Past Event

 

Province backs youth symposium with cash

The Brampton Guardian

Friday December 14 2007

Roger Belgrave

BRAMPTON - Local youth trying to make a positive difference in their community and around the world received more than moral support from the Ontario government this week.

The government's Ontario Trillium Foundation is providing $79,000 to support a local youth symposium. Youth Can Move the World is a free, one-day symposium open to all Peel region youth aged 15 to 25. Organizers said the grant ensures the event will take place in 2008 and 2009.

Members of the organizing committee gathered Friday with partners from Rapport Youth and Family Services, the Peel District School Board and Brampton-Springdale MPP Linda Jeffrey and Trillium foundation representative Andrew Ward to announce the grant allocation. The announcement was made at Peel board administrative headquarters in Mississauga.

Valerie Davis, chair of the Youth Can Move the World steering committee, said the funding is appreciated and a significant vote of confidence for the program and volunteer organizers.

“This is a very special day for us and it's a special day for the youth that live in Peel region," she said.

The symposium, first staged in 2006, offers seminars focused on creating a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable world. Speeches and dance and music performances by noted athletes and artists were interspersed among the seminars. The first event attracted more than 200 young people as participants, performers and volunteers.

The symposium presents an opportunity for youth to learn from each other and those who have already made a mark, said Davis. Events are designed to be inspirational and exciting.

Rapport Youth and Family Services offers counselling and support services aimed at strengthening the social and emotional well-being of youth and families in Peel. The community organization is a proud supporter of the event, said Executive Director Paul Sherman.

This kind of event helps youth become meaningfully engaged in the community, broaden abilities, assume leadership roles and develop compassion, Sherman said. These are valuable in strengthening self-esteem and confidence, he noted. Peel Board Education Director Jim Grieve believes the symposium's goals help create the right climate for learning in local schools.

The Youth Can Move the World symposium is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2008 at the Peel board's HJA Brown Education Centre at 5650 Hurontario St. (Hwy. 10 and Matheson Blvd.) in Mississauga. Other partners include Sheridan College. Organizers also seek local sponsorship for the event. More information can be found online at www.youthcanmovetheworld.com. The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Ontario government distributing funding to charities and not-for-profit groups.

Photo (from left to right): Linda Jeffrey, MPP, Brampton-Springdale, Paul Sherman, Executive Director, Rapport Youth & Family Services, Andrew Ward, Ontario Trillium Foundation volunteer,  and Valerie Davis, Steering Committee Chairperson, Youth Can Move The World.

photo by Peter McCusker