Links for Youth
YOUTH LINKS – Social Justice:
Youth Co is an organization that does work in the lower mainland around education, around sex and sexual health. They particularly focus on HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C. There are opportunities to volunteer on their theatre troupe, or do school workshops, or help in their office. They provide great training for their volunteers and are a lot of fun as an organization.
Check Your Head believes in empowering young people by giving them access to information and facilitating discussions around international trade, corporate power and responsibility, climate justice, food sovereignty, and more. They host various events in Vancouver and also do school workshops. They’re always looking for volunteers and there are a number of ways you can participate.
Environmental Youth Alliance mobilizes youth around environmental issues. They implement programs driven by young people that help the environment. They work in Vancouver but also partner with international organizations. They offer internships and youth employment opportunities in the field of environmental sustainability. They also put on lots of youth focused events and have various volunteering opportunities.
Vancouver Youth is the city of Vancouver’s page for young people and it is a great starting place for getting involved with programs in and around Vancouver. It is linked up to programs in community centers for young people, as well as citywide initiatives. There is a whole section on Youth Leadership, you can find out about community events, and there’s even a Job Posting board. You can get involved with different municipal political discussions, programs and more.
Get Your Vote On is all about getting youth 18-34 out to the polls. They organize everything from youth friendly panels, where youth can ask questions about the issues, to organizing superhero flash mobs to encourage young people to get out and vote. Even if you’re not old enough to vote there are lots of ways to get involved.
http://www.getyourvoteon.ca/index.php
Media and the Arts:
Gulf Island Film School (Gifts) is trying to lead a cinematic revolution by giving youth all the skills they need to make movies. They run adult programs, youth specific, and aboriginal focused programs. There are some scholarships available for courses they offer throughout the year. This is a camp that wants to nurture and teach the next generation of media makers and make sure that generation is full of diverse voices.
Reel Youth is a youth organization that puts on a film festival, provides cinematic training for young people, and let’s youth make the calls about what it is they like. The Reel Youth Film Fest tours all over BC and also has a number of international partnerships. There are chances to be involved on their youth panel, volunteering, coming out to the festival, and signing up for workshops.
http://reelyouth.ca/index.html
Access Media is dedicated to teaching youth from marginalized communities film skills so that their voices can be heard. They run a variety of programs throughout BC and the Yukon. Their current project is “Youth MADE” brings youth into schools to talk about their experiences of racism and show their films. This is to generate conversation about discrimination.
Reel 2 Real is a youth film festival where the films chosen are dictated by a youth panel. They offer film courses in the summer and workshops all year long. They work in partnership with The National Film Board. If you’re interested in filmmaking, critiquing, or media in general this is a great place to start.
The Cultch is a performance venue in the city but it’s also a cool organization that has programs for youth. Including a Youth Panel that plans a youth arts festival at the Cultch. There is also a Mentorship Program that gives youth the chance to work with mentors in various artistic disciplines (dance, music, play writing, and spoken word).
http://www.thecultch.com/content/view/26/91/
Youth in 57 Minutes is a show on co-op radio made by youth for youth. This is your chance to learn radio-reporting skills, and some technical know how. This is also your chance to talk about issues that interest you. The show is on twice a month and there are a variety of ways you can be involved. They want to make sure that youth voices are represented in the media and you can join them.
Leadership:
SUCCESS: Youth Leadership Millennium Project is aimed at youth 14-24 and is an 8-month program. There are 3 levels to complete – like the Olympics there is Bronze, Silver and Gold. The program focuses on community awareness and development, as well as personal awareness, adventure expedition and more. This program will put to use some of the skills you’ve gained at YES and expand your leadership in new ways as well.
http://www.successylm.org/index.php
