindergarten decided to do something for her related to education.

They held fundraising fashion shows for several years and when she met Spinney’s son, Norval Winston Hegan, he donated $250 to add to the scholarship fund, said Ingram. Hegan died in San Diego, CA last August, just a few weeks shy of his 80^th birthday.

Eventually, as the funds dwindled, it became a named sub-fund of the Eastern Charlotte Scholarship Fund, which is held by Fundy Community Foundation and provides scholarships to Fundy High students furthering their education at university or college.

Then out of the blue, Ingram received a large brown envelope in the mail from a lawyer in California, which contained a copy of Hegan’s will – the first item was a $50,000 bequest to the scholarship fund established in memory of his mother.

“I am very appreciative. I contacted Fundy Community Foundation and the money will be invested and just the principle used. When the scholarship fund got so small, it was grouped with others,” says Ingram.

FCF, a Canadian public charitable foundation, is also recognized as a charity through the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, explains Executive Director Sandy Thurber, so FCF was able to facilitate the cross-border bequest to provide tax benefit for the estate.

Barb Rayner is a reporter with The Saint Croix Courier, and a former Director with Fundy Community Foundation. This story was first published in The Saint Croix Courier http://stcroixcourier.ca/

VitalSigns® leads to workplace wellness initiative in Grande Prairie

By Tracey Vavrek

The 2011 VitalSigns® report produced by the Community Foundation of Greater Grande Prairie reported that “obesity has overtaken tobacco as the leading cause of premature, preventable death.”

In the former Peace Country Health Region, obesity rates for people aged 18 and older were reported as being just over 48% above the provincial average. As well, our 2010 obesity rates ranked highest of all 22 VitalSigns® communities.

In response, a Workplace Wellness Program pilot project was launched by Alberta Health Services (AHS) with six Grande Prairie businesses on May 15, 2012.

Garett Richardson of AHS indicated that the most exciting feature of this pilot program was that it reached hard-to-access Albertans who are identified as 50% to 60% of the province’s working population.

Working with six companies and utilizing staff from the Public Health area of AHS, they work closely with workplace champions to determine the company’s needs and then develop programs to address them.

It is wonderful to see AHS take this next step for VitalSigns®.  The response of the six companies who wish to make a difference in their place of business is very encouraging and highlights the importance of the VitalSigns® project.

Meanwhile, another 2011 VitalSigns® finding has prompted action in the Grande Prairie census area.

We found that the child-poverty rate, which is based on the Low Income Measure, was 17.3%.  And, the majority of these children live in single-parent families where recreational activities may take a back seat in favour of basics such as food, utilities and housing – items many of us take for granted.

The knowledge and understanding of life faced by Grande Prairie’s low-income population combined with the Peace Country’s high obesity rate solidified the importance of implementing the Low Income Recreation Access program.

Grande Prairie’s Community Social Development department, which is responsible for overseeing the program, takes action on issues such as poverty reduction and homelessness.

Manager, Donelda Laing reported that the program, which was launched on January 1st, 2012 has been very well-received.  To date her office has approved approximately 300 applications.

The program provides a $100 credit per person per family for access to any city-operated recreational facility and is available to any City of Grande Prairie resident who meets the low-income criteria. As an example, a family with six children and two adults would qualify to receive a credit worth $800 explained Donelda.

The credit can take the form of a punch card and provides families with opportunities to use city facilities and programs.

We commend the City of Grande Prairie for understanding the importance of sustaining citizens in addressing the social needs of the community

Tracey Vavrek is Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Greater Grande Prairie.