Youth Engagement

Meaningful youth participation involves recognizing and nurturing the strengths, interests, and abilities of young people through the provision of real opportunities for youth to become involved in decisions that affect them at individual and systemic levels.

These resources have come out of McCreary's youth participation projects. All projects have included youth involvement in varying capacities. Either in consultation in designing the project, youth staff employed, and/or youth have produced the final results.

1. Why youth engagement is important

Youth participation offers young people the chance to develop important decision-making and problem solving skills, develop meaningful relationships, and a chance to bolster self-esteem. These benefits are known to protect youth against risk-taking behaviour that impacts negatively on health both in the short- and long-term. Read more on youth engagement.

2. Report: A Seat at the Table (2009)

A Seat at the Table: A Review of Youth Engagement in Vancouver (2.8 MB)

This report focuses on youth engagement in civic and community decision-making. It includes a literature review and offers different examples of involving young people in decision-making processes in Vancouver, from the perspectives of youth, service providers and funders. The report aims to offer a better understanding of the continuum of youth engagement that exists and to show the different ways that youth can be involved in decisions that affect their lives. Based on the evidence presented, the report concludes with some suggestions and check-lists for successfully engaging young people.

3. Sparc

4. Transitions (TBA) 

5. Next Steps Workshops

The Next Steps is a workshop series that provides youth, along with supportive adults, an opportunity to: discuss the results of the 2003 BC Adolescent Health Survey; identify priority issues; and plan projects for improving the health of youth in their communities. Read more about the Next Steps workshops