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YMCA of Western Ontario

Youth Engagement Strategy

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where young people are agents of their own development.

At the YMCA of Western Ontario, we want youth to be actively involved in shaping their development by interacting with supportive adults, networking with fellow peers and truly having a voice and role within our organization.

Through youth engagement, the YMCA can do a better job of creating the programs, services, opportunities and supports that young people need to develop in healthy ways. The challenges to children and youth’s health and well-being are too big for any individual, family, organization or sector, and call for collaboration on an unparalleled scale. The YMCA of Western Ontario has a responsibility to offer programs and implement strategies to develop skills in youth and help improve their quality of life. Today’s organizations and decision-makers must move toward a strength-based, asset-focused approach that prepares youth to grow, thrive and contribute.

Youth Engagement is the meaningful participation and sustained involvement of a young person in an activity, with a focus outside of him or herself. The kind of activity in which the youth is engaged can be almost anything – recreational activities, sports, artistic endeavors, volunteer work, politics, social activism - and it can occur in almost any kind of setting. As a multi-service organization, the YMCA is a terrific platform and venue to engage youth.

Through youth engagement, the YMCA can do a better job of creating the programs, services, opportunities and supports that young people need to develop in healthy ways.

Our Strategy Using YMCA Canada’s Healthy Children and Youth Strategy as a framework, the YMCA of Western Ontario has chosen 4 areas of Youth Engagement to develop and implement within our association: A Common Approach, Program Quality and Program Integration, Youth Advocacy, and Partnerships. The YMCA Approach to Working with Youth uses the 3 YMCA Principles of Healthy Adolescent Development to help us make decisions, and guide our actions and behaviours. The Principles of Connecting, creating Opportunities and Peacemaking are at the core of all 4 areas of our Youth Engagement Strategy.

What is Youth Engagement?

1. A Common Approach The YMCA’s mission to help other’s grow in spirit, mind and body is intricately linked to how and why we want to engage with youth. The Strategy gives direction to staff and volunteers in their work and helps to manage our performance and communicate our priorities to others. Having a common language and a common approach to working with children and youth is the first step in creating a youth-focused culture. Staff and volunteers need the right tools and information to work with youth effectively, and create environments in which children and youth feel safe, welcome and valued. As we build Connections, create Opportunities, and foster leadership and Peacemaking skills, it’s vital that we collectively have a common approachto achieving our goals.

What can be expected by implementing a Common Approach?• Improved YMCA Healthy Child and Healthy Adolescent Development resources • Regular and ongoing staff training to keep youth staff informed and engaged• Specific employee expectations, competences and goals associated with youth

engagement to guide and support staff development • Improved youth volunteering opportunities and training

2. Program Quality & Program Integration The YMCA of Western Ontario will be taking a close look at our current programs, and evaluating our Youth offerings and services. As young people become teenagers, the way they process information changes, resulting in changes in their relationships with peers, their perception of themselves, and their understanding of risk. As an ever-present part of a young person’s life, risk-taking can be a powerful reason to get engaged, to stay engaged, and a way to explore and learn. Risk taking can be positive or negative, and at the YMCA it’s important that programs allow for positive risk-taking and engagement in a safe, controlled, welcoming environment. Research has demonstrated that engagement in itself is an effective harm reduction and prevention strategy. Young people who are involved in meaningful activities and are connected to caring role models are less likely to engage in negative, risky behaviours. Our goal is to offer programs and services to all ages; to build people’s character at every stage of life, and to foster life-long YMCA membership.

What can be expected by improving Program Quality & Program Integration? • New program audit/assessment tool

to measure and track program quality across the Association

• Impactful youth programs are utilized and expanded; non-impactful programs are evaluated or eliminated

• More international opportunities for youth to get connected with global YMCA initiatives

• Improved Leader Corps program at all YMCA of Western Ontario Branches

• Monthly Child & Youth Supervisor meetings to share information and resources

3. Youth AdvocacyIt’s time for youth to have a voice within the YMCA of Western Ontario, and for YMCA staff and members to be advocates for youth development. The number of children and youth coming into the care of the Child Aid Society of London & Middlesex increased 70% over a six-year period. About 16% of London youth between the ages of 15-19 are dealing with depression, compared to 11% nationally. With London’s unemployment rates rising to an all-time high of 9.1%, we need to work with our youth in ways that develops their leadership skills and gives them the support and resources to transition into adulthood. In order for the YMCA to engage youth in new and creative ways, we need to bring youth into the conversation, and listen to what they have to say. Starting a YMCA Youth Council is just the beginning….if we want to fully engage youth within our organization, everyone needs to become an advocate and supporter of the young citizens of our community.

What can be expected by increasing Youth Advocacy? • A Youth Advisory Council is established to bring young people together to share ideas, plan events, learn

about opportunities and gain volunteer hours• Youth have a voice on the YMCA of Western Ontario Board of Directors and gain understanding of YMCA

governance • Children and youth become decision makers within our Association and influence priorities and agendas • Social media tools are utilized and integrated into youth initiatives

4. Partnerships As we build global citizens and embrace youth culture, the YMCA will be relying on our strong internal and external partnerships. Internally, there are many ways we can strengthen our relationships – departmental sharing and cross-departmental initiatives are going to become an exciting part of our collaborative work. Partnering with other service providers and other organizations that work with youth wll allow for greater opportunities. Whether we are partnering with parents, International YMCAs, school boards, Universities and Colleges, or community agencies, our mission, vision and Youth Strategy will position us as leaders in youth development.

What can be expected by expanding and strengthening our Partnerships? • Collaboration with other organizations to meet the diversity of needs and serve more children and youth • Increased communication and understanding between the YMCA and School Boards, the City of London

and Community Partners • Research and Measurement on youth development and health is explored with post secondary institutions • Increased local, provincial, national and international opportunities for youth at the YMCA

Measurement & EvaluationIt is important that the YMCA is able to track and report on the progress of the Youth Engagement Strategy. These measures should clearly show how youth (or the youth experience) has changed as a result of their engagement with the YMCA and where additional improvement is needed. Internally, the YMCA of Western Ontario will be using the following indicators of success to measure and evaluate our progress: • % of youth participation in YMCA programs • % of youth that participate in multiple YMCA programs • % of youth who identify an increase in Developmental Assets • % of youth who identify improvements in their well-being, using the Social Determinants of Health

The goal of the Youth Engagement Strategy is to increase these figures by 5% from 2012-2014, and 10% by 2015. By 2020, YMCAs across Canada will be working together to increase these percentages collaboratively.

Our Commitment to Growing Youth in Spirit, Mind & Body• Every YMCA of Western Ontario environment that offers youth programs is clean, safe, child-friendly and

youth-centered• The YMCA promotes programming with youth, not just for youth• YMCA youth programs and services are developmentally appropriate and provide stimulating activities

that promote asset building and character development• YMCA staff are excellent role models: positive, resourceful, qualified, caring, respectful and youth-focused• YMCA programs promote family inclusion, community feedback and cross-generational initiatives• YMCA programs acknowledge the special needs and challenges resulting from the complex

developmental issues confronting youth today

For more information on our Youth Engagement Strategy or to learn about youth initiatives at the YMCA of Western Ontario, please contact:

Laura HamiltonDirector, Camping & Youth Engagement

lhamilton@ymcawo.ca

YMCA ofWestern Ontario Building healthy communities