About Youth En Route
Mission
Youth en Route champions, inspires and supports active transportation to school and beyond.
Vision
Youth are empowered to use active and independent ways to get where they are going.
Values
We are committed to:
- Valuing the opinions of others, especially youth
- Using equity as a lens to drive our work to communities traditionally not well-served
- Modelling anti-racism practices. We recognize that racism is systemic, and we are committed to eliminating racism in all forms.
- Acting responsibly toward the communities in which we work and for the benefit of the communities that we serve
We take pride in building positive and beneficial relationships between schools/communities and the key civic/provincial resources. We value opportunities to work with partners to make a collective impact or make resources go further.
What we are doing
We are working to develop sustainable active transportation culture and infrastructure so in the future, youth prefer using active transportation to get where they want to go. Reducing dependence on cars, and using active modes, is good for our planet, student health, mental health and air quality. It fosters independence, inclusion and equity and connects students to their communities. It’s fun, too.
Our goals:
- More students riding or using active transportation to get to school
- Identify and advocate for safe, calm (preferable 5A) routes to school for most students
- Build school culture and community around active transportation to sustain
- Engage community members in active transportation and help them support infrastructure improvements
About our Organization
Incorporated on May 11, 2021 as 13008037 Canada Association. It was registered in Alberta on May 19, 2021 with corporate Access no. 5324493048.
We became a registered Charity on July 21, 2022 with CRA business number 758178461RR0001. You can easily make a donation to support our work on our Canada Helps Page.
2022 Report to the Community
Staff and Directors
Laura has a BA in Journalism and Communications, and has had many different careers – college teacher, communicator, journalist, sporting goods guru and public education advocate. One constant has been her connection to and support of public education. She’s been on 10 school councils in two provinces. She recognized the simple freedom of getting on a bike to get places is not available to many kids in our city. Which makes it even more frustrating that teens, like her children, that have the opportunity and tools, don’t because it’s somehow uncool. Covid provided the push to get her vision of a new non-profit into reality.
A proud albeit often expatriated Calgarian, Shiv is a public and economic policy professional who has worked for both the private and public sectors in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and France. He is a passionate believer in the ’15-minute city’ and an advocate for sustainable urban mobility, including as Policy Coordinator & Strategic Lead for Bike Calgary and through various civic election campaigns. Shiv holds a BA in International Studies and Economics from Vassar College and the Institut d’études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po); he is bilingual in French and English.
Reese is a friend-maker, communicator, advocate and volunteer. Professionally, she has more than 20 years of experience in media, non-profits and corporate communications, and is the incoming Vice-President of IABC/Calgary. Personally, she volunteers nearly 200 hours a year with local organizations that serve the community.
Is a communicator and public engagement specialist. Much of her work focuses on developing integrated public programs that drive health, safety and environmental behaviour change. She’s likely to be seen around Calgary or in the mountains grinning happily as she explores roads, pathways and single track on her mountain or fat bike.
A long time parent advocate, volunteer and community association board member, Larry brings a strong safety and community building perspective to our board. He’s currently the Executive Director of 12 Community Safety Initiative (https://12csi.ca/) that does great work in communities east of Deerfoot Trail. He’s also Past President of the Crossroads Community Association, Board Chair of Cornerstone Youth Centre and board member at Phoenix Education Foundation.
Chris is a retired accountant with more than 40 years of varied financial experience. While working he was an active transportation commuter (biking and walking), now in retirement he is a keen bike rider on Calgary’s many pathways. A lifelong believer in the value of cycling and walking, he is keen to see active transportation adopted by many more of Calgary’s youth. Chris is also a director and treasurer of a significant Calgary-based environmental charity.
Kimberley has been on the Vélo Canada Bikes board of directors since 2014. She is the former president and an active volunteer of Bike Calgary, and a founding member for Bicycle Bells, Vision Zero Calgary and Calgarians For Transportation Choice. She has also contributed to CARSP, Walk21 and was on the Government of Canada National Vulnerable Road User working group. Kimberley first fell in love with biking when commuting 11km to high school.
Dimitri loves Youth En Route because it merges four of his favourite things: biking, volunteering, urban geography, and biking! He works as a municipal planner, but has previously worked in the realms of mainstreet vibrancy and bike-share systems.
Born in Mexico and having lived in New York and Canada, Ivan holds a BA in Industrial Design from Mexico City’s UAM, partial studies in Product and Furniture Design at the Centre for Design, Television and Film in Mexico and a Master’s in Planning from the U of C.He has been involved in social entrepreneurship, social innovation, planning and sustainable tourism projects. He has collaborated in different roles with Start Alberta, the Downtown Ambassador Program, the International Avenue BRZ and the 12 Community Safety Initiative, as well as the Victoria Park BRZ. He is currently an urban and regional planner at Township Planning + Design in Calgary, Alberta and enjoys climbing, hiking and biking in Southern Alberta and wherever he can travel to.
Our Partners
It takes a village.
C-Can Store:
Because secure bike storage is so important for students.
Markanic Towing:
Mark and his crew have helped us deliver bike racks all over the city.
HLC:
This bike equipment supplier works with the biggest brands in biking. They supported our Pilot Project right out of the gate, with over $3,000 worth of equipment to encourage riding!
Velo Canada Bikes:
The umbrella group that connects cycling advocates across the country. Recently working on the national Pedal Poll.
We are looking for groups to partner with. Let’s work together on shared infrastructure, ideas and equipment – to make all of our funds go further, and get more kids out of cars and using independent, active and green transportation.