The Students Commission Conference with the
Centre of Excellence for Youth Engagement
11 reasons you don’t want to miss it! What the adults say | What youth say
In my 11 years working of in the social services industry, I have yet to see similarly outstanding outcomes as those that the Students Commission produces. I wish to share my thoughts on the event itself, the Student Commission and its exceptional staff. I hope that this letter reaches all of those who were involved in the long and arduous planning and pulling off of this year’s Student Commission. My positive impressions began when I witnessed the young men with whom I work, planning months in advance to seek and secure their attendance funding. They clearly wanted to attend. This was the first indicator of success and engagement – the enthusiasm and desire to participate. Even greater testament was that many of these people were return delegates.
At the Opening Ceremony, a ripple of energy moved through the room; you felt as if something special was about to happen and that you were going to be a part of it. This feeling continued throughout the week, even as stress mounted and energy sagged as the young people worked to complete their final workshops. Throughout the week the adults took a back seat. The young adults – delegates, facilitators had the reins. They appeared un-tethered and buoyed by (for many) this new sense of freedom and trust. Dignity, Respect and Value were understood; nobody had to earn these ideals, it was just taken for granted that everybody inherently deserved them. I suspect that for many of the young people these may have been foreign concepts, but ones that they quickly embraced and fed upon. These seemingly uncomplicated considerations helped to create an environment of safety and security; a space where the youth were allowed to behave bravely. The workshops that they created over the seven-day period were remarkable. They were infused by the passion of the participants. The final day in Ottawa, where the youth presented their hard work was a Himalayan peak for some and a feather in the cap for others. This haven also provided emotional opportunities for some of the participants. The aptly themed conference – Go Mental Get Physical! – prompted some delegates to examine their own lives and to begin the process of achieving peace and wellness. I was awed by the risk that the youth took time and time again. By acknowledging their on-going sadness, concerns with their own mental health or the pain and abuse that permeates their communities and families – these young adults were taking control of their lives. Many of these delegates will return. I pray that their communities and supporting agencies continue to provide them with the financial assistance necessary for this to occur. I believe that they will continue to engage if they are supported through the process – financially and emotionally. The Students Commission and its staff know all this. I think it’s why they continue to do it. I actually asked one younger member of staff, how he could continue to work without sleep, with the stress and with the complaints. He replied, "Have you seen the looks on their faces?" - I don’t think he was feigning melodrama, he really believed in this, in them. I also don’t think that he’d be the only one to respond that way. I’ve obviously been touched. I got it on me and I can’t wash it off. This youth engagement stuff. Empowerment and Respect. I’d like to bottle it and take it back to my agency. I’ll continue to partner with the SC and hopefully over time both they and the young people they engage will help make me a better person and the work I do much more valuable than it already is. Julie
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tgmag@tgmag.ca
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Tiny Giant Magazine & The Students Commission