The Kids are Alright!

At moments we are pretty quick to bash the youth of today. Just the other day I read an article in one of the major daily papers talking about how the current generation of youth suffer from a major case of narcissism, self entitlement, self indulgence and referred to them as the "it's all about me" generation. They described them as a dumbed down generation of digital youth who live and die with their iPhones and Macbooks. They don't talk, they text and that the world that they see doesn't go past the end of their noses or their electronic devices. Well I can tell you this just simply isn't true and painting them with such a negative swath is something I'm not so quick to jump on the bandwagon with.

Last week I got an email, followed up with a phone call from a couple of young ladies from Glenforest Secondary School. Iana & Saher were working on a Civics project, launched through the Toskan Casale Foundation, called the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI). I am familar with this project because we've had calls over the past couple of years from other students looking for information about FAME for their project. How it works is that groups of highschool kids have to do a project about a not for profit/charity in their community and then put on a presentation in front of their peers about the organization. This is kind of like a smackdown competition for students to win $5,000 for the charity that they are repping. The presentations are then voted on by students & faculty.

Now only one team from each school can win but the really great upside of this competition is that it engages youth from all over the GTA to research and reach out to charitys and NFP's. They learn, they get insight, most importantedly, they engage. They get to meet people and understand the needs of the their community in a way they might not have ever gotten to. For some it is just another school work project but for so many other youth it gives them a true sense of their community and those in need.

During the phone call, the lovely Iana asked me if we could meet. Being accomodating I said "sure...when?" She replies "Saturday?" Ugh. Saturday. I reply "I don't normally work on Saturdays...." I pause. "Ok" I say. "When and where?" We plan on meeting down at the Meadowvale Library at 1:00 p.m. So much for a Saturday off. I live in Caledon so it is a hike. What the heck, it's for the kids right?

I met Iana and Saher at the library. I can't remember a better spent few hours on a Saturday afternoon. They are a life force of their own. They are so positive, so bright and so well prepared to talk to me. All of a sudden I don't care that it's a Saturday afternoon and that I could be off doing other things. I was right where I should be. They had done their homework and in our discussions I learned that we (FAME) weren't a random pick on their part. Saher had done a fair amount on research and decided that FAME was right for them because they recognized that mental health issues was pretty much on the top of the pile in terms of community & health issues not only for youth but all Canadians. We talked, we shared, they asked me many questions and in turn I asked them questions. They learned about FAME and I learned about them, their core values and what really mattered to them about their community. I was truly impressed.

It was then that I realized that I wasn't the only one who had given up their Saturday afternoon. They too had gotten on a bus, travelled to a library, to meet a stranger, all for a school project, when they probably could have been holed up in their local theatre watching The Hunger Games mawing down on popcorn and candy. I was witnessing youth engagement at its very best. There wasn't an iota of narcissism present at the table. These kids, who we are so often so quick to give a bum rap to, aren't just ok, they rock.

To the staff over at Glenforest Secondary School, and in particular to their Civics teacher, Ms. Ludin, I will say this....you all have very much to be proud of. Iana & Saher have represented their school in a manner that we, as parents, as teachers, as community based organizations and as citizens of the Peel community, would give a big thumbs up too! They are the epitomy of Glenforest Secondary's tenet "Participate. Respect. Achieve."

To the Toskan Casale Foundation and the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative I say good on you guys! Julie I want to applaud you for finding a really creative way to engage youth in their communities. Just an outstanding move. By the end of my meeting with Iana & Saher they were chattering about how they'd like to volunteer with us. This is how we can engage our youth and let them find ways to show that they matter and have a valuable contribution to make to their community.

Finally, I will say this. No matter what the outcome on this, whether or not Iana, Saher and their team get the winning votes, this is a complete win win for everyone. As I told the girls yesterday, they are going to go back to their school, make a presentation and teach a whole bunch of youth about an organization, educate them about mental health and they just might learn something they didn't know before. They will get to talk about how mental illness impacts the lives of every single person in this country. Any time we get to talk aloud about subjects like mental illness and all the fallout of it, then we are all that much better for it.

So here's my shout out to my girls, Iana & Saher. I look forward to our paths crossing again and I wish you all the very best of luck on your project. I truly believe that you girls, somewhere along the journeys of your lifetime, will make this world a better place to live.

Much respect,
Christine