GUELPH – The Grove Hubs Wellington Guelph has expanded its Youth Advisory Council (YAC) initiative to hear the voices of local youth. Originally launched in 2020, the intiative has been revamped to engage more youth and allow them to become leaders in their community.
The YAC meets monthly at The Grove Wellington Guelph’s four sites and is open to youth aged 12 to 26.
“Our Youth Advisory Council provides an excellent opportunity for youth to influence positive changes for their peers. What we are seeing as a result is youth who care deeply about their communities,” The Grove Hubs Palmerston team lead Tiffany Fagan said.
“The Youth Advisory Council is instrumental in providing critical feedback on issues our local youth are facing, and how we can improve our services to meet those needs.”
Youths gain valuable communication and leadership skills, allowing them to confidently lead the planning of events and initiatives at the sites and in the community.
Some of the initiatives that have come out of the YAC include a student bursary program for one high school student each year, a prom dress event in which donated prom dresses were collected for a week-long free shopping event, a ghost painting event, and more.
“The Youth Advisory Council program is important because it positively contributes to the community through youth engagement with positive mental health and wellness initiatives for themselves and their peers,” The Grove Hubs Fergus youth ambassador Marisa Barbosa said.
“The ideas implemented from the YAC serve the community to offer support and education through The Grove’s skills and wellbeing stream. By providing youth with the opportunity to share their voice and experience, the YAC is able to assess what our community needs and implement support and programming to tangibly respond to these needs.”
From September to June, the youth involved with YAC are committed to making The Grove Hubs a youth-friendly space.
Join a YAC
To join The Grove’s Youth Advisory Council at a Hub near you, contact hello@thegrovehubs.ca
If you would like to stay up to date with The Grove, subscribe to a monthly newsletter, The Heart of The Grove News, at thegrovehubs.ca/stayconnected.
