Join Us For CityTalk: Supporting Youth In Shaping Canada's Future

- Tweet0
- 0
- Pin It 0
- 0
- Subscribe to RSS
Subscribe

Subject: Join Us For CityTalk: Supporting Youth In Shaping Canada's Future

Open this email in your browser

LEADING UP TO THE STATE OF CANADA'S CITIES SUMMIT

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow:

How Can We Empower Youth To Shape Our Communities

Thursday, November 20 | 12:00 p.m. ET | Live Zoom Webinar

There are over 8 million Canadians under the age of 19. These young people are a core part of our communities, sharing in our collective future. Yet there are few opportunities for children and youth to learn the skills they need to practice positive civic engagement.

Youth below the age of 18 are often excluded from formal decision-making, and few public engagement processes have formal channels for youth participation. Yet many young people are eager to play a more active role in solving problems in their schools and communities, and can bring unique insights to the table. This is particularly important as issues like housing and affordable apply unique pressures to Canadian youth.

Join us for this week’s CityTalk where Mary Rowe sits with a panel of changemakers working with young people to shape their communities and include them in civic conversations as we grapple with issues like the future of housing, mobility, economic opportunity, and sustainability.

Three of our panellists will represent finalist projects from the CUI and School of Cities National Call For Transformative Local Solutions held earlier this year. The winners of this challenge will be revealed at the State of Canada's Cities Summit. Click here to get your ticket before they run out!

Meet Our Speakers

Eric Lombardi

Founder | More Neighbours Toronto | Toronto, ON

Eric Lombardi stands at the forefront of urban development and advocacy as the Founder More Neighbours Toronto and recently, as Chair of of Build Toronto. Professionally, he specializes in strategy management consulting in the finance and technology sectors.

Lanrick Bennett Jr.

Urbanist-In-Residence | School of Cities, University of Toronto | Toronto, ON

Lanrick Bennett Jr. is Toronto’s first Bicycle Mayor and currently serves as Manager of Donor Education & Engagement at United Way Greater Toronto. In that role, he designs immersive experiences and educational opportunities that help donors understand the interconnected challenges facing communities across the GTA. Lanrick also holds the position of Urbanist-in-Residence at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities, where he advocates for equitable mobility and sustainable city-building. His work focuses on climate justice, public space, and building cities that prioritize people over cars.

Mike Des Jardins

Senior Community Animator | Tamarack Institute | Hamilton, ON

Mike is a certified teacher in the Province of Ontario who has worked directly with youth through program and service delivery and indirectly supporting youth by creating the system conditions to support their learning, development and well-being. He is passionate about valuing youth as leaders of today based on their unique skills and assets. With the Tamarack Institute, he is supporting young people and adult allies through youth centred collective impact work in small, rural, remote, Indigenous communities across Canada.

Monica Cheema

Coordinator, CityShapers in Schools | CityHive | Vancouver, BC

Monica Cheema (she/her) is a filmmaker, facilitator, and researcher based between Fleetwood-Surrey and East Vancouver. She works at the intersection of art, education, urbanism, and community organizing, weaving these disciplines together to foster critical thinking and engagement. Her work in classrooms encourages young people to reflect on their connection to land and each other. She values students as knowledge holders and tailors place-based programs to meet diverse learning needs, fostering accessible and engaging experiences for all. Currently, she consults on various public space planning initiatives in South Vancouver. Monica sees storytelling as a transformative tool for fostering dialogue. She has had the privilege of sharing her media-based work at The Polygon Gallery, Surrey Art Gallery, James Black Gallery, Mayworks Festival, Vines Festival, DOXA Documentary Film Festival, and Gallery Gachet.

Sarah Armouch

Senior Director, Research & Innovation | Youthful Cities | Montréal, QC

Sarah Armouch is the Senior Director of Research & Innovation at Youthful Cities, where she champions bold, youth-driven solutions in skills development, workforce pathways, housing, civic engagement and social innovation. Guided by a belief that young people are architects of the future, not just participants in it, she leads initiatives that center their experiences, insights and leadership. Sarah completed her PhD in Digital Civics at Newcastle University (UK), where she explored how to design meaningful change with youth civic groups. She has consulted with organizations in Canada and internationally, including Digital Moment and the IFRC, and contributed to youth-focused projects funded by IDRC and UNICEF MENARO. A 2021 100 TechWomen awardee, and she helped shape Limitless, the IFRC youth innovation initiative recognized at the Global Good Awards for its impact during the COVID-19 crisis.

Snapshot from the CityShapers in Schools initiative by CityHive Vancouver.

At next week's CityTalk, you'll meet three finalists from the National Call For Transformative Local Solutions

Earlier this year, CUI and the School of Cities at the University of Toronto put out a National Call For Transformative Local Solutions. The goal was to find leading examples of community-level change, and identify initiatives with the strongest potential to be scaled as models for transformation across the country. Winners of this national call will be announced live at the State of Canada's Cities Summit, where project representatives will have a chance to share their stories with a national audience of leading urban champions.

CityShapers in Schools | CityHive

Building youth civic engagement capacity through in-classroom programming about hyperlocal issues in the Greater Vancouver Area, B.C.

Communities Building Youth Futures | Tamarack Institute

Empowering youth from across the country with education and employment opportunities in rural and remote communities.

Safe Routes To School | Bike Bus Toronto

Creating a regular cycling routine with parent and teacher volunteers to encourage cycling as a way for children to get to and from school safely

To connect with and see winning projects present on their initiatives, register for the State of Canada's Cities Summit.

Only a few tickets remain.

Join Us At The Summit

Snapshot from Communities Building Youth Futures initiative from the Tamarack Institute.

Enjoying CityTalk? Join Us In-Person for the State of Canada's Cities Summit

Each December, the Canadian Urban Institute brings together hundreds of urban professionals, policymakers, business leaders, community advocates, and academics at the annual Summit to assess the health of our cities and shape their future.

Dec. 3 and Dec. 4 in Ottawa

Donate to the Canadian Urban Institute

Subscribe

Subject: Join Us For CityTalk: Supporting Youth In Shaping Canada's Future