YER’s first Youth Advisory Council meeting is June 25

Youth en Route empowers youth to be strong, resilient, and healthy by giving them the ability and accessibility to choose active transportation to reach everyday destinations. We value the opinions of youth, and want student cyclists to contribute to the conversation on active transportation. With the creation of our new Youth Advisory Council, students in Grades 8 to 12 across Calgary will be setting the direction of our innovative charity.

Hearing from applicants

Over the past several weeks we have invited youth to apply to join the Council, and we are thrilled to announce that we will have a full team of students for our first meeting. Applicants provided thoughtful responses, and we cannot wait to meet them to discuss what’s next for Youth en Route.

Here is what some of the students have said in their applications:

“Being part of this advisory council will give me an avenue to be part of and make a difference in our city that will only benefit people.”

“This opportunity makes me very enthusiastic, as it will develop my leadership and collaboration skills, and it will also give me an opportunity to positively impact my community.”

“When I was younger my favorite thing to do was ride my bike. I would cycle to every single destination. Now, I notice less kids riding bikes and spending time outdoors. Even as teenagers, we tend to drive rather than walk or ride a bike. I think we have become too reliant on modes of transportation that produce CO2 emissions and do not promote healthy lifestyles. I would like to join the Youth Advisory Council to devise plans and provide my input, in order to encourage students to cycle and walk more.”

“I want to join Youth en Route’s Youth Advisory Council because I really care about making transportation better and easier for young people like me.”

What’s on the agenda

The Youth Advisory Council’s first meeting will be held via Zoom on June 25 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. We will be discussing Youth en Route’s evolving mission and vision. In the 2023 – 2024 school year, YER honed in on what we do and revised our organization to better meet the needs of the youth that we serve.

We also want to discuss how well our logo and messaging resonates with youth. We will provide council members with the opportunity to brainstorm, express their ideas, and develop our branding. By collaborating with youth, we can ensure our organization reflects their perspective on active transportation and offers solutions to the challenges they face.

Council members will be involved in the processes of our organization, and will help us to acquire support for the work we do. Proposals for grants will be planned during the first meeting and will be given as an assignment. By our next meeting in July, we want to have proposals completed toward submission.

Welcome to the Youth Advisory Council

Youth en Route wants to thank all students who applied to join the Youth Advisory Council. We look forward to meeting our 20 council members on June 25, and starting the conversation on active transportation in Calgary.