By Peter Walker | National Fundraising Event Manager
THANK YOU for your support of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada!! Because of you, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada is able to provide opportunities for youth like Doug. Doug is a member of our National Youth Council, which provides opportunities to youth from across Canada – enabling them to gain new skills and build confidence through leadership opportunities.
See below for Doug’s story about his participation in this year’s National Youth Conference in Winnipeg, MB – and how Boys and Girls Clubs are helping youth find achieve their full potential.
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A beautiful thing happened on the campus of the University of Manitoba in May. Two hundred young people from all over the country gathered to fuse cultures and learn from one another. As a member of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada’s National Youth Council, I was one of the group responsible for developing the themes and executing workshops for the Fusion 2015 youth forum. This was an amazing opportunity—being a part of the youth council has been the greatest thing ever!
I organized a workshop to teach kids how to find a voice using tie-dye. In the 1970s, teenagers used tie-dye as a form of artistic expression and rebellion, but I chose tie-dye mainly because it was relevant to me. In a way, I never really had a voice until I discovered it. When I was younger I was shy, but after I walked into a shop and bought a tie-dye shirt, things changed for me. That shirt gave me confidence. I decided to learn how to make them. The workshop at this year’s conference ended up being amazing . . . everyone was extremely engaged and very knowledgeable about social situations happening in the world, like the #blacklivesmatter campaign. I got everyone to brainstorm ideas and write down things that they had seen on the news.
The conference focused on what youth are doing today to make Canada a more inclusive place. We were a group of people from diverse backgrounds and yet we were similar. Like putting on my first tie-dye shirt, attending Fusion 2015 and being a part of the National Youth Council has changed me. After meeting everyone and hanging out, I started to get more comfortable with who I am. I started to realize that anything and everything is possible! Being given responsibility is a proving ground for finding your potential. The Boys and Girls Club took a chance on me and gave me a chance to prove that I can lead. I have potential.
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What do you think? Are you interested in more information about how you can support Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada? Please get in touch – pwalker@bgccan.com or 1-844-477-7272 x232.
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