About 150 teenagers from across the country spent this week at Kempville College discussing ways to end child poverty in Canada.

Yesterday, they presented the fruits of their deliberations to Gilbert Parent, Speaker of the House of Commons, who was "impressed by their idealism," a spokeswoman says.

Their report contains 24 recommendations to the government and Canadians and the outline of 21 projects that delegates hope can be implemented once they return to their communities.

Sharing Resources 2000 is the first of seven national workshops designed to bring together Canadian teens to discuss poverty issues and to support them in creating change at home. The Kemptville gathering concentrated on child poverty.

Awareness that there really is a problem is the first step in eradicating youth poverty, the group suggests.

To this end, they recommend "that the government implement a national awareness campaign about child poverty in Canada. That they support local communities to raise awareness through personal and genuine stories about people's lives and situations".

The delegates hope to recruit at least 2000 youths by the year 2000 to create and implement local community projects to help the less advantaged.

Among the projects are awareness programs to let young children know what resources are available to help them; volunteer-run, free after-school drop-in centres and various projects to raise funds for these efforts.

The Speaker is pleased to see the next generation of Canadians are bringing their idealism into the fight against child poverty, said Jayne Watson, a spokeswoman in Mr. Parent's office.

Although Parliament unanimously passed a resolution in 1989 to eliminate child poverty by the year 2000, the numbers have since gone up, the group says.

In 1980, 15.8 per cent of Canadian children were considered to be living below the poverty line. By 1995, that had risen to 21 per cent.

The Students Commission, a non-profit organization involving students and adult volunteers in partnership with TG Magazine and Optimist service clubs, has held annual conferences since 1991.