Vancouver - 2021 The Vancouver Agenda Gap group was comprised of six youth collaborators from one high school and two young adult facilitators, who met regularly over an eight-month period from October 2020 to June 2021. Vancouver youth were particularly interested in addressing the link between racism and increased poor mental health outcomes among youth in their community. They chose to focus on advocating for changes to the Vancouver [...]
Fostering community pathways for youth employment (including job-ready skills). Mississauga - 2023 Mississauga Agenda Gap (2023) participants identified a lack of employment opportunities and limited job-ready skills as key concerns for youth. They felt this issue was particularly relevant in their community as West Mississauga is estimated to have the highest concentration of youth in Canada. Participants emphasized that employment not only fosters independence and builds confidence but also [...]
Improving school district substance use response policies. Victoria - 2023 Victoria Agenda Gap youth identified the lack of substance-use and harm reduction education in B.C. as a critical issue. They expressed concern that this gap was causing youth to make poorly informed and risky decisions around how they use substances - contributing to the ongoing overdose crisis. They also took issue with zero-tolerance school policies, noting that punitive approaches [...]
Ensuring transparency and consistency in school accommodation policies. Yarmouth - 2023 In fall 2023, the Nova Scotia Health Authority and SHYFT Youth Services partnered to bring the Agenda Gap program to Yarmouth Consolidated Memorial High School. The program followed a public engagement event where numerous youth spoke about their experiences with mental health, highlighting the need for stronger support and advocacy. Twelve students met weekly from December 2023 to June [...]
