Growth of OYSC YouthScape!

Thunder Bay

The goal of project OYSC (Ogden Youth Supporting Community) is to bring a group of neighbourhood youth together to increase the number of youth-led activities in their underserviced community.  The group is made up of 7 youth ages 15 and 16.  At the beginning of the project, they felt that their age was a challenge.  They were frustrated by adults, city officials in particular, who didn’t listen to them because they were “just a bunch of kids and we don’t pay taxes, so who cares about us”.  Previously, they had tried to contact different city councilors to put the boards up at their neighbourhood rink, but their phone calls were never returned.  This community doesn’t have many youth activities and services available, so getting their ideas off the ground was going to be challenging…

The project has been completely youth-led, with the youth making their own decisions the entire way though.  At the same time, learning how to connect with the city, businesses and the neighbourhood association was made possible with the guidance, support and trust of adult allies. The adult allies keep the groups on track and provide them with direction when asked.  The partnership between these youth and their adult allies has been a key to the continuation of the project.

This challenge has led them to collaborate with the neighbourhood association who is also trying to revitalize the area. As a result, the youth are in the midst of partnering with the neighbourhood association and the City of Thunder Bay. This “ripple” is starting to produce results in the area. The youth have hosted two skate days which were both well attended. They want to take ownership of the space at Minnesota Park to create a youth hub for activities for all youth to participate and engage in. In the initial meeting with the city representatives, the youth spoke of their vision for obtaining the use of that space and how they want to “take back the community and not be known as the slum neighbourhood anymore.”  

With the support of the city and neighbourhood association, the youth are embarking on a venture to offer programs and engage youth in helping to build capacity within themselves and within the neighbourhood. The city has already committed to weekly teen swim nights at the park during the summer months! This offer was given after having only one meeting with the youth. This is a young, passionate group of youth that want to be involved in their community and have their ideas heard.

This has not only been a learning experience for the youth but the city as well.  The youth are showing lots of energy, enthusiasm, and are articulating their needs, priorities, and vision – the city is noticing them! The city is seeing that young people have different views and perspectives on issues and are taking an interest in listening to what the youth voice is telling them.

Another positive learning experience for these youth is being involved in the YouthScape Learning Forum. They have said that this has been an important tool for the development of their project. In particular, the connection to other YouthScape groups has been invaluable. They want to continue attending forums to “learn off of one another and use each other’s resources”.  This table shows some potential collaborations with other YouthScape projects in Thunder Bay.

YOUTHSCAPE PROJECT	RESOURCE	REASON FOR USE
Comparison and Contrast	Video Equipment	To film concert in the park
Greenhouses for a Greener World	Seedlings and/or Gardening Information	Design a garden at the park; To support them by buying plants from group; Seek information on gardening issues

This is only the beginning of connecting with other groups. More forums will be offered and will allow for even more networking amongst groups!

The OYSC YouthScape group is a strong-willed, enthusiastic and creative group of young people who are committed to developing an action plan for their neighbourhood and for the youth who live there.  They are in the process of making huge strides to bring about positive change.  With the continued support of adult allies and partnerships with other YouthScape groups, this group of youth will not only make a difference in their neighbourhood, but to the community as a whole!

By Rose Nicholson