The Lloydminster Youth Council had another busy year full of milestone celebrations, marking 10 years of existence for the organization.
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Addison Smith, the chair of the youth council, and Ife Antonio, chair emeritus, told Lloydminster city council they had their biggest group so far, with 27 members being sworn in.
Smith kicked off the presentation by explaining something she learned during her time on the youth council.
“A big thing that I’ve learned through my time on youth council is that leadership isn’t about age, it’s about the willingness of putting yourself out there and getting involved in things that can make a positive change,” she said.
The year was packed with events, beginning with Fall Frenzy.
“Fall Frenzy was held at Bud Miller. We were able to get a bunch of people to come out to the picnic area and do a bunch of games, have drinks, a scavenger hunts, all the fall fun things,” Antonio said, noting attendance was strong.
When it comes to reaching their target demographic, it has not always been easy.
“We’ve always seen a struggle with social media and having a hard time getting our media to the demographic we’re trying to reach,” Antonio said.
She explained that moving forward, they plan to host events that cater to families.
“Moving forward we’re looking to try and cater at least two to three family events and the rest for teenagers,” she said, noting teenagers and events centered around them remain the priority.
The youth council also hosted a Youth Rec Night at Avery Outreach School, featuring an open gym, snacks, drinks, dodgeball and nostalgic childhood games. They also hosted a movie night to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.
One major highlight was the youth council’s 10-year anniversary celebration.
“That was our chance to showcase and recognize the youth,” Antonio said.
She added it’s important for the city to see what youth can accomplish when they receive support from adults.
As part of the anniversary event, they hosted a history walk showcasing their journey from their inaugural year to now, a barbecue, outdoor games, mental health popups, live music and speeches from the chair and others.
Group cohesion was another major focus for the council this year.
“With such a big group, it’s important that everyone gets comfortable with each other,” Smith said, noting the council includes students from both local school divisions. “During our meetings, we want everyone to feel supported and (know) they can get their ideas out there and not feel judged, so we did some team bonding activities.”
Around Christmas, they gathered at the Servus Sports Centre to enjoy food, play games, and take part in a sock exchange. At the end of the year, they also visited an escape room — an activity Smith was particularly happy about.
“My team dominated,” she said.
The youth council also took part in plenty of volunteer opportunities, including the first responders toy drive, the SPCA, a volunteer breakfast and the SOARING project.
“There’s six videos that we completed, they all talk about different facets of teenage life and how we can help youth to feel like they aren’t alone in those things,” Antonio said about SOARING.
Antonio also travelled to Banff to present on behalf of the council regarding meaningful collaboration with young people. On top of that, the youth council was ever-present in the community, delivering a presentation to the Border City Rotary Club and participating in both a transit design jam and PechaKucha.
Coun. Jason Whiting took the opportunity to thank the youth council for its hard work.
“We see these familiar faces off youth council throughout the community on various different things,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to know this organization still exists, still doing a lot of great things and very appreciative for all that you guys are doing.”
Coun. Michael Diachuk also spoke about the difference the youth are making, highlighting Coun. Justin Vance, who is a former youth councillor.
“Keep doing what you’re doing. You’re making a difference,” Diachuk said. “Part of what has always been said is that if you can see yourself or see someone else in a role, that could be you. You become inspired to do it. I know there are others that see you and go, I can do that.”
Vance, who served as a student council member, was shoulder-tapped to join the newly forming youth council in 2016. He reflected on his early days with the organization.
“We hit the ground running. We tried and maybe didn’t do so well at some things and did really well at other things,” Vance said. “It was such a learning experience those first couple of years.”
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