Youth Voices, Civic Choices: Explore the Impactful Initiatives of the Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee

Youth Voices, Civic Choices

Explore the Impactful Initiatives of the Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee

The Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee (OYEC) is a dynamic group of passionate young individuals and community leaders who have joined hands with the City of Ottawa to effect positive change for the youth population. Their efforts are dedicated to shaping official decisions and enhancing outreach initiatives that will make Ottawa an even better place for youth. OYEC has recently introduced some new initiatives, we’ve highlighted them below!

The Middle Ground Project: A Seat at the Table

Central to OYEC’s mission is the Middle Ground Project, a platform designed to amplify the voices of young individuals on issues they are deeply passionate about. The project serves as a roundtable discussion, bringing together youth, individuals directly impacted by the topic under consideration, and individuals with diverse knowledge relevant to the subject. In OYEC’s first ever roundtable, the committee delved into the pressing issue of food insecurity and featured thought-provoking dialogue from guests Fatimah Karim and Mathilde Doucet, who brought their unique insights to the discussion. Additionally, OYEC representative Rehani contributed the committee’s perspective.

Consultations with the City of Ottawa: Collaborative Decision-Making

In addition to the middle ground project roundtable discussions, the committee has actively conducted consultation sessions with various branches of the City of Ottawa, facilitating a direct line of communication between youth and decision-makers. Notable consultations have been carried out with the Anti-Racism, Women & Gender Equity Branch, and the Climate Change Branch.

During these consultations, key figures like Pei-Ju Wang involved with the city’s Anti-Racism strategy and Sharzad Gharabaghi & Emma Langham from the Climate Crisis department have shared valuable insights. Pei-Ju Wang highlighted the city’s Anti-racism strategy plan, while Gharabaghi and Langham led discussions on the climate resilience strategy plan. These consultations serve as a bridge, fostering understanding and collaboration between youth and city departments, resulting in informed decision-making that better addresses the concerns of young residents.

Sub-Committees in Action: Addressing Crucial Issues

OYEC’s sub-committees are tirelessly working on initiatives that directly impact the youth of Ottawa:

The Mental Health Subcommittee is partnering with United Way and Ottawa Public Health to organize a crucial conversation on “Youth Mental Health, Substance Abuse & Addiction.” Their initiatives include listening tables, focus groups, and engagement with organizations like the Rural Mental Health Collective and YNRA YAC.
The Human Rights Subcommittee collaborates on the Middle Ground Media Project alongside other sub-committees.
The Climate Crisis Subcommittee focuses on information dissemination through social media, the green roof project, and continued city consultations.
The Affordability Subcommittee is closely involved in the Middle Ground Project, highlighting youth perspectives on affordability challenges.

Building Momentum: OYEC Recruitment is Active

The Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee stands for youth-driven change in the heart of the city. OYEC welcomes young change makers to participate in initiatives like the Middle Ground Project, and to get involved in direct consultations with city departments. OYEC empowers young voices, enhances collaboration, and shapes policies that resonate with the needs and aspirations of Ottawa’s youth. As projects continue to make an impact, the committee exemplifies the importance of active youth engagement in building a better, more inclusive future. This year’s OYEC committee gathered to chat about why they joined and what initiatives they would like to tackle. If you are interested in learning more about OYEC or become involved as a member, you can learn more here.

June 30, 2023June 30, 2023

Meet the 2023 Summer Amplified Cohort

Meet the 2023 Summer Amplified Cohort!

At Youth Ottawa, we firmly believe in the power of youth to shape the present and the future. Their innovative ideas have the potential to ignite positive change, not only in their own lives but also within their communities. Each year, we provide support to young entrepreneurs, helping them take their businesses to new heights. Through our Summer Amplified Fellowship, we empower these fellows to transform their social innovation frameworks into sustainable social enterprises.

We’re excited to introduce you to Ben and Sallysha, two inspiring fellows from our 2023 cohort and to shed light on their remarkable projects. Both fellows exemplify the incredible potential of youth in entrepreneurship. With their projects focused on co-designing public spaces and amplifying young changemakers, they demonstrate a commitment to community engagement, sustainability, and making a meaningful impact.

Ben Wright

"Welcome: Co-designing Public Spaces"

Ben’s activation project, called “Welcome,” focuses on co-designing public spaces. His goal is to engage civically-minded youth groups in Ward 13, providing them with facilitation and design tools to create their own spaces. Unlike traditional approaches, Ben’s project empowers community members to design and prototype their ideal spaces. By incorporating human-centered and community-driven design principles, he ensures that the final outcomes truly reflect the community’s desires and effectively meet their needs. The project’s results will be digitally published, allowing others to engage with and apply them in their own communities. Ben is passionate about amplifying the voices of youth in civic conversations, and through the Youth Ottawa Amplified Fellowship, he aims to make a sustainable and lasting social impact.

Sallysha Vital

"The People of Tomorrow (TPOT)"

Sallysha’s project, “The People of Tomorrow (TPOT),” is a creative platform that highlights and encourages the efforts of young changemakers in various fields, including education, social justice, art, science, and innovation. TPOT aims to amplify the voices of young individuals who are making positive impacts in their communities. In this summer fellowship, Sallysha seeks to enhance her leadership skills, inspiring the community through innovative and creative means. She aspires to deepen her understanding of making a significant impact on people and social issues, while also fostering connections with peers, experts, and mentors within Youth Ottawa. By leveraging these abilities, Sallysha envisions a brighter future for TPOT and the communities it serves.

What's next?

If you would like to support our Summer Amplified Fellowship and continue seeing the amazing work of youth like Ben and Sallysha, please consider donating today! Your donations go directly towards our operations at Youth Ottawa, including businesses such as these.

June 2, 2023June 2, 2023

Amplifying Youth Potential in Entrepreneurship

At Youth Ottawa, we believe that youth are not only our future but our current reality. Their innovative ideas not only have the power to spark change within their own lives but also have the power to make our communities stronger.

Youth often are most observant of the social issues that require solving in our communities. That is why their ideas are revolutionary.

That is also why we have been running the Summer Amplified Fellowship since 2019. The program amplifies the entrepreneurial ideas of youth through a three-step process: business development training, mentorship, and networking.

Every year, we support young entrepreneurs to boost their businesses to the next level. By hiring them to work for themselves throughout the summer, fellows can transform their social innovation frameworks into long-term and sustainable social enterprises.

After a brief pause in the fellowship due to the pandemic, we welcomed Drayton and Nathan as our summer amplified fellows in 2022. Now is a great chance to meet them and see what they’ve been up to since!

The 2022 Summer Amplified Fellowship cohort

Drayton Mulindabigwi Jabo

20today20tomorrow

Drayton’s business, 20today20tomorrow, envisions a vibrant community of youth who are active in their communities. By bringing together a group of young innovators, 20today20tomorrow works to identify and address social issues with creative solutions. For example, their Inspire the Next initiative provides youth with a platform to share their experiences and ideas through a podcast and a live show format. Today, the organization is working on continuing its Inspire the Next shows. Who knows what will come tomorrow?

Nathan Monpremier

HopeisFamous

HopeIsFamous is a clothing brand that empowers young athletes. Using high-quality materials and a durable design, HopeIsFamous ensures athletes feel and perform at their best. Nathan and his team have recently expanded their clothing line into the world of customizable sportswear for local sports teams and other organizations and have continued their work in community outreach to promote healthy lifestyles.

What's next?

Interested in becoming a summer amplified fellow? Applications will open on June 5 at 9 a.m. and will close on June 16 at noon.

November 15, 2022February 1, 2023

Home is Where Love Grows

Two students work on their laptop together at a desk

Let's Spread the Love this Giving Tuesday

Once upon a time...

We challenged grade 10 students from St. Francis Xavier High School to use their voice to address a social issue in one of our Active Citizenship Initiative programs last year.

The class created a list of issues they wanted to address, and four of the students–Ella, Noah, Raya and Federica–chose domestic abuse as their issue.

“We would ask our teacher if it was in the curriculum at all, or if teachers were taught how to deal with it when they learned to become a teacher and we just found it was something that just wasn’t talked about enough and that we could make a change there.”

At first, the group said they struggled with finding the right medium for their message. After floating around a few ideas, they finally landed on their children’s book idea, which Frederica’s little sister would illustrate.

The book, Home is Where Love Grows, follows the story of two friends, Max and Quincy. The friends live in a world where everyone has flowers growing out of the top of their heads, and all is well until Quincy notices Max’s plant wilting more and more each morning. It becomes Quincy’s mission to help make Max feel better. The plot explores the hidden signs of abuse and teaches youth how to help their friends if they notice these signs.

“I think just because something is difficult, or it’s complicated, it shouldn’t be something that doesn’t get told,” their teacher, Heather Bilder said. “We need to find age-appropriate ways that students can engage with it. This group of students were really thoughtful in the imagery they pulled from their knowledge of metaphor to really go beyond just that surface level… and they looked for meaningful ways that their readers could support a friend.”

In the span of two months, their school project blossomed into a social justice initiative, now being published with the help of Youth Ottawa.

In our ACI programs, classes go through a three-step process:

1. Our facilitators introduce youth to civic issues, allowing them to choose their focus

2. Students create an “Action Plan” to guide their next steps in tackling the issue, using civic “tactics” such as lobbying, surveying, and petitioning

3. Students execute their action plans, learning while making a positive difference in their communities

In 2021, we introduced ACI students to several call-to-action videos from city councillors, allowing them to choose issues that aren’t addressed enough. Bilder’s class took these challenges on and narrowed their focus to six topics, including domestic abuse. The program was combined with a careers class, allowing them to focus on resume-making to “apply” for positions in their groups. Upon choosing their teams, they began to work on steps two and three.

Chapter 2: From School Project to Real Project

In May, the group of students showcased their work at our Youth Action Showcase, which kicked off Ottawa’s first official Youth Week. The Youth Action Showcase was launched by Youth Ottawa in an effort to bring student projects in front of key decision-makers and thought leaders.

“You work on a project for a month and you don’t really get much feedback, but we went to City Hall and the amount of positive feedback and the amount of people that went home and said ‘I really love your story,’ just really motivated our group and made us want to keep on doing this,” Noah said.

Since then, we have met with them bi-weekly from June through August in the hopes of bringing their book into Ottawa libraries in schools, while chatting with them about their goals for the project.

Heather Bilder said she was impressed with their lack of hesitancy in communicating such an important topic, even working on the book throughout the summer.

“I think a lot of people can be critical of younger generations, and I think watching them take on this complicated topic and problem solve and work in collaboration is like, we’re in good hands,” she said.

Over the summer, they worked on creating an acknowledgement page, and it goes as follows*:

*Please note that this is a preview, and the full page can be found in their book.

Take a look at their pitch presentation here!

Chapter 3 - What’s Next?

The team is also seeking support from programs like Market13 that can help them create a free eCommerce website to sell their book online.

“Our goal is to get it in as many kids’ hands as possible, just so that they can really read it and understand what the message is,” Federica said.

Along the way, we are working with the students to refine their presentation pitch and teaching the group of youth about accessing the right grants and looking for other funding opportunities, all with the goal of both their personal and professional growth.

The End…or is it?

This is normally where you’d read “The End” in a story, but these students are nowhere near finished! Their story is just beginning, and they will need your help to turn the next page. Our Giving Tuesday campaign started on Nov. 29 and is now closed. We were able to raise over $4,500 to deliver books to several Ottawa schools and continue funding our ACI program!

As a thank you for each donation, we are sending packs of seeds to donors. These seeds are a symbol of support highlighted throughout the book, and we can’t wait to see what they grow.