At Canadian Council for Youth Prosperity (CCYP), we are deeply committed to changing systems impacting youth’s ability to thrive in the workforce. Through collaboration, innovation, and influence, CCYP helps to expand the role of youth to become co-creators in workforce development. As such one of our marquee programs is CCYP's Youth Council.
Through discussion and collaboration, the CCYP Youth Council seeks to create an inclusive and diverse space where youth can share their lived experiences interacting with the workforce network.
They advise and hold the CCYP team accountable for youth issues by co-creating solutions and providing insight. they take action by planning events, facilitating opportunities, and engaging with other youth across Canada. Ultimately, they are a part of a collective movement that encourages and supports youth to get involved in creating change for generations to come.
Pictured (L to R) Top row: Natalie Chu, Nabeel Mansuri, Lesley Urgel; Middle row: Paige Percy, Elizabeth Tuck, Jessica Li; Bottom row: Emel Tabaku, Aman Basra, Eki Okungbawa
Highlights from CCYP's 2021-2022 Youth Council:
CCYP's 2021-2022 Youth Council consisted of 13 youth from all over Canada with an interest in creating meaningful opportunities for youth and highlighting the youth experience. Through communication, facilitation and event planning working groups, Youth Council members spearheaded everything from social media content to CCYP's National Youth Summit. Below is our year, so far, in review.
Blog Posts
Youth Council wrote blog posts to tell the stories of what youth in Canada are experiencing in the workforce.
Jessica Li authored How Mentorship Can Have A Positive Impact in the Workplace and Beyond, a personal take on how mentoring is beneficial in all areas of professional development and beyond.
Natalie interviewed fellow youth council members Paige and Aman for her blog, Breaking Down Barriers to Youth Employment, a breakdown of what it’s like navigating the barriers to becoming employed as a young person in Canada.
Aman shares her journey of applying for jobs post-grad in her blog, The Truth Behind A Successful Job Hunt. In the blog, she also shares tips for those also looking to land their first gig.
In Exploring Your Passions Through Business: An Insight into Youth Entrepreneurship from Kate Trafford,
Natalie interviewed Kate Trafford, a young entrepreneur from British Columbia, about how she turned her pandemic hobby into a booming online business.
Instagram Takeovers
An Instagram takeover is when someone temporarily takes over another account to create and share content. Paige and Emel brought our Instagram followers on a day in their lives on CCYP's Instagram Stories.
On May 5th, Paige shared about CERB repayments and how they affected youth and gave us a glimpse into a day in her life working on school assignments and volunteering as a mentor with SheConnects.
On June 13th, Emel shared her journey to start RCAD Initiative. She shared how and why she founded the organization and provided more info on a partnership she did with Youth Climate Lab - #DigitalArt4Climate
Instagram Lives
Instagram Lives allows us to create a face-to-face experience with the audience that feels personal and genuine. Instagram Lives are an opportunity to have a real conversation and interact in real-time. This year, Youth Council members hosted several Instagram Lives.
Natalie interviewed Emel on how to succeed in building a social impact organization as a young person. Emel shared her experience starting RCAD Initiative and encouraged fellow youth to begin the journey of creating their own initiatives and projects.
On March 4th, 2022, Youth Council member Ashley interviewed Eki and CCYP's Research Assistant Chinweizu Okeke on the challenges that are facing Black youth. The discussion highlighted barriers in networking, entering the workforce after graduation, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workforce, and the importance of finding Black mentors during school.
On April 15th, 2022, Emel interviewed Hanen Nanaa from BAM Collective and Mouhamad Al Aarab a Verification Engineering Intern, on the barriers facing immigrants and new Canadians. Each shared their personal experiences of what it was like adjusting to a new country and acclimating to a new work culture.
Video Content
At CCYP, we recognize that there's more to youth prosperity than just work. Young Canadians want security, opportunity, safety and the right to make their own choices — just as all Canadians. So we set out on a mission to ask Youth Council members "what does youth prosperity mean to you?"
Event Planning
Youth Council members were also part of the planning committee for the National Youth Summit. They provided support through writing, design, and assuring that the interests of youth were at the centre of all the planning and executing stages.
The National Youth Summit is an online event that facilitates the opportunity for youth to connect with each other, employers, service providers, presenters, and keynote speakers, all with the common goal of youth prosperity.
More to Come!
This is just a snippet of CCYP's Youth Council has been up to this year. Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know when applications for the 2022-2023 Youth Council is open.