Youth Participation Projects
These are some of the youth projects McCreary has undergone over the years. All of them had youth staff involved and youth input into the planning and/or reporting of the project. Meaningful youth participation is a critical component in all McCreary youth projects.
For more information on youth participation, please click here.
Current & Ongoing Youth Projects
The B4
Organized and run by McCreary's Youth Advisory Council, the Breaking Barriers & Building Bridges (B4) is a youth-for-youth weekend conference that provides workshops in skill development and general issues important to youth. In addition to the variety of skills offered, the B4 is a great opportunity for youth to network with youth from all over BC and to have a lot of fun.
Back Page/Front Stage
Using the words of youth who completed the 2008 BC Adolescent Health Survey (AHS) as a springboard for theatre, the Back Page/ Front Stage workshop explores the relationship between students, statistics, and the adults who read the results.
> MORE on Back Page/Front Stage
YAC-Link... getting a YAC started
YAC-Link is a great resource for anyone who is interested in organizing a Youth Advisory Council (YAC). YAC-Link is a partnership between 3 YACs that pools resources and experties in developing a resource to help others start and sustian a Youth Advisory Council. The YAC Link written guide is available to be download for free.
Next Steps Workshop Toolkit
Funded by: Vancouver Foundation and The Government of Canada’s National Crime Prevention Strategy
The Next Steps toolkit is a project to enable communities and young people to respond-to and act-on the newest research about youth health in BC. Incorporating new data from AHS III, Next Steps is a series of workshops where participants work on a health action plan for their community based on local strengths and health priorities using interactive and hands-on exercises.
> MORE on Next Steps Workshops
Past Youth Projects
YACShops
YACshop's are a series of 6 workshops developed by McCreary's Youth Advisory Council. They include:
- So You Wanna YAC
- Introduction to Leadership
- Taking Leadership to the Next Level
- Team Building
- Communication
- Creativity & You.
Created as resources for facilitators of varying experience levels, these workshops build on the capacity of young people to network and participate in their own communities. You can order just one or all six.
From the Inside Out: Promoting Resilience in Early Adolescence
Funded by: Population Health Fund, Health Canada
Healthy Youth Development: The Opportunity of Early Adolescence. This report aims to bridge the gaps among youth health research, policy, and programming for young people aged 11 to 14.
From the Inside Out: Workshop Toolkit. Over a 16 month period, McCreary partnered with three communities -- North Surrey, Moricetown, and Ulkatcho (Anahim Lake). A series of workshops was conducted in each community involving young adolescents (aged 11 - 14 years) in a number of activities such as community mapping, recreational, and creating a community project of their own. These activities encouraged skill development, leadership, cultural awareness, community connectedness and healthy choices. A report summarizing the experience is available in pdf format for downloading
> For more information, please click here.
Next Steps - 2000
The Next Steps was a process in which youth were given the opportunity to respond to the data of the 1998 BC Adolescent Health Survey. Through youth-led workshops, participants were given the opportunity to identify health issues in their communities and make suggestions for improving the health of youth.
The Aboriginal Next Steps - 2001
The Aboriginal Next Steps gives Aboriginal youth the opportunity to respond to data about Aboriginal youth in school in the report, Raven's Children: Aboriginal Youth Health in BC. Similar to the provincial Next Steps, Aboriginal youth are given an opportunity to voice their health issues through youth-led workshops.
Dr. Project
This youth driven project focuses on the experiences that youth in care have accessing health care services in BC Young people in care were asked to rate the medical services on items such as their experiences with doctors in a variety of settings. In response to the issues identified, a list of recommendations is provided suggesting how to make the medical health care system more easily accessible by youth in care.
The Open Door
Many youth feel that they are discriminated against due to their age, encountering closed doors—rude treatment or unfriendly attitudes—when they shop, seek health care, use recreational facilities or even go to the movies! The eight card, 'Open Door' information series aims to raise awareness about potential youth discrimination in BC communities. Each card highlights a particular community service and suggests ideas for making these services more "youth-friendly". We encourage you to use the Open Door information cards as a resource for building more "youth-friendly" communities. 1996 Pilot Project
- 1996 Pilot Project
In 1996, eleven youth from around BC were employed as field staff to survey their peers, asking them to reflect on how respected they feel in their communities. It is the opinions and experiences expressed by this diverse group of youth that forms the content and suggestions of the 'Open Door' information series.