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Preparing for Another Amazing School Year

Preparing for another amazing school year

Fall is just around the corner!

Have you missed us? Youth Ottawa is preparing for another school year, filled with all of our engaging programs. We have a full roster of Youth Active Media, Active Citizenship Initiative, Artistic Mentorship Program, and a brand new program! 

Involvement with Youth Ottawa is always open, but fall is one of the best times to get involved! Take a look at some of the programs we’re offering this year and choose the one (or few) most suited for you!

Programs we offer:

1. Youth Active Media (YAM)

Youth Active Media aims to engage students in digital literacy through learning about camera angles, lighting, editing, and much more. Facilitators go through interactive lessons to give these students the tools they need for success in video production or editing. Our students have gone on to become videographers, photographers, or just come away from the program with a new-found appreciation for media production!

To take your student’s digital literacy skills to the next level, learn more or sign up here.

2. Active Citizenship Initiative (ACI)

The Active Citizenship Initiative is a program that encourages students to use their voice for positive change, both within their lives and within their communities. As we like to remind people, youth need to have a voice in the matters that impact them the most. With ACI, young people are able to bring their ideas forward to city councillors to make the city a better place, addressing the issues that mean the most to them. Last year, we returned our Youth Action Showcase event during the first ever National Youth Week in Ottawa, and we hope to make next year’s event even bigger with your help!

If you’re interested in introducing ACI in your classes, please fill out this form.

3. Artistic Mentorship Program (AMP)

The Artistic Mentorship Program returned this year and has gone above and beyond to bring young artists closer to success! Not only have we been working with artists of all mediums to help develop their entrepreneurial skills, but we have also hosted several live concerts where they got paid for their awesome performances! In order to continue amplifying these incredibly talented youth and expand our reach, we will need your support!

Please consider donating here or signing up here!

New program alert: Computer Programmers Unite (CPU)!

As a current student at Carleton University for Computer Science, Byron McDonald said he had always been interested in computer programming but never got the chance to study it in high school due to a lack of teachers. After noticing the lack of programming courses throughout several other high schools, Byron decided to take the initiative and begin one himself for others in the same situation. 

Being a long-time volunteer at Youth Ottawa, he knew exactly where to go to get this done. With the help of Carleton University and Youth Ottawa, he built an entire program from the ground up. 

Building a course from scratch of course brought many challenges and successes along the way. Although teaching online workshops this summer helped him become a better teacher, he said he still struggles with predicting the needs of future students he hasn’t met yet, such as the in-person cohort he hopes to teach this fall. 

“It’s really just trying to convert something that is extremely unapproachable to something that I could get anyone to do, and that’s definitely been difficult,” he said. “It’s fun getting stuff like that done…the process of creation is fun.”

Now, we are just a couple of weeks away from introducing this new program to our fall roster. The lessons will aim to follow a similar structure to our Youth Active Media program, with students being taught and guided in their self-directed projects. 

At the moment, Byron is our only program facilitator for this program, but who knows where the next year will take us? The need for digital literacy is growing, as is the need for programmers and for programming teachers! Maybe you, your students, or someone you know could be the person who needs a class like this most.

“I really hope that I can get people interested in what I’m doing. In terms of personal experience, if I had had the program I’m planning on running in high school, I would’ve been so much better prepared–I would’ve had a much more realistic understanding of what I was getting into, going into computer science” – Byron McDonald 

He added that he hopes to make a similar impact on students that participating in YAM a couple years ago did to him and his friend Matthias. Although Byron found YAM to be a fun environment and a great place to make friends, the program inspired Matthias to pursue media studies as post-secondary education.

“If I could deliver one life-changing experience or five nice times, that’s great to me,” he said.

Want to help Byron out? Visit this link to sign your class up for computer programming classes!

Don't forget!

We will of course be running our usual programs this fall, including the Youth Active Media program, the Active Citizenship Initiative, and the Artistic Mentorship Program. Over the past 25 years, we’ve impacted over 300 students in each of these programs each year and hope to grow our reach even further to amplify our youth’s fullest potential.

If you’re interested in any of these programs, fill out the form below!

I want to further engage my students

Want to help us fulfill our mission but don’t know where to start? Donating is a great, simple way to make a huge impact in the lives of young people!

Donate today
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Why do we Golf?

Why do we Golf?

More than a Sport

Every year, Youth Ottawa hosts our Mayor’s Golf Classic. It is a charity event that brings the community together with local city councillors, changemakers, and youth to spend a day outside raising money for our cause. 

Those who attend aren’t just coming to golf, but are there to raise money for youth in the community through Youth Ottawa’s services and programming.

A Brief History of the Event

The Annual Mayor’s Golf Classic started in 2000 when Larry O’Brien was the mayor of Ottawa. The event allowed our sponsors and business partners to show support and raise funds for youth programming, which continues to be a big part of the event today.

What now?

This year’s Charity Golf Classic will take place on August 9 at the Marshes Golf Course in Kanata. 

It is also Jim Watson’s final year as Mayor, and we are so thankful for all of his years of support. His fervent support of both Youth Ottawa has helped us amplify young voices in the community. This year’s event will allow everyone to spend a lovely evening with the Mayor while raising money for a good cause.

For such a special year, we have some special items lined up for our silent auction, such as:

  • Staycation Relaxation Packages
  • Tom Brady Jersey  
  • BrookStreet Golf Package 
  • Patrick Mahomes Helmet 
  • Jerry Rice Football 
  • Wayne Gretzky Jersey 
  • Auston Matthews Jersey 
  • Barry Bonds Jersey 
  • Kobe Bryant Jersey 
  • Mike Tyson Gloves 

& more….

Entertainment on the Green!

Sponsored by Caivan Communities, celebrity entertainer Todd Keirstead will be joining foursomes on the golf course. Todd has proven year after year of being one of the world’s greatest celebrity golf entertainers. Along with being voted Trick Shot of the Year on Golf Channel, Todd has been featured on ESPN, Sports Illustrated, TSN, NBC Sports and TMZ. 

Michael Kors has launched a new line of golf attire that will be on view at the tournament. Golfers can purchase pieces from the line, with 20% of all proceeds going to Youth Ottawa.

There will be four hole-in-one contests on the green during the tournament, located at holes 3, 5, 12 and 17. We thank Kanata Renovations for sponsoring holes 3 & 12 and RBC for sponsoring holes 5 & 17. The hole-in-one prizes stem between $5,000 and $10,000.

Evening Entertainment

We will also have plenty of entertainment throughout the evening, including an art battle and performance from singer/songwriter John Swayty. 

The art battle will take place during the cocktail hour, when seven young artists will paint a piece based on the theme of youth voice in a 25 minute round. Once they’re done with their pieces, the audience will get the chance to vote for their favourite artists by placing a raffle ticket in a small box beside the painting that appeals to them the most. The artists will also be able to auction off their pieces at the end of the night for additional fundraising. 

John Swayty is a Lebanese Canadian Artist based in Ottawa. He is also a 3rd year student at the University of Ottawa in Business and IT. He has performed at various Youth Ottawa events and other shows around the city. He is also currently the Music Director for CASCO which is a Telfer uOttawa Charity Organization that supports the Children’s Hospital of Ontario. 

For John, music is his passion but it is also one of his favourite ways to inspire others to spark their creativity. John wants to encourage others to continue working on their passion and hobbies and be unique in the industry of their interest. When music evolves, it brings harmony and love to the people around it and is one of the best ways to unite everyone.

These two forms of entertainment are all thanks to our Artistic Mentorship Program (AMP), which we relaunched earlier this year. As a program, AMP aims to re-engage youth with the arts by providing them with mentorship and resources to get them on the right track to success. 

As we had put this program on pause for the pandemic, we are so excited to be bringing it back and hope you are too! We are looking for additional funding and support to help us continue supporting young artists, which is why events like the Golf tournament really help us!

Two more incredible youth will also be joining us at dinner to speak about their experiences as our most recent Mayors for a Day. The Mayor for the Day contest is another event we brought back since pausing it for the pandemic, all thanks to us bringing back the Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee (OYEC). 

OYEC consists of a group of civically-engaged youth striving to make Ottawa a better city by working together with the municipal government on issues that affect young people the most, such as environmentalism and inclusivity. The group perfectly exemplifies Youth Ottawa’s core fundamental value: that youth should have a voice in policies that affect them most.

At 6:00 p.m., we will announce the championship prize for ‘Best Foursome’ and ‘Most Honest Foursome’, where each golfer will receive a prize sponsored by Enbridge. 

We couldn't have done it without you!

As always, we would like to thank all of the companies and partners that helped make this happen. Mattamy has been our title sponsor since we started the Mayor’s Golf Tournament in 2000, and there have been several other sponsors both new and ongoing that have helped us bring this event to life for 25 years.

Listen to a piece we did with title sponsor Mattamy homes last year!

Of course, we would also like to thank the hole sponsors who donated: 

Why Charity Events Matter

Charity events like these provide us with funding to continue our outreach. All of the money collected goes towards a good cause; but even more importantly, charity events are the start of a butterfly effect. Even a small donation could be the key to one more student’s long-term success. 

However, the fundraising doesn’t end at the ticket purchase. Often, the ticket price goes towards paying off the event itself. This is why all attendees are asked to continue donating throughout the day in various ways, whether through our silent auction, raffle, or simply donating directly!

We thank you for doing your part in supporting youth all around Ottawa by donating!

If you are interested in supporting Youth Ottawa’s program, please consider donating here. 

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End of School Year Report 2021-2022

Thanks for a great school year!

As life is returning to normal, Youth Ottawa is returning stronger than ever.

We have seen such amazing innovation happen this year and want to congratulate all those who made it possible! Without all the teachers, students, and partners who welcomed us into their classrooms and supported the youth who needed it, we would not have been able to accomplish so much. Thank you all who were a part of our story this year!

As we close off the school year and look ahead to September 2022, we are sharing our end-of-school year report to highlight the amazing student projects from the past year.

Thanks for a great school year!

As life is returning to normal, Youth Ottawa is returning stronger than ever.

We have seen such amazing innovation happen this year and want to congratulate all those who made it possible! Without all the teachers, students, and partners who welcomed us into their classrooms and supported the youth who needed it, we would not have been able to accomplish so much. Thank you all who were a part of our story this year!

As we close off the school year and look ahead to September 2022, we are sharing our end-of-school year report to highlight the amazing student projects from the past year.

Check out the report!

English Report 2021-2022
Rapport Français 2021-2022

Thank you for supporting youth in the past and upcoming year!

What's next?

Are you interested in re-engaging your students next year through one of our programs? Connect with us to find out how by emailing info@youthottawa.ca

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Meet the 25th Annual Spirit Award Winners

The Newest Generation of Changemakers

Introducing the 25th Annual RBC Spirit of the Capital Award Recipients

It’s that time of year again! We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 25th annual RBC Spirit of the Capital Youth Awards. 

The Spirit Awards is a celebration of our city’s youth presented by RBC and hosted by Youth Ottawa. Each year we acknowledge and feature the diverse ways young people are shaping their communities across our city, through seven categories. These youth are turning awareness into action and inspiring others to become agents of change. Learn more about the history of the Spirit Awards here!

On October 26 2022, we will be gathering for an evening of celebration at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans.

The Awards Gala is a youth-friendly event held in the heart of Ottawa. Last year, the event was live streamed for the public, but this year’s event will be open to anyone who wants to join us celebrate these amazing youth! 

We are so excited for you to meet these incredible changemakers!

Academic Perseverance

Sponsored by Algonquin College

Zeynep Cildir (she/her)

Zeynep is a very hard-working, reliable, and genuine leader who values teamwork. Due to many complications along the way, she was forced to move a lot. She started grade 9 in New Jersey, and halfway through her studies, moved to Texas and then again to Calgary. She had to learn English as she was moving from place to place. Even though this was difficult, Zeynep is thankful for her experiences because it has taught her to adapt to any situation, helped her connect with other cultures, and forced her to get used to meeting new people. She is very proud of her achievements, having received a Youth Award from Shepherds, the Merit Scholarship, Dean’s honour list and Undergraduate Research Scholarship. She is also the first in her family to study science at university. With her optimistic personality and improvement, she is a role model for many students and inspires them to do the same when faced with an obstacle. She also tutors at Wizedemy and Superprof company and is currently a 5-star tutor and volunteers within Let’s Talk Science to inspire youth to pursue sciences. She also spends most of her time working on her organizations, Refugee Support Association and Passionate Minds to help people through their journeys.  

Nasra Aden (she/her) 

Nasra is organized, efficient, and incredibly strong academically. Nasra is resilient and excels when put under pressure, whether it be socially, financially or academically, she always makes the right decision despite being provided difficult circumstances. Nasra’s Community Engagement,  Social Justice, Philanthropy work and dedication to the mental wellbeing of others are all a testament to her leadership skills and selflessness.  

Nasra’s family of seven immigrated to Canada and has experienced financial hardships. Nasra began her first job at age 15, but all of her earnings went toward supporting her family both here in Canada and back home. This felt like a tremendous burden as Nasra wanted to save money for postsecondary education. Because of this disadvantage, she learned to take everything seriously and to put all of her efforts into her education in order to find tuition assistance, all while caring for her younger siblings and working almost every day of the week. She has recently been accepted to Ryerson University and is also awaiting acceptance to Carleton University. 

Nasra is a driving force behind Woodroffe High School’s “Black Voices group,” a student-led operation designed to remove barriers to success for marginalized youth in the school and community. Through her work with the “Black Voices Group,” not only has Nasra has helped hundreds of students at WHS achieve academically but also combat food insecurity. By simply being her authentic self, Nasra has inspired others to succeed. 

In the future I hope to leverage my University education to uplift my family and to continue contributing to my community

Arts and Culture

Sponsored by the Michaëlle-Jean Foundation

Jaden Croucher (she/they)

Jaden Croucher brings innovative ideas to her peers, participates in several productions all at once, and faces new challenges with confidence. During her time as the first high-schooler to ever participate in the Youth Infringement Festival play, Jaden showed tremendous growth in her art and her self-confidence.

She is most proud of surviving with borderline personality disorder, and credits theatre and her supportive mother for keeping her moving forward. Jaden hopes to eliminate all bounds or prejudice in the artistic industry, using her illness as a motivating factor in her acting. Despite her struggles, she is highly committed to coming up with new ideas and participated in Youth Infringement Festival’s dance and theatre piece called “Nuit.” She also was awarded a silver medal in the Canadian Improv Games.

She hopes to one day study theatre at Toronto Metropolitan University and become an actress or drama teacher. 

My goal in life is to be a voice for those who can’t speak, whether that be for animals, people with mental health issues or queer people like myself. I know I can make a change in this world through art. I know I can be who I needed when I was younger. I hope that one day everyone will get to see the beauty of art. Art should be something that knows no bounds, something without prejudice or borders of any sort.


Nick Gray (he/him)

A two-time Algonquin College graduate, Cappie Award winner Nick Gray has certificates in both performing arts and scriptwriting and is currently an undergraduate student of the University of Ottawa’s Interdisciplinary Arts program. He is a playwright and performer who constantly “breaks the rules” of what can be accomplished on stage, captivating audiences by subverting theatrical conventions with an auteur flare. He consistently showcases a diverse range of artistic collaborators and stories, striving to normalize diversity at all levels in the theater space. Visible, sexual, gender, and neurodiverse minorities of all shapes and sizes occupy the worlds of his plays, from page to stage. His most recent production “GOREgeous” was featured at the 2021 Fresh Meat Festival and showcased minority performers in roles we seldom see them play: flawed heroes, tragic antagonists, and characters altogether somewhere in between. 

Nick works with actors to determine what sorts of roles they haven’t played and what they’d like to play, giving them the opportunity to broaden their horizons and securing their enthusiastic dedication to being brave on stage. Nick is never afraid to tackle taboos and tends to gravitate toward dissecting them, interrogating what they have to say about us as a society.

He is a fervent promoter and supporter of the local arts community at large— not just when he is creating, but also when others are too. He is currently involved with a short film production and frequently takes to social media to spotlight his peers’ work and encourage people to see it by sharing promotional material and writing reviews.

As a Black actor, my prerogative with dipping my toes into the Ottawa theatre community has been to expand people’s ideas of the kinds of stories minority talent can be involved with telling.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Sponsored by RBC

Drayton Mulindabigwi Jabo  (he/him)

Drayton is a determined, consistent individual with a cheery spirit who dedicates his life projects to focusing on taking care of his community. He is a firm believer in the saying “the Youth is the future” and from this saying, was inspired to start a youth-led creative hub called “20today20tomorrow.”

At 21 years old today, he built a social enterprise from the ground up in one year and is leading multiple endeavours at once all around the same mission to prove youth can solve the problems they are facing in society. Drayton is backed by a wonderful team of creative and motivated youth ready to change the world for the better and sees a bright future ahead for his company. He believes that by using the power of creative ideas, positivity, and the right structure to funnel these ideas through, 20today20tomorrow will become the biggest youth-led creative hub in the world. Currently, his company is running two primary initiatives, with more to come. His “HealMind” initiative helps youth reach accessible mental health resources, is run in two different provinces in Canada, and has made headlines in news outlets such as Radio Canada, CTV, RogersTV, and ShifterMagazine. 

His “Inspire The Next live show” is an event designed to give youth artists, youth business owners, and youth community builders a platform to tell their stories. Drayton and his team believe this is about to become one of the most creative and hottest youth gathering events in summer 2022. With his hard work, Drayton can complete anything he puts his mind to, and doesn’t see anything as a failure but as a lesson.

Ava James-Sidoli (she/her) 

Ava dedicates countless hours of her free time finding unique ways to help her community. 

At only 5 years old, she started fundraising with family and friends going door to door annually collecting donations for the Ottawa Food Bank. Seeing the impact that the food banks make sparked her passion to help others, and holds a special place in her heart today. 

Ava uses her talents to bring awareness to a variety of causes. In 2020, she won the Myers Amazing Kids Award valued at $1,000. She used this money to create her OnlyTakesOne brand which included a clothing line and sold T-Shirts, sweaters, and hats, and uses the profits to donate to the Cancer society.

In 2021, Ava also started a Back to School Campaign where she raised money and back-to-school items for students. She was able to fill 200 backpacks and purchase new laptops for students in need at CHEO and the Boys and Girls Club. In 2021, the Ottawa Food Bank asked Ava to be their Youth Holiday Ambassador to help raise funds for the food bank for Christmas. Ava created a team of 20 kids who helped her raise funds and awareness for the campaign. Together they managed to raise over $25,000 which helped fill over 100 fridges for members of our community for the holidays. In total, Ava has raised over $50,000 for the Ottawa Food Bank, $2,500 for the Kanata Food Cupboard, $7,000 for Ovarian Cancer, $3,500 for the Canadian Cancer Society, $10,000 for Cheo and the Boys and Girls Club for back to school and $500 for Homeless Youth.

Her biggest challenge along the way was learning the process of fundraising, and how to bring awareness to her causes. She has pushed herself out of her comfort zone to speak on both social media and in interviews. She’s since learned that social media made the biggest impact on her causes. Through her many accomplishments, Ava has won the following awards: Myers Amazing Kids in 2020, AFP Youth Philanthropist 2021, Ottawa Food Bank 2021 Holiday Youth Ambassador and 2022 Faces Magazine New Initiative Award.

She is the perfect role model for young women!

Max Keeping for Personal Courage

Sponsored by the University of Ottawa

Mang Vum (He/him)

Mang grew up in a subsidized BIPOC-dominated neighbourhood, and creating a network of support for the underprivileged has become his main concern. He is soft-spoken, humble, hard-working, and determined. He exemplifies what it means to care for others and still care for himself. He works for Vibe.CD, a local business built upon supporting Black entrepreneurship. By attending meetings, partaking in photoshoots and setting up brand events he was able to raise over $15 000 for local BIPOC businesses. Throughout his life, Mang has faced issues such as poverty, racism, mental health, substance abuse, violence and gang activity. At a young age, he witnessed a shooting on his front lawn in a drive-by. Upon rushing down in an attempt to aid the victim, he realized it was a mutual friend. His single biggest challenge since then has been to suppress what he witnessed in an effort to keep a sense of normalcy at school. 

Mang’s goal is to attend undergraduate studies in architecture at Carleton University He plans to focus on spaces occupied by BIPOC to better integrate and accommodate them. As coloured people disproportionately reside in low-income housing he eventually wants to redesign this housing in a way that better serves the tenants. He also plans to reimagine prisons in a less brutal manner. By integrating various design features he believes we can subconsciously influence rehabilitation in prisoners.

Positive changes to this often ignored sector of architecture can help shape culture in these communities and aid the youth who grew up in the same conditions as me.

Zainab Al-Maliki (she/her) 

Zainab is a dedicated student who is not afraid of hard work and overcoming setbacks. Despite the many challenges that she has faced, her outlook on life remains optimistic and compassionate. She has a kindness and faith that is calming to others and she exemplifies dignity, humility and resilience. Zainab is destined to make a difference in the lives of others because of her capacity to care about others while remaining steadfast and strong when dealing with adversity. 

Zainab arrived in Canada 3 years ago with her younger brothers. Her mother was unable to be with them due to her declining health and remained in Kuwait. She began her studies in ESLAO – beginner English as a Second Language and adjusted to a new language and culture without the guidance and support of her mom. At 16, Zainab reached out for help due to an escalating abusive situation in her home.  Although she was connected with social work for support, there were few options for a young woman without resources. She also worried about her younger brothers who were also victims of the conflict in the home and she would not leave without them. She remained in this unsafe environment until she turned 18 and could leave with her brothers. Zainab’s courage has allowed them to access emergency housing and in addition to attending school full time, she is now fully responsible for her 2 brothers.  Her unwavering commitment and optimism has only enhanced the love and respect that they feel for her. 

Service and Caring

Sponsored by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation

Dalia Ibrahim (she/her)

Dalia is a dedicated and compassionate individual. She led a Relay for Life and coordinated an event that raised $103,000 for cancer research. Dalia also supports causes by providing financial aid through advocacy. She was the outreach coordinator for the Translational and Molecular Medicine student association. Dalia planned many events like a sports tournament fundraiser in support of True North Aid, an initiative where they distributed over 600-holiday cards to residents in retirement homes to spread holiday cheer and a Movember virtual walk. 

Dalia developed a passion for science and healthcare with a focus on cancer research. She has been working with a senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre to test the effectiveness of a particular drug for ovarian cancer. Dalia was able to present her research at the Inspiring Diversity in STEM conference, the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Research Day, and the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine Research Day.  Dalia is working to become a doctor with the goal of improving healthcare for minority populations.

Rhea Grace (she/her)

Rhea volunteers with Legacy Hope Foundation,  an Indigenous-led organization that seeks to advance Indigenous Reconciliation through education. She assisted the exhibitions department by doing research and writing tasks. Rhea wrote and submitted a project proposal to Canadian Heritage on behalf of a new exhibition on the National Day for Truth and reconciliation. She conducted hours of research on the origins of the official, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (beginning with Parliamentary deliberations), Orange Shirt Day, and the recent uncovering of unmarked graves at residential school sites. She was challenged with imposter syndrome as a young professional and was able to overcome her self-doubt. 

Rhea’s experience at LHF reinforced the importance of including Reconciliation in these types of policy discussions and beyond. Rhea intends to pursue a career in policy analysis, specifically in socio-economic policy development in Canada. She wants to focus on issues in gender equality, economic equity, and environmental health.

Strength Through Diversity

Sponsored by Pomerleau

Hafsa Hussein (she/her)

Hafsa Hussein is a dedicated volunteer who can build immediate rapport and engage her peers. Her goal is to serve as a compassionate leader while connecting people around her in fun and meaningful activities. Her greatest strength is her ability to interact and empathize with marginalized communities while remaining focused on the task at hand. Hafsa can serve as a mentor; she demonstrates confidence in her ability to make decisions regarding customization of programs and ensures that such programs are accessible where and when needed. 

The Covid-19 pandemic emerged as an existential threat to many community members in Ottawa. The disease disproportionately affected people of colour and Indigenous communities. As a United Nations Generation SDG Ambassador for Ottawa and Gatineau, Hafsa worked towards mitigating the effects of Covid-19 and preventing its re-occurrence. She set as part of her goals the facilitation of opportunities and avenues for Black community members to live through the pandemics as safely as possible. She made this possible through a direct outreach approach, knocking on doors to encourage senior citizens to get tested and making presentations in workshops run by nurses to communicate with seniors online. She additionally managed the delivery of essential information virtually to people with pre-existing conditions such as Diabetes Mellitus while effectively communicating with residents in specific hotspot areas. As a result of her work as SDG Ambassador in the community during the pandemics, Hafsa was selected as a lead speaker for the Annual United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC) symposium on April 2nd, 2022. 

Hafsa’s biggest challenge has been to overcome discrimination and bullying. She began to wear a hijab in secondary school at which time she noticed her close friends becoming cold and distant towards her, even stopping to invite her to their activities and rarely speaking to her. This taught her to cultivate the company of people who would inspire and encourage her in positive ways. To combat ignorance and prejudice, Hafsa co-founded the Black Excellence Club at Merivale High School. The club works to promote the strength that lies in diversity and showcase achievements of the Black community while providing a safe space for cordial and uplifting interactions, to freely express thoughts and be heard with compassion.

Rehani Akenga (he/him)

Rehani is a remarkable young man who has overcome adversity and used his passion for life to excel in all areas. Rehani left Congo for a refugee camp in Malawi in 2013 and arrived in Canada in 2021. Rehani is open and generous with others in discussing his culture and experiences. He is fluent in five languages and is working on finding summer employment to help support his family, all while excelling in the classroom. He inspires teachers and classmates with his curiosity and motivation. He seeks feedback regularly, and happily works with others who need help. 

Growing up in Africa, giving back to his community was important to him, and so he volunteered on different projects in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi. These activities included: orphans and street children support, prisoners assistance, community sanitation, church services and Covid-19 preventive awareness campaigns. After arriving in Saint-Jérôme (Québec), Rehani moved to Ottawa. While in Ottawa, his education was not easy due to food shortages and the high cost of living. He was not able to focus on education because finding a job for his family was of utmost importance. Even during all of these challenges, Rehani still finds time to give back to the community. He collected food and fundraised money to help prisoners in Maula Prison and participated in litter pick-ups within the community to minimize the spread of disease due to improper hygiene. In addition, he volunteers with the Knights of Columbus in kids coat fundraising and many more activities at St. Augustine’s Parish, Ottawa.

Rehani has worked extremely hard to ensure that he excels in school and develops skills for future employment. Rehani has overcome language barriers extremely effectively. He consistently delivers presentations and written work that is professional and concise. He is a leader in the class, volunteering ideas and engaging with others. The personal challenges he has faced, in Congo, Malawi, and Canada, are turned into fuel for Rehani. He channels his energy to consistently perform at his highest level. Rehani has incredible hope for the future. He is looking toward post-secondary education as a launching pad to fulfilling employment. He looks forward to helping support his family and to be able to work towards financial stability. He is constantly mindful of the needs of his family, both in Canada and in Africa.

Take a Stand

Sponsored by Carleton University

Youth4Youth Canada (group)

Taliah Lyons (she/her), Zara Lyons (she/her), Ayla Martin (she/her)

Founded and overseen by female Indigenous youth, Youth4Youth is the umbrella grassroots organization under which youth create and manage projects to improve the lives of youth in Canada through arts, culture and health education.  Group members are Taliah Lyons (Carleton University), Zara Lyons (Lycee Claudel), Ayla Martin (Carine Wilson Secondary School), and Sarina Lyons (Lycee Claudel).

Y4Y Canada felt inspired to act when they learned that Ottawa was experiencing an opioid crisis which was increasingly affecting youth. After receiving microgrants, they began their Talk Overdose project: a project which aims to reduce stigma toward people who use opioids. Through school presentations and workshops, they’ve reached approximately 500 youth in communities across Canada in their first year, despite only being able to work on the Talk Overdose project during school breaks. 

Due to the fact that Indigenous people have disproportionately been impacted by the opioid crisis, Y4Y Canada researched other ways to help and came to recognize the role of culture in healing intergenerational trauma. With the support of their Wasa Nabin Coordinator, Bethany Stewart at the Odawa Native Friendship Center (ONFC), they designed the Kisac project to promote connection to culture. Kisac has mobilized Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Facilitators, parents, and youth to come together to deliver their culturally relevant workshops. ONFC is known for its Wasa-Nabin cultural programming. The program is well-developed and it is a safe space where urban Indigenous youth aged 13-18 can be themselves. Youth participate in cultural activities, are taught to make healthy life choices, and have access to Elders for guidance.

For the upcoming 2022-23 school year, Youth4Youth is actively working to put their Outreach Brochure in the hands of school social workers and counselors to reach even more students. They are tremendously grateful for the help and guidance of community mentors such as their Wasa Nabin Coordinator Bethany Stewart, their former Wasa Nabin Coordinator Alexia Miron, and chocolatier Pierrette Vezina. The Outreach Brochure clearly demonstrates how their Talk Overdose project ties into Ontario provincial education curriculum, as well as to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #19. One of their future goals is to secure grants which will allow them to bring their project to remote Indigenous communities, especially those  with internet issues.

Putting opioid users in recovery in front of youth audiences for presentations and Q&A sessions has been our biggest struggle…. While not as dynamic or interactive as a live session, [videos] still allow youth to hear an honest and heartfelt story about another person’s journey through opioid addiction. We’re also striving to make them representative of the population, to properly show the extent of the problem, rather than enforce existing stereotypes.


Maleeka Ellaithy (she/her)

Maleeka is an extremely driven individual who is staunchly committed to her core values and beliefs, constantly inspiring those around her to do their part in changing the world. Growing up in a country where she saw huge socioeconomic disparities, Maleeka has dedicated herself to leveling the playing field for all minorities.

Over the last 18 years, she has founded two non-profit organizations, raised more than $5,000 for various causes, and inspired over 5.5 thousand people through her activities. Her YouthBeHeard initiative provides resources and mentoring for students who want to make a difference but don’t know how and where to start, a struggle she experienced herself years ago. Maleeka is also the co-founder and previous co-president of the Ottawa Women in STEM chapter, which bridges the female representation gap in STEM by organizing workshops and facilitating mentorship. She previously led 1,500+ members globally as the Regional Outreach Director for Canada. In addition to WiSTEM and YouthBeHeard, Maleeka is also an active community volunteer, first aid provider, mentor, and a volunteer tutor for charity.

Her award-winning prose and poetry has been published in over a dozen anthologies: an art form she uses to raise awareness about community issues and promote compassion.

From visiting orphanages to discussing global issues, my parents instilled in me empathy, love, and compassion. I wanted to change people's lives for the better and create a more empathetic world. Whether that was through feeding the poor or fundraising for medical care, I wanted to make someone's life a little easier.

What's next?

This year, the RBC Spirit of the Capital Awards will take place on October 26 at the Shenkman Arts Centre and will be open to the public to attend.

RSVP Coming Soon!

We would also like to give a big thank you to our media sponsors CBC Ottawa, event hosts the Shenkman Arts Centre and our sponsors this year:

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The New OYEC

So you want to know about the new OYEC...

Before she was the program coordinator of the Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee (OYEC), Alia Farhat was a coordinator at the Overbrook Community Association’s Planning and Development Committee. Alia first came into contact with Youth Ottawa through our Executive Director Jesse Card and Larry Ring, as they were working with youth on the RUN (Rise Up Now Centre) in Overbrook. With her long commitment to community involvement, Alia was invited to oversee the relaunch of OYEC.

The Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee is a for-youth-by-youth team responsible for guiding civic action within the city. Governmental leaders take these discussions into consideration when making decisions for the future of the city. It was first established as a Youth Summit when Mayor Jim Watson was first elected, partnering Youth Ottawa with the City of Ottawa. We are so grateful that the City continues to fund this project, allowing youth voices to be heard.

Our three core mandates:

  • Educating youth on municipal functions of government
  • Bringing youth voices to municipal decision making
  • Enabling sustainable youth engagement on issues that are important to young people

In the past, OYEC has worked with Ottawa Public Health to organize a city-wide youth sexual education & resource summit. They have also worked with Councillor Mathieu Fleury to secure accessible recreational activities and spaces for cultural practices for Indigenous youth. 

We are returning this team into action with the help of YouthNet, a mental health promotion and intervention organization. Youth have already started their work in pushing forward the proclamation for National Youth Week.

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“I think it’s important because I think everyone needs a helping hand in life and it’s much more easier when everyone kind of assists in that process, my community involvement is more specific to youth and I just think the next generation can learn from our mistakes and grow to have a better future”
Alia Farhat
OYEC Program Coordinator

There are two different roles that youth can apply for: Youth Leaders and Youth Network Members. Youth Leaders meet monthly to discuss various topics with community leaders and City officials. Applicants are selected for these positions, as there is limited space and a priority to ensure there is diverse representation within the group. On the other hand, spots are unlimited when applying to become a member of the OYEC Network, as OYEC is looking to involve thousands of Ottawa youth in this group. These members are put onto our newsletter to get other opportunities such as invitations to special events and invitations to contribute to specific subcommittees of OYEC. 

“[OYEC is] not necessarily like an overhead organization dictating the schedules and the action plans that the government wants,” Alia said. “We’re just providing a platform for youth to engage with one another and we are providing them with whatever resources they need to see their actions progress, or have their actions followed-through.”

Generally, OYEC is a one-year commitment but could be extended for two additional years. 

Those who are successful in their application may request that their work count towards their 40 required volunteer hours, and those who are accepted into a leadership position may apply to receive up to $100 a month.

Eligibility:

    • Youth between the ages of 15-24 
    • Current resident in the City of Ottawa 
    • Be enthusiastic, passionate and proactive about making a difference 
    • Be committed to attending meetings regularly (1-2 meetings per month) for a period of 1 year (possibility to extend) 
    • Be a good team player – have the ability to work within a team with fairness, integrity and respect for others 
    • *Be willing to actively participate in OYEC by bringing new ideas, providing constructive input and helping with fair decision-making 
    • Youth who complete the application survey and/or are recommended by a community organization as a youth representative who can meet the above criteria 
    • Be available for special events and advocate for YouthNet and Youth Ottawa as a community ambassador.

Alia said she is hoping youth will learn about municipal government processes and other ways to engage with the community to have their voices heard. 

 

“Current policies are quite outdated,” she said. “It’s just not as welcoming to certain populations, certain demographics, more specifically to youth even though it kind of affects them in their life.”

“There’s no way of creating action without taking the first step.”
- Alia Farhat

Interested in OYEC?

Take your first step and apply for either a leadership position or a youth network position today!

Apply here

To learn more about OYEC and our community guidelines, click here!

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Youth Week Recap

Code Red Project at Youth Action Showcase

Our First Youth Week

A Recap

In 2022, our Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee proposed the proclamation of National Youth Week to city council members. With the help of supporters like Rawlson King, it has been officially recognized in Ottawa, following the steps of several other cities like Toronto. 

This year, National Youth Week took place from May 2 to May 8. Here is an overview of all of the events that happened:

Monday, May 2 - 9-11AM: Youth Action Showcase

To start the week off, we showcased our past ACI projects, with several city councillor members in attendance. Some of the amazing projects done by students included city models, community gardens, and homeless shelters made out of shipping containers. 

Code Red Project at Youth Action Showcase
Community Garden Project

Monday, May 2 - 6-9PM : Live AMP Series @ SAW Gallery

The Artistic Mentorship Program (AMP) provides young artists with guidance and resources to navigate the creative industry. We provide musicians with stages and professional recordings, artists with places to showcase their work, and so much more. 

Youth Ottawa hosted its first AMP event at the National Art Centre in February 2020. The program was then put on hold throughout the pandemic, but it has finally made a return! 

Our first live AMP series event of the year, hosted by our Artistic Mentorship Coordinator, Angelo Leo, saw a great turnout Monday night at the SAW Gallery. At the front of the gallery stood go-karts created by Ottawa artist Matteo Bongarzone. Other artists lined the perimeter of the gallery, from psychedelic paintings to a fashion and volunteering brand called Allez. 

What’s a celebration without some music? Alongside our visual artists, young musicians took to the stage. All of their songs blessed our ears and raised our spirits after almost two years without live concerts! Each artist owned the stage in their own way with their personality.

Oddeline

First, the dreamy Oddeline performed several of her own original songs. Her voice was a blend of folksy and ethereal that first transported us to a different realm, then brought us back to Earth with her lyrics. Not only was her voice amazing, but her music is also bilingual: singing a song in Portuguese near the end of her set.

Wool Fearz

Wool Fearz, our next musician, was as much of a performer as he was a DJ. He describes himself as “fleecy and ferocious”: with techno hip-hop beats and dance moves that belong at an even larger stage. We loved his upbeat energy and use of lighting, and his natural and futuristic sounds that told a story!

Anthony Kubelka

The Beatles should watch out: Anthony Kubelka is an up-and-coming pianist we had the pleasure of hearing perform. Not only is he a musician, but he is also an educator, improviser, and composer with experience in funk, blues, big band, and a big focus on jazz.

Truly K

Next in our line-up—after a small technical issue—was an R&B artist called Truly K, who took the stage with her drummer. Her music was soothing and melodic, mentally taking audiences to a cool summer evening in the big city. She certainly made us reminisce about the past and the future with her lyrics, rewarding us with an encore of her song entitled “My Truth”!

T. Chandy

Finally, we had the pleasure of hearing Sri-Lankan-born rapper/producer, T. Chandy, perform. He is leaving his mark on hip hop and draws inspiration from artists like J. Cole, Childish Gambino, and OutKast. Afrosoul artist KAR33M joined his set with his narrative-style music. The energy was impeccable: what a way to close out the night!

We would also like to thank our partner company: Hot Shoe Productions for streaming the event for us. These youth got a professional recording of their performances, and they look awesome! Check out the lighting and sound quality for yourself! 

 

We are so thankful for Angelo Leo for working with us to provide all artists with the opportunities they need to become successful in a vast industry. We’re excited to have been able to bring it back with support from the SAW Gallery.  We hope to continue our live AMP series with an event every month, showcasing more young talent with even better outcomes. However, we can’t make this happen without the support of our community. If you are interested in supporting the future of these events through sponsorship or contributions please contact info@youthottawa.ca.

Check it out for yourself!

May 3-6th, every night: Infringefest at the Arts Court

Throughout the week, Youth Infringement put on a festival featuring Cailey Marwood, John Swayty, Brooke Shaw & Carter Hickey. We were honoured to support them and attend their events.

Friday, May 6: Mayor for a Day, City Hall

Samantha Benes and Dayna Xiao, two ninth-grade students from Merivale HS, were selected by Youth Ottawa and the City of Ottawa to spend the day with our mayor, Jim Watson. They got to have breakfast and lunch with the mayor, as well as handle interviews from the press and test out the LRT simulator. 

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The Mayor for a Day contest has been running since 2017 as a way to promote youth engagement in municipal politics and civic issues. The contest began as part of Youth Ottawa’s OYEC initiative, partnered with the City of Ottawa and Mayor Jim Watson’s office. As a whole, OYEC—also known as the Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee—aims to engage young people in conversations where they are so often left out. By having students chosen to spend a day with the mayor, they are able to have their voices and ideas heard to make Ottawa a better city. Though the program was put on hold for 2020-2021, we are grateful to have reintroduced the amazing contest this year. 

Samantha focused on urban sprawl in her application: pushing more sustainable transportation and housing to alleviate Ottawa’s dependence on carbon emissions from cars. 

Meanwhile, Dayna focused on spreading awareness about discrimination and connecting with the community through small-scale events. 

However, both agreed this opportunity was a great way to kick-start their political careers.

 “I mainly saw this opportunity as a way to connect more deeply with our community,” Dayna said. “As soon as I saw this opportunity come up on Instagram I immediately knew that I had to apply just because it was a great way to become more immersed in what was going on right now, especially in Ottawa just because I see less opportunities like this, so as soon as I saw it I immediately wanted to apply.”

They both said the day exceeded their expectations.

“Just being there with the mayor and so many council members and getting to see how the decisions are made in our city, that in of itself was super interesting and a great opportunity,” Samantha said.

“Having this diversity in our day: we got to see the art gallery, we got to go to the OC Transpo simulation, and I just got exposed to so many different aspects of our culture in Ottawa and I think that was really cool,” Dayna added.

We hope to continue giving our youth more chances like these to make a difference! If you’re a young person and would like to participate next year, here’s some advice from the two former Mayors for a Day!

Advice from the former Mayors for a Day:

“Just do it because your voice matters more than you think and your ideas can be really valuable so you should just share them, get them out there. Also, remember to listen: you can collaborate with people and when you’re young there’s just so many opportunities and you should just take advantage of them.”
Samantha BenesMayor for a Day
“I think it’s really important to speak your truth and just write what’s really important to you [on the application].. I think it really paid off, just hearing your voice and your opinions being heard is really important.”
Dayna XiaoMayor for a Day, 2022
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Saturday, May 7 - 9:30AM: OYEC Open House Tour

To close off Youth Week, we decided to highlight the group that made this all possible. Our Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee helped propel the proclamation of Youth Week in Ottawa forward and were thus invited to City Hall for an Open House Tour. A group of 12 youth and our staff had a candid conversation about community engagement with the mayor, and got a behind-the-scenes look at the government building!

See what people were saying

A bigger and better future

In the upcoming months, we will continue to host Live AMP Series events. Next year, we hope to showcase even more amazing and innovative projects at our Youth Action Showcase.

The events that happened this year are just the tip of the iceberg. We are hoping to make next year’s Youth Week even grander and hope you will join us! 

Are you a community organization focused on youth engagement and want to help out? Youth Ottawa is looking for partners to amplify next year’s lineup of events and we want you to be part of it! 

Become a partner today!
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The RUN Centre

The new Gil o Julien Fieldhouse scoreboard, funded by councillors Rawlson King and Tim Tierney

The "Rise Up Now" Project

Generational Transformation, One Step at a Time

We’ve all heard the words “baby steps.” Determined yet wobbly steps, taken by unsure feet are all that it takes to create full-scale change. This is what we’re all about here at Youth Ottawa. We believe that actions, no matter how small, could add up to large-scale transformations.

This story all began with a video and an Instagram message.

In 2020, The Ottawa Community Foundation awarded Youth Ottawa a one-time “Emergency Community Support Grant” so they could adapt their programs to a virtual delivery method. As a result, in the spring of 2021 and in the height of the third wave of COVID-19 with schools transiting to remote learning once again, Youth Ottawa released their new Community Challenge videos as part of their Active Citizen Initiative (ACI). In one of the videos, City Councillor Mathieu Fleury asked students to find new ways of offering free access for sport and recreational activities in the Overbrook, Vanier, and Lowertown neighbourhoods.

Coach Chris Lalonde, President of the North Gloucester Giants Community Football Club – a club which has used and maintained the Gil O Julien Fieldhouse for 40 years – had been working with local youth to revitalize other parts of the area, including the fence around the field. They had been in contact with Youth Ottawa through our ACI program, and had seen Mathieu Fleury’s community challenge.

When two OCSB students and teammates Eber Doyle and Josue Basubi heard of this challenge from their coach, an idea came to them. That lightbulb moment would allow them to accept and successfully accomplish the challenge.

Quickly, they messaged Youth Ottawa on Instagram to bring the idea to us. After pitching it to the newly appointed interim Executive Director, Jesse Card, they got the green light to begin their plan.

That summer, Youth Ottawa employed the pair of teammates and friends, and they would spend their time planning the centre and learning several lessons in marketing and entrepreneurship.

Josue said he never saw business as the right career path for him until he started working on this project, which matured both him and Eber into their business mindsets. 

“After the summer, it kind of opened my eyes. It kind of made me realize that I don’t want to be a mechanic, or just play football, I want to be bigger than that – help communities, I want to help people,” Josue said.

Just as fast as this opportunity materialized for Josue and Eber, a friend of theirs was taken away. On July 4th, 20-year-old Loris Tyson Ndongozi, was killed the Sunday night while playing pick-up basketball with a friend in a Lowertown park the week after the boys started their new positions with Youth Ottawa. That tragedy further reinforced the purpose they saw of creating what they had started to envision as The RUN Centre (Rise Up Now) at Gil O Julien Park. 

“We lost two other people [that summer] who were also a vital part of the community and I knew all of them, but when we lost Pancake [Loris], it was kind of like losing a brother to me. So from there on it kind of made me look at life really differently and changed my perspective of things,” Eber said. “Then I wanted to make a change, we all want to make a change, where we want to feel safe. And we genuinely feel like if we had that space before, none of this would have happened.”

Councillor Rawlson King, Josue Basubi & Youth Ottawa Executive Director Jesse Card stand outside the centre (from left to right)
Councillor Rawlson King, Josue Basubi & Youth Ottawa Executive Director Jesse Card stand outside the centre (from left to right)
Loris Tyson Ndongozi

The centre will provide community members with access to programming in sports, recreation, nutrition, and entrepreneurship, while giving an old City of Ottawa facility a second life. 

In a year of merging milestones, we have taken our first steps to completely transform a community in need of it. With the Overbrook community’s centennial anniversary, Youth Ottawa’s 25th anniversary, and this centre to be unveiled during the newly-proclaimed Youth Week in Ottawa, this is surely another milestone to keep in the books. 

Before becoming a city councillor, Rawlson King was president of the Overbrook Community Association. In 2019, he decided to run for City Councillor in the hopes of providing the community with more opportunities. 

For communities such as Overbrook where the rates of poverty are much higher than in other areas of the city, opportunities for structured recreation have been minimal. This lack of structure allows more crime to happen as they face more peer pressure between after-school hours and when their parents come home from work.

 

Gil O Julien Fieldhouse
The Gil O Julien Fieldhouse, before construction
The new Gil o Julien Fieldhouse scoreboard, funded by councillors Rawlson King and Tim Tierney
The new Gil o Julien Fieldhouse scoreboard, funded by councillors Rawlson King and Tim Tierney

King partnered with councillor Tim Tierney to fund the installation of a new scoreboard at Gil O Julien Field, demonstrating teamwork and supporting the boys in scheduling meetings with the city and getting them other resources. 

“Overbrook is turning 100 years old and it would be nice to ensure that we have this wonderful type of investment,” King said. “I see it as a first step in terms of providing [youth] new opportunities… so that they don’t have to get wrapped up in criminal lifestyles in order to support their way of life. A lot of that just comes down to opportunities.” 

The youth who benefit from our initiatives may also end up returning to give back to the communities from which they come, King mentioned. 

“I think the key is to be able to provide people access to those networks, so that they can either enhance their education, or their labour prospects as they move forward, and then be able to reinvest in the community, and not just in a monetary way,” King said.

This is just the beginning of all the large-scale community transformation that we could accomplish together. Facilities like these exist all over the city. 

As our steps become strides, there is hope to expand projects such as these into other communities.

“My main goal for the community is just to make sure that kids [who] feel like they have nowhere to go have a place to go and be safe. So obviously, that means, you know, possibly expanding to other communities in Ottawa, in Canada maybe, places like Toronto as well, but that’s speaking ahead, but that’s my goal for it,” Eber explained. 

“I’m really excited about that prospect of the potential expansion of the programming, but also ensuring that youth have something to do that’s productive, have that structured during critical hours, where they’re learning skills, I think that that’s, we need more of that,” King said.

As youth leaders, Youth Ottawa gives youth the ingredients to success. It is up to them how they want to use them. In giving students the opportunity to learn skills for themselves, they will have the tools necessary to apply what they learned, rather than repeating whatever it is they crammed into their short-term memory. In short, we aim to form teams with those we work with.

“Josue and Eber and the RUN Centre exemplify exactly what Youth Ottawa does for the City,” said Youth Ottawa’s now-permanent Executive Director, Jesse Card. “What makes us different from other youth organizations is that we don’t tell youth what the solutions and services are for them, but rather we engineer an environment for youth to develop the services and solutions for themselves – and then they also deliver them. The organization has always been small and agile with an entrepreneurial spirit and youth can relate to that”. 

While most of the fieldhouse main floor has been fully functional for youth to engage in fitness programming since last fall, we hope to begin renovations of the fieldhouse this summer after logistics are coordinated with the City.

Construction on the RUN Centre is set to begin in May 2022, starting with a new community kitchen in partnership with the Rockcliffe Rideau Community Resource Centre. It will proceed through to the next spring, adding a deck looking out onto Gil O Julien Field, some excavation and foundation work, some recreation and fitness areas, and a full renovation of the unfinished basement into a entrepreneurship hub.

A big thanks

Youth Ottawa will continue to support the community through the RUN Centre by offering access to its programming, providing employment opportunities and involving their networks of other community partners.

We are grateful for the outstanding support from Councillor King and the City of Ottawa in the progress of this project, especially as we have applied for grants from the city to assist with costs for both renovations and operations.  Councillor King has facilitated considerations around a long term lease of the Gil O Julien Fieldhouse, and is working with us and the community to make additional investments in the park to honour Overbrook’s centenary. We are happy to have made this announcement during National Youth Week.

The Community Challenge

Take a look at the video that inspired this project!

Mathieu Fleury – City Councillor for Rideau-Vanier Ward 

Civics Issue: Recreational Opportunities for Low-income Youth and Families

Community Challenge: What can we do so that every youth in our city that wants to participate in sports can do so in their neighbourhoods?

Next steps

Are you interested in helping us take the next step to generational transformation in the communities like Overbrook? Your donations go directly to our programs, helping amplify student visions for their communities!

Donate today!
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25 Years of Spirit: A Yearbook

25 Years of Spirit: A Yearbook

Our History

Though most of our early records were burned in a fire at the CHOJ station (now known as CTV), the stories of youth live on in personal memories of resiliency and courage. In order to recover some of our history, our communications team went on a journey of investigation: connecting with past members in any way we could. What follows is everything that has been reclaimed through our investigation and more recent documentation of the RBC Spirit of the Capital Awards.  

A Tribute to our Founder: Max Keeping

Our first “principal,” Max Keeping, was also our first cheerleader. Among many other organizations, he was dedicated to redefining what “community” meant. He was an honourary-chair at what was formerly known as Child and Youth Friendly Ottawa (now Youth Ottawa), but took a hands-on role within our organization.

Before passing away in 2015, he once said “I’ve got a lot of living to do.” We like to think he has kept his promise as his spirit lives on through our organization. It was his goal to give kids and youth a voice in decisions that mattered most to them: an ideal that carries on in every corner of our organization. 

In the early days, Max Keeping was instrumental in the promotion of CAYFO. He was an on-air reporter who would end each of his broadcasts with a small positive piece about kids for numerous years. 

“Every Friday, he’d finish the newscast with ‘make a difference in the life of a child.’ And everyone’s saying that now, but people weren’t saying that way back then,” explained David Millen, our founding Executive Director.

In the early years, there were a number of young people who had great ideas. One such person was Maya Shoucair: a young high school class president who had helped organize a few of our first Spirit Awards. She then came up with an idea and decided to approach us with it.

In 2004, Maya Shoucair and her friends pitched their new fair fundraiser idea to Max Keeping. They weren’t able to accomplish the idea, but she was grateful for the opportunity to pitch the idea to the team at the CTV station nonetheless. 

“It was really kind of him to sit and take the time to talk to us about the project,” said Maya. “So it was that spirit of openness, where even if it didn’t come to life – the pitch that we had had – it was knowing that people were open to listening to us and they gave us the experience to actually develop a project pitch.”
Maya Shoucair
Maya Shoucair

Without Max, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Without him, we wouldn’t have had the privilege of hearing youth voices for a quarter of a century. 

“It was through those efforts with Max that we were able to get off to a good start,” said David. “There was a lot of trial and error, and in those early years; we struggled primarily to secure funding. With Max, we gained profile, and thus we were able to find more funding opportunities.”

Now, one of our RBC Spirit of the Capital Award categories is called the Max Keeping award. It recognizes the young changemakers that have made a big impact in our community, or in their own lives. Year after year, these stories are powerful enough to bring tears to our eyes – whether it’s saving someone’s life or overcoming personal struggles, we are always thankful to hear the stories of strength and resilience of these youth.

One such youth was Jeff Ava Gonsalez, whose family had immigrated to Canada to escape violence. Two of his brothers had been killed, and he was unknowingly put in a class with someone who had killed his second brother. Despite his turmoil and anger, he knew nothing would come out of further violence. Fast forward a couple years, and he became a police officer and visited countless schools to tell his story to younger children.

Retired Programs

Tools 4 School & Skate 4 Kids

Tools 4 Schools was a program we ran for over a decade, allowing the community to raise money and realise the importance of community support in making a difference in youth and their families. Throughout 10 years, we provided youth with over 15,000 new and gently used skates who needed them to enjoy our favourite national past-time through our Skates 4 Kids program.

USAFE

Bullying is a major problem youth face in school. With USAFE, a youth-to-youth education program, we had educators go into schools to discuss these issues and create school environments a safer, more respectful place. By listening to other youth, kids were more also likely to engage with learning. 

Ottawa Youth for Change

With our Ottawa Youth for Change program, youth were encouraged to implement international projects into their own communities. We held annual conferences discussing pertinent, global issues and how to solve them locally. Most importantly of all, CAYFO started out as an organization who asked businesses how child and youth-friendly their buildings were. 

“What a radical thing to ask!” said David.

Children were invited to hospitals, schools, and hotels to evaluate the safety measures for kids. Since then, we have continued to provide educational programming. We continue to teach digital literacy, community civic engagement, and professional skills to youth all over Ottawa. Our Youth Active Media (YAM) program, Active Citizen Initiative (ACI) program, and Artistic Mentorship Program (AMP) are all those that continue to make an impact in the lives of young Ottawans. Moreover, when we were known as CAYFO, we focused on the accomplishments of those under the age of 18. Since then, we have moved on to include those in university and college as well.  

Our First Spirit Awards

For 25 years, we have not only been providing resources for Ottawa youth, but we have also been recognizing their efforts and accomplishments. Whether it was for perseverance, courage, strength through diversity, or many others, the inspirational quality of youth has always been recognized.  

They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was Youth Ottawa’s biggest youth event of the year! The first Spirit awards needed some perseverance and actually took two attempts to accomplish due to a lack of funding and volunteers. Now, the spirit awards are held annually, whether online or in person, as one of our biggest events of the year.

In 1997, we hosted our first RBC Spirit of the Capital Award ceremony at the Westin hotel. For many youth, it was the first time they got the chance to attend a formal, sit-down gala, let alone one that recognized their accomplishments. 

Medin Admasu was one of our Master of Ceremonies that year. He described rocks with motivational messages placed at each table, powerful stories, and a wide range of youth who excelled in their own categories: from academics to athletics. 

“There was nothing like it for young people – nothing of that calibre and nothing that recognized youth in that way. We were very young to be involved in that much detail of such a big program, big event, but it was a great opportunity to learn and experience what it’s like to manage a big event like that, to deal with sponsorships, to do promotions and nominations for the awards."
Medin Admasu
Medin Admasu

From the beginning, we have also been allowing youth to gain skills behind-the-scenes. Youth like Medin and Maya were instrumental in understanding what was needed for these events.

“[Youth Ottawa was] not just providing for the youth, but also looking at what the youth could do” – Joe Veryard, a past Chair of the Board of Directors at Youth Ottawa.

On Feb. 2, 1998, the awards were held as a formal dinner at the National Museum of Aviation and tickets were priced at $15 for youth under the age of 18 and $25 for adults. For the first few years, the awards only had six categories for youth in between the ages of 11-19. Take a look at some of the original category descriptions!

The next year, we would host our Spirit Awards at the Congress Centre as a dinner event, with the private sector as a sponsor.

Take a look at the script of one of the speeches from lieutenant Governor of Ontario Hilary Weston that night, pictures courtesy of Chantilly Iafrati!

Chantilly had also been an involved youth organizer for the first few Spirit awards in 1998 and 1999. Back then, she was an incredibly driven high school student who was heavily engaged with the community and was awarded with a small trophy outside of the awards by CAYFO staff.

 

“Overall it was great to go and at the time, we really felt that this was supposed to be organized for us by us,” she said. “That’s what impacted me the most and I think that I took on for years to come.”

Now, she works for the federal government and is a mother of two. She said she hopes her kids will be involved with Youth Ottawa in similar ways as she was. 

“Now that I’m older and I also recognize as a mom, with this other layer of responsibility that I didn’t have that I had back then, I’d love for them to understand that at that age we’re just capable of so much,” Chantilly said.

Heroes of the Round Table

CAYFO/Youth Ottawa started off by providing youth with the resources they needed to accomplish their goals. Soon enough, we would shift our priorities to also include listening to the youth our decisions affected most. We have since evolved, but this principle remains the same. In the beginning, our founders noticed that only adults were the ones making decisions for kids.

“All of these well-intentioned adults would sit around and make decisions about governance in the child welfare system and the kids were nowhere to be seen.” – David Millen

While no one wanted to listen to these voices, CAYFO worked hard to create a foundation for change. At the Royal Ottawa Hospital, a round table was formed to promote the need for action in schools and school safety. The tables represented equality, regardless of age or status, where everyone had a say in decision-making – the first time for youth.

The very first board of directors were incredibly influential, including the chief of police, local city counsellors, as well as up to four youth. Before us, this was unheard of. Those four youth went on to do extremely well in the world of politics and business.

“It was refreshing to spend a lot of time with kids who were in those days quite surprised that anybody would want to listen to them, pay attention to them, other than their school teachers and their own parents,” expressed David. Since that moment, round tables were the birthplace of our beliefs: where everyone’s voice is heard, regardless of who they were.

The Spirit Awards through the Decades

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The Spirit of the Capital Awards were once a formal sit-down gala, but eventually evolved into a stand-up friendly event after listening to some of the suggestions from youth themselves. 

We take pride in having put the needs and voices of young people first throughout all these years. As Medin once said: “nothing about us without us.” To this day, we believe that youth should be able to tell us what they need from us. “Whenever you’re talking about something, those that are most impacted should be involved in whatever capacity – they need a say in it, if not, should be leading it” – Medin Admasu

As such, we have been able to adapt to suit the needs of youth throughout the decades. Starting out as an organisation that focused on making sure that public spaces were safe for children, working on children’s rights, to now focusing on amplifying youth voices and youth talent. 

The criteria for the RBC Spirit of the Capital Awards have changed numerous times throughout the years, with a recognition that some of the first categories overlapped quite a bit.

The Spirit of the Capital Awards also used to only name one recipient – but how do you choose just one? There were so many heartwarming and inspiring stories: we had to change it to two recipients. This was especially true for the courage award, now called the Max Keeping award, where the runners-up would have amazing stories, despite not being the recipients.

We also incorporated tables for families so they could celebrate their children’s accomplishments.  In a world where youth were seen as delinquents and troublesome, we proved everyone wrong with our Spirit Awards. 

“It gives people the opportunity to look at youth in a positive light and all these good news stories that don’t always make it to the headlines” – Joe Veryard 

Thank you to all those who allowed us to learn about some of our own history. 

More about our Impact: Profiles

Maya Shoucair

Maya Shoucair’s younger sisters were astounded that people actually worked at TikTok, let alone their older sister. Maya was hired to lead public policy partnerships for Canada. Now, she’s leading social impact strategy across the Americas. But before all of this exciting development, she was a youth in Ottawa. In 2004, she attended her first sit-down gala: the RBC Spirit of the Capital Awards. As a student council president, she found out about Youth Ottawa through school, and helped volunteer at the awards. She credits all of the youth programs that give young people access to resources and leadership opportunities to her success, including Youth Ottawa. 

“I grew up in Sandalwood, a highly underserved neighbourhood in Ottawa’s south east. I credit a lot of my success to having access to youth leadership programs like Hillcrest’s student council or Youth Ottawa which provided skills based training, mentorship, and networking opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise had access to,” said Maya.

Medin Admasu

Medin Admasu was one of the MC’s at our very first RBC Spirit of the Capital Awards, and chaired the organising committee for our fourth awards. It was his first time organizing a large local award ceremony, but set him up to where he is today: having organized multiple large events for the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, where he is now the Chief Programs Officer. He continues to work with youth and give them new opportunities, and credits the opportunity to test out his skills at organizations like Youth Ottawa as a teenager to his success. 

“[Organizations like Youth Ottawa] gave me a chance to test out my skills, develop new skills, meet different people that I would never meet just doing regular teenage things at the time.” – Medin Admasu

A plethora of other youth who came into contact with us over the years have gone on to become extremely successful: from fashion entrepreneurs to lawyers.

The Future of Youth Ottawa "high"

Youth Ottawa has some exciting things planned for our 25th anniversary and beyond. This year, we are hoping to return to the National Arts Centre in person; with a red-carpet arrival, a photobooth, finger-friendly foods, VIP seating, and so much more. We look forward to seeing all of the young changemakers who will continue to have amazing opportunities. 

Nominations are now open for the 2022 RBC Spirit of the Capital Youth Awards and we’re looking for exceptional young people to honour! We’ll be recognizing 14 youth in 7 different categories. Youth will be awarded a $1,000 bursary, recognition through CBC Ottawa platforms and an opportunity to celebrate with us at the gala in October. If you know a young person who is helping to make your community a better place, we want to hear from you!

More information on the award categories and requirements can be found here.

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Mayor for a Day Contest

Mayor for a Day Contest

Applications now accepted!

Mayor Jim Watson, the City of Ottawa and Youth Ottawa’s Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee (OYEC) are proud to host the Annual Mayor for a Day Contest!

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic impact on community programming, The Mayor for a Day contest was put on hold in 2020 and 2021. Organizers have been working hard to put on the contest in 2022 and we are excited to officially launch the contest today! 

What is the Mayor for a Day Contest?

The Mayor for a Day contest is a unique and exciting opportunity to engage local youth from around the city on municipal politics and civic issues. Ottawa high school students in grades 9 to 12 are invited to apply by outlining their vision for Ottawa over the next 50 years, for their chance to experience a day with Mayor Jim Watson!

The Mayor for a Day contest is organized by the Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee (OYEC) in partnership with the City of Ottawa and Mayor Jim Watson’s office, as a way to promote youth engagement on municipal politics and civic issues.

Submitted ideas from all participants will help inform the Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee’s Youth Action Plan (YAP), as part of OYEC’s current citywide youth consultations.

How do I apply?

Students are invited to apply by filling out the application below. The deadline to submit is April 28th, 2022 and contest winners will be contacted shortly after. The two winners will be shadowing the Mayor throughout the day on May 5th from 8am-2pm. 

English Application: Mayor for the Day Contest
French Application: Mayor for the Day Contest

Pictures from the 2019 winners & the 2019 OYEC committee

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Re-Engaging Young Artists: Artistic Mentorship Program

Artistic Mentorship Program

Re-engaging young artists

When the pandemic started, many of us turned to music, picked up new artistic hobbies, and were comforted by creatives. When all seemed lost, we turned to the arts. 

Storytelling comes naturally to us: whether visually, emotionally, or verbally. By mastering the art of telling stories, we become effective communicators in every other aspect of our lives, practice our creative muscles, and improve our mental health. No matter your way of thinking, creativity can often help you think of new approaches to problem-solving. 

Even philosopher Richard Taylor based his premise of the meaning of life on exercising your own creativity to serve a greater purpose.

“What redeems humanity is not its kings, military generals and builders of personal wealth, however much these may be celebrated and envied. It is instead the painters, composers, poets, and philosophers, writers – all who, by their creative power alone, bring about things of great value, things which, but for them, would never have existed at all.”   – “The Meaning of Life” by Richard Taylor in Philosophy Now 

Without artists, we would have no stories, no myths, no religion, and perhaps no real sense of humanity. The arts are intrinsically intertwined with society, just as much mathematics and science is. It is for this reason that we are happy to announce that we are bringing back our Artistic Mentorship Program with a few minor changes to cater to our current situation in the pandemic. 

Last October, we invited talented musicians to perform at the 2021 Spirit of the Capital Awards. For the first time since the pandemic started, a new artistic vision arose. 

 

Angelo Leo, one of the performers, has since joined our team to bring back our AMP program.

Only starting music at the age of 17, he was thrust into the music industry in a short period of time, forced to learn rather quickly. With the help of mentors, he was expected to go on tour in March or April of 2020: plans that were squashed by the pandemic. Recognizing that many other artists’ plans were cancelled by the pandemic, the new AMP program aims to reintroduce artists with the opportunity to gain interpersonal connections, entrepreneurial skills, and develop artistic skills. 

The AMP program was once intended to provide youth with the tools and guidance to pursue their artistic interests, primarily focusing on performing arts.  Past events included art exhibits, musical performances at BluesFest, Art Battles, and even an Open Mic Night in partnership with the National Art Centre.

Now, Angelo’s goal is to include all forms of art, including music, visual arts, and much more. Angelo said that art can be found everywhere, and a certain level of creativity is needed no matter what you do. 

“You don’t have to be an artist now to be an artist later, because, at the end of the day, everyone has some form of artistic ability, regardless of whether they think they do or not,” said Angelo.

The program was put on pause during the pandemic, and we are now finding ways to navigate performances through restrictions. The new AMP program is still in its early stages, soon to kick off open-mic performances that will be recorded and promoted on our social media, as well as a community-based series called “Talk to Us.” In this series, young elementary school kids will get the opportunity to ask young artists questions about their work. Angelo also hopes to implement a second interview-based series in a podcast form, aimed more at young adults. 

Continuing with the same thread, we are now beginning to amplify some of the work future youth will accomplish. According to Angelo, each session will amplify the work of at least 20-50 young artists.

What happens when a Youth Signs Up?

Registering to sign up will lead to many opportunities, including promotion, lessons in creative entrepreneurship, and the chance to pursue a passion. 

Those who wish to participate are asked to register using the form below. From there, artists will either be able to participate in one of our monthly open-mic performances, or in the “Talk to Us” series. 

But it doesn’t stop there: when a youth signs up, they are also signing up for our continued support. Everyone who comes into contact with AMP will have further opportunities to kick start their creative ventures. 

Register for AMP