TORONTO, Dec. 21, 2022 - The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge and lasting effect on the entire Canadian population. 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 in spite of the fact that they will be forced to deal with the long-term and lasting consequences of the pandemic.
In 2021, The Sandbox Project, The YCRH, and Healthy Debate collaborated on a youth driven special series, In Their Own Words. This series allowed Canadian youth to have a voice and offered a space in which they could share their COVID-19 experiences.
Youth across Canada, a year later, still have more to share with us and we must listen. This series continues to provide youth the opportunity 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 youth, which can then inform the public at large as well as policy makers about future changes which should be implemented to foster growth of current youth as well as those to come. Who better to teach us than the youth themselves?
Series Release Schedule
21.12.2022
27.12.2022
30.12.2022
03.01.2023
The Healthy Communities Initiative is a $60 million investment from the Government of Canada to transform public spaces in response to COVID-19. Thanks to their contribution, we were able to reopen submissions, receiving 120 stories from coast to coast.
About The Sandbox Project:
The vision of The Sandbox Project is to make Canada the healthiest place on Earth for children and youth to grow up. It is focused on improving children and youth health outcomes with respect to injury prevention, obesity, mental health and the environment.
About the Young Canadians Roundtable on Health:
The Young Canadians Roundtable on Health was created in 2013 based on one of the recommendations in The Sandbox Project's founding report, Reaching for the Top. The recommendation focused on creating a national advisory of youth leaders to participate in decision-making around child and youth health. They collaborate with industry, government, research, health practitioners and families.
For further information: on In Their Own Words, please contact: Stacie Smith, Co-Executive Director, Young Canadians Roundtable on Health, (902) 830-3504, ssmith@sandboxproject.ca