DOCUMENT 1
Commission De la Jeunesse D’Ottawa Youth
Commission Final Report 2007-2008 Bringing Youth In
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TABLE
OF CONTENTS |
|
Executive
Summary Purpose of the Report Summary of Recommendations Targeted to City
Council Next Steps For CJOYC |
|
About
CJOYC |
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CJOYC
In Review |
|
CJOYC
At Work 2007-08 Outcome and Indicators of Success |
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CJOYC
2008 Survey Results Transportation Negative Image of Youth Alcohol and Substance Abuse Awareness and Communication with the Community Recreation Media Awareness
Crime and Safety Environment Other Issues Key
Issue Recommendations Conclusions CJOYC Outreach |
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT
This report is intended to be used as:
1. As an
annual report to Community Protective Services Committee regarding outcomes associated with Ottawa Youth
Commission
2. To
highlight important youth issues and seek CPSC support for recommendations
It is the hope that the report encourages continuing
connection to young people in order to support the youth voice at a municipal
level.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS TARGETED TO CITY COUNCIL
A. CJOYC
requests CPS Committee endorse the following recommendations:
·
That the City of Ottawa use the information
contained in the report when creating city priorities and undertaking strategic
planning;
·
That the CPSC endorse CJOYC as youth consultation
specialists and appeal to them to seek youth input when creating city
priorities;
·
Encourage City Councillors to meet with members of
CJOYC to hear about youth issues in their wards and explore potential
partnerships to seek solutions; and
·
That the CPSC recognize the value of youth
participation in city building by actively seeking to engage youth in public
policy dialogue. (For example referring to the expertise of CJOYC in seeking
youth input into directives such as the Transportation Master Plan and the
Recreation Master Plan.)
B. CJOYC
requests CPSC receive the following recommendations and forward the
recommendations to relevant branches within the City:
1. Transportation
Recommendations
For City Council:
·
Extend
the time that transfers are valid.
·
Increase
bus services beyond the transit way.
·
Provide
more locations for photo ID.
·
Pursue
environment-friendly initiatives such as more Park’n Rides, bus lanes, LRT.
·
Seek
specific youth input through CJOYC into future consultations regarding
Transportation.
·
Provide
regular forums for CJOYC to meet with OC Transpo managers and / or the Transit
Committee.
2. Substance Abuse
Recommendations
For City Council:
·
Increase
opportunities, accessibility and affordability for youth to be involved in
pro-social leisure / recreation / arts / culture
3. Awareness and
Communication Recommendations
For City Council:
·
Establish
mutual engagement and formal mechanisms between the CJOYC and Councillors
so that Councillors can better represent their youth constituents, and to
promote and legitimize the youth voice. Examples include:
o
Invite
CJOYC youth to sit on committees or hold focus groups to solicit opinions –
encourage young people to get involved;
o
Establish
formal, ongoing mechanisms for youth to have a voice – on committees of council
and through Advisory Committees; and
o
City
Councillors endorse and participate in CJOYC activities.
·
Encourage
sponsorship and promotion of youth-focused events like sports, Battle of the
Bands, visual and performing arts, etc.
4. Crime and
Safety Recommendations
For City Council:
·
Improve
lighting in suburban and rural areas around transit stops and stations
·
Invest
in crime prevention programs
·
Invest
in life skills programs, mentoring programs and after-school programs
·
Create
and fund more youth-engagement activities; and make public transportation to
these events more efficient and economical
5. Recreation
Recommendations
For City Council:
·
Involve
CJOYC in needs assessments regarding recreation / leisure
·
Involve
CJOYC in consultations on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan
·
Publicize
recreation / leisure activities where youth are: in schools, on Facebook,
websites, school newsletters, drop-in centers
6.
Environmentalism Recommendations
For City Council:
·
More
recycling bins around the city, especially at transit stops
·
Institute
the green bin program as soon as possible
·
Education
regarding recycling – especially regarding electronics; get media involved in
promoting e-waste days throughout the year
·
Explore
by-laws to reduce the use of plastic bags and disposable cups
·
Encourage
car-pooling
·
Curtail
development of the City’s green space
NEXT STEPS FOR THE OTTAWA YOUTH COMMISSION
The Ottawa Youth Commission will:
1. Circulate
this report to key agencies, relevant community organizations focused on youth
issues and schools;
2. Advocate to raise awareness for
youth programs and initiatives in the school system;
3. Follow-up with individual City
Councillors; and
4.
Run
a youth media campaign set on promoting positive images, recognizing positive contributions of young people.
ABOUT CJOYC
CJOYC serves as a connector between young people of
the capital, and Ottawa City Council. Acting as a link, CJOYC makes sure that
the opinions, concerns and suggestions of youth are heard on a variety of
issues that affect their daily lives.
The Commission solicits the opinions and suggestions
of young people with regards to making Ottawa a better place for youth through
surveys, focus groups, workshops, and conferences. We engage youth to better understand their role in the community
and to ensure they are aware that they have a voice in decisions that affect
their lives.
The Commission is a group of young people from
different schools, communities and neighbourhoods trying to make a difference
in the lives of young people across the city.
Our
Supporters: Child and Youth Friendly Ottawa
Child & Youth Friendly Ottawa believes in a
community that is responsive to the needs of children and youth in the National
Capital Region. CAYFO promotes the voice of youth and their visibility in the
community, encourages their engagement and celebrates their achievements.
CAYFO encourages youth to be actively involved in
the community to reach their full potential as a caring and contributing
citizen. CAYFO believes youth can make a difference and support of young
people’s participation will help build a positive community. CAYFO supports
CJOYC and helps to encourage youth to speak up and voice their opinions on how
to make Ottawa a better place for youth.
Adult
Mentors
The Ottawa Youth Commission is supported by CAYFO
and a group of adult mentors who guide CJOYC in making connections, developing
partnerships and raising awareness. Mentors help foster active youth
engagement, and are committed to advancing the cause of youth and the personal
development of all young people.
The
City of Ottawa
With funds from the City of Ottawa Community
Protective Services Department, the Ottawa Youth Commission has been in
existence since June 2006. This money enables us to be the means for youth to
exercise leadership and meaningfully contribute to the community by
participating in activities that help them become active citizens and increase
their awareness about how their participation can help build a positive
community.
City Councillors regularly make decisions and take
action on issues that directly affect young people; issues like public
transportation, parks and recreation, public health, and housing. Youth should
have a say in decisions that affect their lives. Engaging youth will help the
city make decisions that are more appropriate to youth needs and interests. We
thank the Community Protective Services Committee for their important
contribution to Ottawa’s young people.
CJOYC IN REVIEW: 2006-07
In its inaugural year, the Commission embarked on a
fact-finding mission to outline the concerns and challenges that youth
encounter in the City of Ottawa. CJOYC
conducted a series of surveys through questionnaires, focus groups, and
workshops to explore the issues facing youth in Ottawa and to explore areas in
need of change. These findings are
contained in the 2006 Final Report available through the Commission. The report
identified eight key issues facing youth in Ottawa:
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·
Substance Abuse |
·
Transportation |
·
Negative Image of Youth |
·
Crime and Safety |
|
·
Awareness and Communication with the Community |
·
Media Awareness and Literacy |
·
Recreation |
·
The Environment |
CJOYC AT WORK:
2007-08
Last year CJOYC collected the information; this
year, CJOYC began the dialogue to act upon the information provided and solicit
ideas on how to realistically address the issues young people face. CJOYC
focused on ensuring that youth become active and contributing members of
society now in order to influence change. Feedback from youth indicated that
they want to be involved in decisions that affect their lives. As a result,
CJOYC wanted to increase awareness on how to access resources and information
and make it easier for youth to take control of issues they believe in.
Accordingly, we wanted to teach action planning and
inspire youth to create projects to achieve specific outcomes. We engaged young
people through our regular activities and particularly our conference that
focused on how to take action. We inspired and equipped youth with tools to act
and address everyday issues. At the conference, we provided action-planning
guides, which gave resources and ideas to implement plans and projects.
CJOYC began selecting the main issues to be
addressed, the eight key issues affecting youth, from the CJOYC 2006 Final
Report and linked these with the 4 Key Elements in the Promoting Healthy Child
Development Framework created by the Children and Youth Agenda.
CJOYC reached a diverse range of youth. We used
several mechanisms to ensure good representation; rural youth, Francophone and
Anglophone youth, school and community groups as well as various cultural
groups were contacted. There was also outreach to youth serving organizations
to create a broad ‘youth survey’ network; these collaborative partnerships
helped CJOYC further broaden our reach and helped us share resources and become
strong advocates for the voice of young people in Ottawa.
CJOYC acted as a facilitator for other groups to
promote skill development amongst its members. All of the facilitators at our
conference were youth from our network, giving them the opportunity to develop
and practice skills such as public speaking, and facilitation. CJOYC committees
and subcommittees offered CJOYC members and the youth network event
coordination, leadership development, and team building skills. Through our
partnerships and activities, we established a platform for youth by leading and
creating forums to promote dialogue and to develop a system to maintain the
youth voice and a way for youth to become more engaged citizens.
MEASURING CJOYC SUCCESS: MEETING 2007-08 GOALS
CJOYC focused its efforts on the following outcomes:
·
Increased youth civic engagement in the affairs of
the City of Ottawa,
·
Increased youth capacity and increased partnership,
and
·
Increased networking.
The following chart illustrates CJOYC’s outcomes and
indicators of success for 2007-08.
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INDICATORS OF SUCCESS
& IMPACT |
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|
Increased youth civic engagement in the affairs
of the City of Ottawa |
·
CJOYC represented on City’s Health and Social Services Advisory
Committee resulting in youth having a voice at this Committee ·
The work of the CJOYC has been incorporated into the Children and
Youth Agenda resulting in the youth knowing about the Agenda, and their
perspectives being reflected in the work of the Agenda ·
CJOYC conference – ‘Stop Whispering, Start Shouting’ – sessions on
Action Planning resulting in youth developing action plans to address
concrete issues of importance to them ·
CJOYC has developed a number of recommendations for action to address
the 8 key issues identified in the 2006-2007 report – these are listed in the
next section of this report |
|
|
Increased youth capacity. |
·
Have achieved an increase in the number of youth engaged from a
multiplicity of backgrounds – geographical, cultural, socio-economic, ethnic
– as a result of: o
The production of CJOYC promotional materials such as posters, cards,
‘Be Heard” logo and branding, website and blog, giving CJOYC a much higher
profile among youth; o
The engagement of hundreds of youth in 14 different focus groups in
high schools, community centres and at community events and conferences; and o
The participation of 124 youth and 30 youth facilitators at the CJOYC
Stop Whispering, Start Shouting Conference. ·
Also, membership in CJOYC has expanded – increased Executive
Committee membership from 8 to 15, and increased community partners from 3 to
10 resulting in CJOYC being more representative and leveraging the talent of
its youth ·
Youth planned and executed the various CJOYC events resulting in
skill development in leadership roles, facilitation, and public speaking. ·
CJOYC held a workshop for organizations on how to engage youth in
their workplace resulting in increased capacity by organizations in Ottawa to
engage youth ·
1,000 youth between 15 and 24 surveyed (15-24 year olds represent 14%
of Ottawa’s population) through a variety of mechanisms – resulting in a wide
diversity of youth’s perspectives represented in the work of CJOYC and their
recommendations ·
CJOYC helped to create a news outlet for youth called FYBY News which
is a ‘for youth, by youth’ news channel dedicated to providing youth with the
facts to get involved and take action. FYBY News produces TV-style news
segments on a monthly basis, and is currently broadcasting to several Ottawa
area high schools (e.g. of issues: health, environment, global issues and
youth in action) |
|
|
Increased partnership and networking |
·
3 e-newsletters to City Councillors and community stakeholders;
in-person meetings with City Councillors and a meeting with Mayor O’Brien
resulting in increased profile for CJOYC ·
Media coverage of CJOYC Youth Friendly Workshop and the Stop
Whispering, Start Shouting Conference has increased CJOYC’s profile resulting
in the community being exposed to positive images of youth, and increasing
the desirability for youth to be connected to CJOYC ·
Increased exposure at community events by making presentations, holding
information sessions / booths resulting in an increase in partners and
members ·
CTV
News Partnership, CTV Youth Advisory Committee: CJOYC has a partnership with
CTV Ottawa, a youth friendly media outlet that comes to CJOYC sponsored youth
events. CJOYC also helps recruit youth for the CTV Youth Advisory Committee ·
CJOYC
Partnerships: see pages 17 & 18 |
|
CJOYC 2007-08 SURVEY RESULTS
The 2006-07 report outlined eight key issues that were
important to young people. They were asked questions relating to a variety of
issues that affected their daily lives. The eight key issues mentioned
previously remained the same.
Several
of the issues are connected to one another; access to recreational activities
is directly impacted by inaccessible and unreliable transportation. Media and
communication have great impacts on the issue of negative images of youth.
Youth still feel that these eight key issues are important. The issues were
prioritized as follows:
1.
Transportation
2.
Negative
Image of Youth
3.
Alcohol
and Substance Abuse
4.
Awareness
and Communication with the Community at Large
5.
Recreation
6. Media and Communication
7.
Environmentalism
8.
Crime
and Safety
The following page illustrates the findings in more
details.
1.
TRANSPORTATION
The
feedback for this issue was overwhelming. The majority of youth of both high
school and university age use public transportation and see it as a limitation
in both rural and urban areas.
There
were a number of young people that indicated they were satisfied with public
transportation and that it suited them just fine.
Key
factors:
1. Reliability
a. Some transportation routes are not
reliable outside of the downtown core; some routes were roundabout when trying
to travel within the city for routes that were not on the Transit way, “too many
stops from one place to another”, “too many circle routes”
b. Many youth miss transfers because
their bus is late, “waits and schedules can be really tiresome and annoying”;
“They're never on time and make me late and never stick to the schedule.”
2. Routes and Accessibility
a. Rural areas like Osgoode and
Greely are not serviced so young people are either reliant on parents, foot or
bike (which are often not possible in inclement weather) and as a result, their
levels of involvement in activities decrease if they are not able to access
them in their community; “Suburban routes like Stittsville, Barrhaven, Manotick
are under serviced making it hard for youth to get to after school jobs or
activities”
b. Bus schedules on weekends is
limited
3. Fares
a. Cost is too high; many youth have
to buy their own bus passes and buying monthly passes is taxing;
“Transportation is good but it should be cheaper to encourage more use”; “I
think we’re lucky to have public transportation but the cost is ridiculous”, “Bus
passes are far too costly. The demographic of those who need the bus can hardly
afford it”.
b. OC Transpo and O
Train should have same payment methods; as bus tickets are not accepted as fare
on the O-Train.
4. Negative Image of Youth
a. “Yes, there are some youth that are
loud and obnoxious but often young people are NOT treated as paying customers”
2.
NEGATIVE IMAGE OF YOUTH
The matter of negative stereotype of youth was a key
thread linking many of the issues. Young people found that a negative impression
of youth is a concern for them as they feel a large percentage of young people
are typecast according to the negative behaviour of a few. It is felt that young people are not treated
as equal participants, not engaged properly with regard to decisions that
affect them - leaving them unaware,
undervalued and with the desire to strengthen their voice in the decisions that
affect their lives.
Key Factors:
1. Stereotypes
a. Youth are treated suspiciously
just because they are youth and assumed “trouble”
b. Dressing in a certain way
automatically provokes a response, “even good students dress like punks so
don’t make assumptions. Talk to us, get to know us”
c. Some youth mentioned they do not
feel empowered to stop negative stereotypes, “The self-perception of youth is
also a common limitation – as they continue to feel disrespect from the adult
community, and their efforts remain un-noticed, their self-worth and perceived
ability to ‘make a difference’ erodes.”
d. “There are some youth that act like
jerks but they are not the majority. More youth are kind, respectful and
polite”.
e. “Youth should stay youth, there’s
nothing wrong with them”
2. Employment
a. Many youth said they were declined employment because they were not old enough; employment age requirements are discouraging, “how are we expected to get experience if no one will give it to us?”
3.
ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Experimentation with drugs and
alcohol is common among youth in Ottawa. Young people pointed out that by the time students get to
high school; many problems have already set in. Youth access information
through school first so if the school cannot offer workshops or information,
they should have a list of resources where youth can go to seek help. “There
also needs to be increased accessibility of treatment for drug and alcohol
addiction for youth”.
Many youth listed awareness as a way to reduce the use of
drugs and alcohol. Though young people do feel pressure and are heavily
influenced by peers, most youth said they wanted to talk about issues like
substance abuse but not in health class and not in a formal setting; guest
speakers with real stories and consequences,
“using role models will help”.
Youth said that presentations were few and far between and not discussion oriented. “Many drug education programs are delivered in the belief that students can be deterred from later temptation. This does not work. School prevention programs should be started in the early grades and continued through to grade 12. The best education programs encourage participation from youth, free them to ask questions, and provide opportunities to share responsibility.”
At one of the focus groups, several young people noted parental responsibility; a lot of young people did not talk to their parents about drugs nor did they feel comfortable doing so. Their parents did not try and talk to them and this provoked many to rely on friends and perhaps increase the chance of misinformation. “We need more information from people youth can talk to about the issue while not feeling like they are going to be punished or grounded”.
4.
AWARENESS AND COMMUNICATION
There is
a lack of an effective communication of opportunities available within the
city. There is no one-stop hub for youth information in Ottawa. Nonetheless, young people admittedly don’t
know where to look outside of their school environment. School is the place
where they find out about most events and activities so if they are not able to
access this information at school, they feel their options are limited.
CJOYC
works with teachers, guidance counsellors and principals in order to get youth
events publicized in the school system but often rely on the students
themselves. In our activities, we found that each school differs regarding
their interest and ability to promote and support community events for youth.
If the students are not supported or if processes are not in place in order to
get events and activities promoted, students are left unaware and often times
disconnected, as opportunities available within the community are hard to
discover. They want to see their schools participate in more conferences and
workshops and allow them the opportunity to be involved and contribute.
Youth
said they want to see more city-wide or community youth oriented activities and
events; they talked a lot about getting the chance to socialize with people
outside of their school environments – and to get to know a larger group of
people.
Youth are
using the Internet for both social networking and school life. They rely on
each other and the online networking systems for information regarding
activities and this is a key for youth-to-youth messaging, communication and
promotion.
5.
RECREATION
Access to
adequate recreation is an issue in itself but is also linked to many other
issues like transportation, and awareness and communication. Many opportunities
are not sufficiently advertised.
The
majority of youth surveyed want to see more youth orientated programs and
activities so that they can get fully engaged in the community rather it be
through sports, politics, arts, culture or social work.
Key
factors include:
·
Recreational
programs are costly, or restricted to certain neighbourhoods
·
“Recreational
programs are geared towards youth under 13 or over 18; there is a lack of
variety for youth ages 15-17”
·
Community
centres and parks are not being used to their capacity, and would likely have
the space necessary to provide recreation for youth
·
“The
renovation of Alta Vista library is a great example of what we need to do. This
library, deemed to be in a high-risk area, received funding for a recreation
program, with the purchase of a Wii and Xbox, to entertain youth who would not
normally be apt to come to a library”
·
It
is difficult to involve one’s self in the community without safe and reliable
transportation
6.
MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION
Directly related to the issue of negative image of youth,
the media has a very powerful impact in perpetuating the stereotypes of youth
in general. Most youth strongly felt that the media in general (tv, film)
pressures young people to look and act a certain way and then promotes that
stereotype.
Youth want to
see more youth-friendly community and mainstream media. Community media are
generally more accessible than mainstream media, since most address issues of
local concern. However there is a responsibility from youth to respond to
stereotypes, issues or offensive matters raised by the mainstream media.
Several youth said they should have spoken out to complain and just need the
tools to do so.
There was
discussion around the idea about challenging negative media stereotypes. Most
young people felt it was difficult and perhaps even impossible. They agreed
that promoting more positive examples of youth action would make a difference
but they would need time, and resources to actively try to change the way the
media portray youth and influence the way adults, culture, and policymakers
view the roles of youth in society.
·
“Media
is such a powerful force in shaping the image of youth and difficult to fight
against”; “The news should stop focusing on the 3-4 teens who do wrong and show
the hundreds who do right”; “For youth - don’t give the media a reason to label
you in a negative way”
·
“There
are all kinds of amazing things going on in schools that don’t get publicized.
It needs to be easier to contact the media. For example, provide a media
release form online along with contact info for media reps. We’re doing good
things and we need a way to make it public”
·
“Many
youth are interested in the world around them and interested in making a
different and these people should be portrayed in the media”, “Avoid
perpetuating the media assumption that youth are up to no good; give equal
attention to the positive projects”
7.
CRIME AND SAFETY
Most young people surveyed
stated that they felt relatively safe in their communities and neighbourhoods.
The majority felt that Ottawa was a safe city.
However, many suburban youth noted that the route from the bus stop to
their house at night was dark and should be better lit.
Youth from various social
housing complexes were not satisfied with the safety measures in their
neighbourhood. There was little light, it was dirty and house repairs were not
made, making the neighbourhood appear run down. Some commented on police presence, noting, “Where I
live, I have not noticed or located any programs. More community police
stations that interact on community level are needed”.
Young people also noted boredom as a factor in engaging in
criminal behaviour. The activities offered do not match their interests, their
time schedule and travelling a long time by bus to get to an extracurricular
activity is difficult.
Also, the school environment was
different; youth still related stories of bullying in varying forms; on-line or
in-person. Many of the focus groups had young people recount stories of
bullying and talked about peer pressure as a big influence on criminal
activities. The sense of belonging will always be an issue among teenagers and
many will resort to criminal activities if it means they will fit in.
Some felt that parents were the key to criminal behaviour.
A lack of a positive environment can lead to poor self-image and lack of
self-esteem. Many youth said their parents have no idea how to talk to them and
they are often ignored and alienated.
They raised the issue of bringing people into their lives
to guide them, saying that they preferred more intimate events where they got
to make contact with motivational speakers that came to their schools. For
example, they thought that people closer to their own age made a better impact
than an older speaker who seemed more out-of-touch with their lives.
8.
THE ENVIRONMENT
Young
people believe that the sense of apathy in the general public with regards to
environmental initiatives has changed to that of urgency. Recent climate change
awareness has led people to make better choices but youth still feel it can go
further. It is everyone’s
responsibility as good citizens to care about the environment and every person
can make a difference. Young people feel they are empowered to make Canada a
more sustainable society. They feel it is their job to advocate for the other
youth who want to inherit a world where the environment is a priority.
“People
only think about convenience and still use plastic bags, disposable coffee cups
and all other non-reusable items. There’s no measure in place, no fines, no
patrols, no penalties so people don’t even think twice about it”.
The
majority of youth feel that the City of Ottawa is not as green as it could be;
“the municipality is behind in initiatives such as green bin programs, an
environmentally friendly transportation system, adequate bike lanes, limits to
the amount of garbage people use, limited recycling in certain public areas,
etc”.
OTHER
ISSUES FACING YOUTH IN OTTAWA:
·
Sexual
health: “Youth need to be informed as sex is often a taboo subject. Young
people are engaging in sex and need to be aware of the risks and consequences
·
Mental
Health: “There is still a stigma surrounding mental health difficulties yet so
many young people are dealing with depression, eating disorders and other
mental health issues”
·
Youth
Unemployment: finding a stable job is difficult leaving many youth relatively
unskilled, inexperienced, unfamiliar with job search and unaware of the job
opportunities open to them
·
Youth
Rights: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 states standards for
young people in health care, education and many other areas of life; and also
includes the right to be heard
KEY ISSUE RECOMMENDATIONS
CJOYC has
developed a number of recommendations for action to address the 8 key issues
identified in this report – these are listed below.
Transportation Recommendations
For City Council:
·
Extend
the time that transfers are valid.
·
Increase
bus services beyond the transit way.
·
Provide
more locations for photo ID.
·
Pursue
environment-friendly initiatives such as more Park’n Rides, bus lanes, LRT.
·
Seek
specific youth input through CJOYC into future consultations regarding
Transportation.
·
Provide
regular forums for CJOYC to meet with OC Transpo managers and / or the Transit
Committee.
Negative Image of
Youth Recommendations
Overall:
·
Find
ways to strengthen youth involvement and voice, give youth somewhere to go to
voice concerns
·
Develop
a mechanism for organizations to promote projects and local events in schools
·
Increase
and publicize Youth-Friendly training for organizations
·
Community
and mainstream media should be made more accessible; media should prioritize
positive activities of youth and community involvement
·
Making
opportunities available for youth to participate on committees and councils to
form mutual respect and have equal expectations, “allow us to demonstrate
responsibility”
For Youth:
·
Get
involved and active in their community, engage in positive activities;
community forums, get campaigns, communicate with MPs & councillors, make a
presence in the community, show the positive things youth do
·
Become
youth leaders, “Instead of listening to the discussion, youth can lead it.
Youth have a much better chance of listening to a friend than a parent or adult
especially when it comes to changing negative behaviours”
Substance Abuse Recommendations
For City Council:
·
Increase
opportunities, accessibility and affordability for youth to be involved in
pro-social leisure / recreation / arts / culture
Overall:
·
Encourage
open discussion among students, age-specific programs were important- more for
older youth
·
Start
information at younger age, in junior high school
·
Guest
speakers, personal experiences, mentoring programs, conferences, seminars;
hearing from someone who has gone through it
·
The
best education programs encourage participation from youth, free them to ask
questions, and provide opportunities to share responsibility
Awareness and Communication Recommendations
For City Council:
·
Establish
mutual engagement and formal mechanisms between the CJOYC and Councillors
so that Councillors can better represent their youth constituents, and to
promote and legitimize the youth voice. Examples include:
-Invite CJOYC youth to sit on committees or hold focus groups to solicit
opinions – encourage young people to get involved.
-Establish formal, ongoing mechanisms for youth to have a voice – on committees
of council and through Advisory Committees.
-City Councillors endorse and participate in CJOYC activities
·
Encourage
sponsorship and promotion of youth-focused events like sports, Battle of the
Bands, visual and performing arts, etc.
Overall:
·
Youth
Conferences
·
Go
where the youth are; Facebook, Myspace
·
Promotion
of events AND community organizations in schools; more resources in schools to
find organizations or volunteer opportunities
·
Programs
incorporated into the school curriculum: e.g. CJOYC in civics classes
·
Using
the media as a tool to showcase events, projects: tv, radio, newspaper
·
A
youth run news/community paper or website that advertises programs and ways to
get involved
Media and Communication Recommendations
Overall:
·
Forming
partnerships with media outlets to use the media as a tool to showcase events,
projects: tv, radio, newspaper, “it needs to be easier to contact the media.
There are all sorts of amazing things going on in schools” – post contact names
and news release forms on-line
·
A
youth run news/community paper or website that advertises programs and ways to
get involved
·
Invite
youth to sit on committees or hold focus groups to get opinions , “teenagers
need to get more involved”
Crime and Safety Recommendations
For City Council:
·
Improve
lighting in suburban and rural areas around transit stops and stations
·
Invest
in crime prevention programs
·
Invest
in life skills programs, mentoring programs and after-school programs
·
Create
and fund more youth-engagement activities; and make public transportation to
these events more efficient and economical
·
Invest
in conflict resolution skill development
Overall
·
Invest
in conflict resolution skill development
Recreation Recommendations
For City Council:
·
Involve
CJOYC in needs assessments regarding recreation / leisure
·
Involve
CJOYC in consultations on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan
·
Publicize
recreation / leisure activities where youth are: in schools, on Facebook,
websites, school newsletters, drop-in centers
Overall:
·
Publicize
recreation opportunities where youth are: in schools, on Facebook, websites,
school newsletters
·
Youth
want to be contacted if needs assessments are being done in their communities;
what better way to create effective youth programs than to contact youth?
·
Youth
also want to have more interaction with political, business and other leaders
of the community for exchange and inspiration and participation in committees
and decisions; “what young person knew that there was a Recreation Master Plan
and why wouldn’t they be a part of it?”
Environmentalism Recommendations
For City Council:
·
More
recycling bins around the city, especially at transit stops
·
Institute
the green bin program as soon as possible
·
Education
regarding recycling – especially regarding electronics; get media involved in
promoting e-waste days throughout the year
·
Explore
by-laws to reduce the use of plastic bags and disposable cups
·
Encourage
car-pooling
·
Curtail
development of the City’s green space
CONCLUSION
CJOYC
engaged approximately 1,000 young people in our work over the past year via
on-line surveys, in-person focus groups, conference and workshops. This
represents 1% of the young people between 14 and 25 in the City of Ottawa. Every effort was made to ensure that a wide
range of youth from various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds were included
as well as youth from the various geographic regions of the city (see next
page).
CJOYC
aimed to inspire and equip youth with tools to act and address everyday issues.
We hope to encourage awareness and engagement among young people and to promote
projects that create active and responsible citizens.
We want to build a stronger youth voice
in Ottawa by encouraging youth development activities, skills building,
and leadership training. We believe that youth can make a difference in
building stronger communities for the future and that there should be a place
for young people to make decisions that have an impact on their lives. We want
youth to become active, vocal, and responsible members of the community and
foster a culture of civic engagement. Youth should have influence, take
responsibility and be heard.
CJOYC OUTREACH
CJOYC conducted focus groups in the following settings:
1.
OCDSB
Leadership Camp
2.
Canterbury
High School
3.
Student
Council Executive Conference
4.
St
Pius X Catholic High School
5.
Ridgemont
High School Civics Class
6.
Ridgemonth
High School Grade 9 Leaders
7.
Every
Child Is Sacred Conference, University of Ottawa
8.
Osgoode
Youth Centre
9.
Francais
Pour L’Avenir Conference, University of Ottawa
10.
OCDSB
Day of Information, Lifetime of Action Conference
11.
Ontario
Justice Education Network Active Citizens workshop, Ottawa Catholic School
Board
12.
United
Nations Association in Canada Conference
13.
Lions
Youth Conference
14.
National
Capital Commission: How to Make Ottawa Youth Friendly Focus Group
15.
Youth
Services Bureau of Ottawa Echoes in the Hallway Conference
16.
Algonquin
College, Recreation and Leisure class
17.
CJOYC
Conference, Confederation High School
CJOYC held a booth at the following information sessions:
·
Ridgemont
High School
·
Confederation
High School OCDSB Principal Character Education Day
·
City
of Ottawa Showcase
·
City
of Ottawa Youth on the Move Summer Staff Training
CJOYC took part in the following activities:
·
Rethinking
Poverty Forum Committee
·
Rock
the Vote and University of Ottawa
·
CJOYC
on CHUO Radio
·
Co-host,
Youth Friendly Workshop
·
Youth
Ink Youth Entrepreneurship Training
·
City
Councillor Meetings
·
Independent
Film Cooperative of Ottawa Workshop
·
CJOYC
at Ottawa Bluesfest