In Their Own Words
The YCRH partnered with The Sandbox Project, Healthy Debate, and the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative to collaborate on this youth project. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge and lasting effect on the entire Canadian population and dominates the national conversation. Many voices have been heard including health professionals, scientists, politicians, media personalities and private citizens. Yet, there is one group whose stories have not been told, and whose perspectives have not been sought - Canada’s youth. This is in spite of the fact that they will be forced to deal with the long-term and lasting consequences of the pandemic.
This storytelling project partnered with youth from various communities across Canada to relay their experiences of how the pandemic has affected them, in their own words using their preferred styles and media form. It is imperative that we learn and understand the current needs of youths, which can then inform the public at large as well as policy makers about future changes which should be implemented to foster positive growth of current youth as well as those to come. Who better to teach us than the youths themselves?
You can find the 2022 submissions here.
This Special Series aims to bring Canadian youth to the forefront and provide youth aged 12 to 19 with a direct platform to shed light on the impacts of the pandemic and help inform short- and long-term recovery measures and advocacy strategies for youth services within communities, educational settings and the health-care system.
Preparing to graduate from Dalhousie University last spring was an extremely stressful time of uncertainty for me; classes were switched online quickly and the fear of not being able to graduate on time was a reality. Alongside my educational experience facing substantial alterations, I struggled with finding employment.
The students are fighting, they’re talking about it but the voices are not being heard and that is the key issue. Student voices are not really heard by the campuses or by various levels of government … We need a national school food policy for post-secondary students.
Youth Submissions Across Canada
WAITING FOR A LIGHT THAT NEVER COMES
– Mackenzie Campbell (they/them)
– Katie Yu
– Madalina Oprea
Who Knew
– Keren Vince
Who knew I would miss the simple smile of a stranger walking by me at the grocery store. The wrinkle on the side of their lips reassuring me with happiness. Who knew I would miss that snarky side-eye by a random person judging me as I walked past them at the mall. Who knew I would miss those little kids who would stick their tongues out at me and giggle. Who knew I would grow so fond of a stranger’s “hello” and “have a good day”… I didn’t.
Passing Seasons
– Sean Chen
With uncertainty expanding over the horizon, the awkwardness was an understatement. While news reports blared the newest case counts and the lives lost, I was trying to gain traction in the ever-deteriorating and demanding world of online learning. From “you’re muted” to “sorry my wifi cut out”, I realized that this was the new “normal.”
Self Reflection during COVID-19
– Olivia Barbosa
I now look back at COVID and look at it in a more positive light. I reconnected with some old friends of mine that I would've never stayed in contact with, my mental health improved and I learned a lot about myself. I now appreciate the little things a lot more, I’m grateful to wake up in the morning and be healthy, a small smile from a stranger, a wave from a friend.
Blank 67
– Mackenzie Campbell
It’s been over 500 days since I held someone and not just someone; anyone this world filled with change and I’m having a hard time catching up faces behind masks hiding away from the pain of our reality yet we grow older grow bolder and grow in our separate ways without growing apart
Did I just have a dream?
– Nivriti Bajwa
Spring’s the season, but grey’s the hue, It feels like animals trapped in a zoo! Stuck in our homes just like glue, We shall live through history, who knew?
The “Best years of our lives”
– Chloe Fabalena
When asking adults about the best years of their lives, I bet they don't bring up their marks in chemistry, but the memories, mistakes and friends they made during the times they weren’t studying for that upcoming trig 2 test. The best years of their lives are the years that me and my fellow seniors will never get back.
Looking on the bright side
– Meena
I took this time to realize what self-care actually is. From the beginning of the pandemic all the way until September 2020, I grew as a person. Being away from people allowed me to focus on myself. Since I barely had anything to do, I picked up a handful of different hobbies, which before I could never see myself doing.
Project Co-Lead, Creative Director - Lia Mattacchione
Project Co-Lead - Umayangga Yogalingam
Project Advisers - Stacie Smith, Raissa Amany
For media inquiries about this project please contact Stacie, Co-Executive Director, at ssmith@sandboxproject.ca