Refining our Mission and Vision
Youth en Route is a Calgary based charity that has been working for the past three years in the area of helping kids use bicycles for transportation. Over those years the group has engaged with many schools, delved into several initiatives and undertaken advocacy to help remove barriers preventing youth from biking. Through those efforts, the organization has learned lots about the interests of kids, parents and schools as well as what motivates them. We’ve also learned what challenges and opportunities need attention to move things forward.
With that in mind, the Youth en Route Board decided it was time to revisit the group’s mission and vision statements as well as identify the key pillars of focus for the organization. The old mission and vision served the organization well in its initial deployment and the first few years, but the time was right to refine it to ensure we were collectively pedaling in the right direction.
New Mission Statement
Empowering youth to be healthy and resilient by using a bicycle to reach everyday destinations.
Mission statements define an organization’s purpose, and we didn’t have to look far to understand our purpose given it’s the first word in the group’s name: Youth! For us it’s all about the kids and how we can help them to be healthy (mentally and physically) as well as more resilient to handle life’s challenges. It’s amazing how much those two things are realized through using a bicycle for transportation.
Previously the group’s mission focused on biking to school, and while that’s still an awesome destination, we also realize there are many other places kids like to go every day. Given this reality, we’ve adjusted the destination to better realize all the places kids could travel to by bike.
New Vision Statement
Youth have agency to independently travel their community by bicycle.
While Mission statements point the direction, vision statements define the destination an organization is striving to reach. For Youth en Route that is a place where youth feel in control and have faith in their ability to handle a wide range of tasks and situations. This equates to “agency” and through agency youth can realize independence as they travel their community without relying on parents to drive them everywhere. As a bonus, Moms and Dads can also get a break from taxiing kids everywhere!
With these new statements in mind, Youth en Route Board reviewed its programming over its first three years in terms of main components that help realize its vision. From that we’ve identified five key pillars where the organization will focus its efforts going forward.
Five pillars facilitate active travel
There are five key ingredients needed for Calgarians to choose active modes of transportation. One broken link, and the whole thing fails.
- Ability – Know how to ride a bicycle with confidence and perform basic maintenance
- Access – Having access to a bicycle
- Safe Routes – Knowing how to find the path to destinations that are comfortable and safe to ride.
- Secure — Secure parking at destinations – without it, cyclists won’t ride and risk theft of their bike
- Culture – A community of ridership provides youth social connections the knowledge that cycling is possible and fun
As Youth en Route works with schools, we’ll collaborate to determine which pillars are missing from the equation and we’ll support getting them in place. However, we know that secure storage is a school board responsibility and routes are built by the City of Calgary. We will advocate, provide expertise and yes, we’ll partner to find funding. For the rest, we’ll deploy the appropriate programming to meet the opportunity, and reassess to determine what’s next.
This comprehensive and deliberate approach is what really differentiates Youth en Route. Working on just one of the five key pillars doesn’t support ALL youth or increase cycling rates. Keeping an eye on all five and working on the areas of most importance will truly allow our organization realize it’s vision.
Youth en Route is very excited for the future of youth using bicycles to move about their community in Calgary. If you are interested in learning more about Youth en Route, if you’d like to work or volunteer or if you’d like to donate to our charity, please get in touch. We’ll be happy to tell you more!
Web: www.youthenroute.ca
Donate: www.youthenroute.ca/donate
Contact: info@youthenroute.ca
