YIP Spotlight: Voices 4 Youth

Learn more about youth projects that received funding from our Youth Impact Project.

2 min read

About the Youth Impact Project

The Youth Impact Project (YIP) is a collaboration between the Children and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region (CYPT) and Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab (SWRIL).

On June 8, over 100 youth from 15 local organisations pitched their ideas to a panel of nine youth. The Youth Decision-Making Panel (“The Dragons”) decided which projects would receive funding to make their idea a reality. The Youth Impact Project looks to fund youth who are addressing local challenges which are identified through the 2023 Youth Impact Survey results. The funded projects include a focus onsupporting youth mental and physical health, increasing feelings of belonging,and responding to climate change and food insecurity.

Youth will be working on their projects untilDecember. We're featuring each of the 12 projects!

Voices 4 Youth

Who pitched the project?

Pitchers: Jasmin A., Wal C., Omar E., Faiqa R.

On the team: Ali M., Ekrema M., Rowson A., Harith A.

What problem are you addressing in Waterloo Region?

  • Youth not feeling like valued members of their community
  • Behavioural challenges, seeking attention in negative ways
  • Youth not feeling heard/their achievements not being recognized

What are you going to do with the money?

The project focuses on 4 key aspects:

  1. Recognizing youth and community achievements
  2. Amplifying youth and community voices
  3. Identifying challenges and solutions and connecting to helpful resources
  4. Establishing valuable community partnerships

Voices 4 Youth wants to create a media channel to connect with community members and key figures to talk about the community, highlight community voices, share about achievements, and identify where there might be challenges and spaces for solutions. The funding will go towards getting equipment to make this media channel a possibility, and look to the future to how to grow the project to include billboards highlighting successes and how solutions are improving the community.

Keep up with this project

More about the Youth Impact Project

The Youth Impact Project is a collaboration between Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab (SWRIL) and the Children and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region (CYPT).

Learn more about the Youth Impact Project

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