WoodGreen Community Services: Our Voice

http://www.woodgreen.org/

The initiative focused on building the capacity of a diverse group of eight youth to represent the voice of young people in three Scarborough neighbourhoods. The participants, who were not in school, were engaged five days a week for 6-8 months, receiving training in areas such as public speaking, proposal writing, research, program development and evaluation.

Youth then completed a one-month internship with a funding body, gaining practical experience in the non-profit sector. Finally, they completed a one-month placement at a community-based agency, shadowing staff three days per week to learn the everyday tasks involved with community work.

Through the initiative, youth have gained a new respect for funders and agencies, while these organizations now have a greater awareness of youth in their community and have continued working with youth after their placements ended. The youth now are motivated to return to school and continue their education, and almost all are interested in pursuing a career in the social service sector.