Reflecting on the YCRH’s 2020 and Looking Ahead

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

By Umayangga Yogalingam, (Co-Executive Director, The Young Canadians Roundtable on Health)

2020 was an interesting year for the Young Canadians Roundtable on Health (YCRH). We were in the midst of planning the annual Sandbox Summit when the pandemic was declared in March 2020 and the Summit had to be postponed. Soon came the ever-familiar lockdown and work-from-home orders, daily COVID-19 case counts, Zoom fatigue, and anxiety about the future.

As a national youth advisory committee, we didn’t have to significantly adjust our processes as the YCRH has always relied on virtual means of meeting and planning, but it was still challenging. During the pandemic, Canadian youth have had to adapt their lifestyles, routines, and relationships in unprecedented ways to ensure the safety of themselves and their loved ones. These adjustments have been difficult. Youth have had their schooling moved online, have had difficulty obtaining meaningful employment, and some have had to navigate various means to meet basic needs to support themselves and their families. Many surveys have found that many youth reported a decline in mental health resulting from burnout, feeling isolated, and worrying about the pandemic’s impact on the health of themselves and their families, education, job prospects, and social life.

It has been a difficult time for youth but despite these challenges, the members of the YCRH demonstrated tremendous leadership in the work towards bettering the health and well-being of Canadian youth, families, and communities through various initiatives. Some highlights include:

• Launching the first webinar of our webinar series called The YCRH Webinar Series: Coping with COVID-19 as a Family in September where families across Canada got to learn more about physical activity, healthy eating, and mindfulness meditation during the pandemic.

• Presenting at the Students Commission of Canada’s #CanadaWeWant Knowledge Exchange Event and at Children’s Healthcare Canada’s annual conference on the importance of meaningful youth engagement in health spaces across Canada

• Partnering with the Students Commission of Canada to facilitate three discussions with youth on health and well-being, employment, and the environment and climate change in order to inform the federal-level State of Youth report

• Organizing and hosting two national youth forums as part of a new initiative called Inspiring Health Futures: WeCANforKids, in collaboration with Children’s Healthcare Canada, the CIHR Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health, Pediatric Chairs of Canada and UNICEF Canada.

The YCRH is a microcosm of the amazing work that Canadian youth have been doing during the pandemic to protect, serve, and build their communities. Youth health and well-being have been significantly impacted during the pandemic and as such, it is important now more than ever to incorporate youth into decision-making as we all make steps towards pandemic recovery and beyond. Youth have proven themselves time and time again that they are resilient in the face of adversity, knowledgeable about the issues that affect them, and dedicated to bettering their communities. It’s time to listen to them and act.

Umayangga Yogalingam is a recent graduate from the Master of Public Health program at the University of Toronto and is passionate about mental health, health equity, environmental health, and the impact of race, culture and ethnicity on health. In addition to being the Co-Executive Director of the YCRH, she is also the Research and Knowledge Translation Lead at The Sandbox Project.

The Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE) is forming an Advisory Committee. Join now!

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Help shape the future of online tools bringing urban built environment information and data to Canadians.

The Sandbox Project is collaborating with the Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE) and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health are collaborating to develop online tools that will help people easily access, use and contribute to data on healthy urban environments.

Building on CANUE's growing data holdings and a soon-to-be-released GoodScore.City prototype, new tool functions and data will be added, including on-demand reporting of environmental equity across all urban neighbourhoods in Canada.

CANUE is establishing a volunteer Advisory Committee to ensure a broad perspective that reflects the interests of environmental health professionals, urban planners, youth, and community advocacy organizations. Considering the impacts built environments can have on child and youth health and well-being, we are calling on child and youth organizations and youth to get involved and share their perspectives and experiences. The Committee will meet 8 times by videoconference, between March 2021 and February 2024.

If you are passionate about creating healthy and equitable urban neighbourhoods, please email info@canue.ca to express your interest by January 22nd if possible, and no later than January 27th. Visit  https://canue.ca/goodscore-city/ for more information.

The effect of COVID-19 on the mental health of Canadian post-secondary students

Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

By Stacie Smith, (Director of Relations and Outreach, The Young Canadians Roundtable on Health)

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on many challenges for post-secondary students. The transition to at-home learning has not been an easy one, which in turn has affected many students’ mental health. A large proportion of young people in Canada attend some form of post-secondary education, which is considered challenging even in the best of times. While many have acknowledged the struggle students are facing, there have been limited supports in place to address these issues.

Students are facing social isolation and a loss of social support. Mandatory physical distancing and reductions on social gatherings have left many students feeling disconnected from their campuses where support and services are available. A survey by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), an advocacy group that represents faculty and librarians at universities across Ontario, found that COVID-19 has had a negative impact on the quality of postsecondary education. This has led to a decrease in positive mental health in these students, along with concerns that they will graduate later than anticipated, or that they will not be adequately prepared for the workforce.

A survey by The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations administered to students across Canada in May found similar results. Over 70% of respondents reported they have felt stressed, anxious, or isolated due to the pandemic. 82% reported worry about their futures beyond the pandemic. Students are reporting more stress about everything from their health to their finances and the future.

The pandemic is taking a major toll on the health and well-being of students and it will likely be exacerbated by the upcoming winter semester. With another term being completed virtually, it is important to consider how the stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation will further impact these students. Now more than ever, creative solutions are needed to bridge the gap between the demand for relevant supports that help students manage the transition, and the available resources.

After hearing from many post-secondary students of their struggles with online learning, I knew there was a gap to fill. I also felt that many post-secondary students are struggling to access mental health support from home with many institutions being online this year. I wanted that peer-to-peer connection to stay intact while being physically apart.

The COVID-19 Student Support Network was created to support the current mental health needs of post-secondary students in Canada. Designed using lived experience during the pandemic, this virtual, peer-to-peer support model helps students struggling with virtual education. Our mission is to promote the mental health and wellbeing of post-secondary students across the country, and to help ensure adequate supports are available for their use. Our vision is to give post-secondary students across the country the opportunity to support one another through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 Student Support Network provides post-secondary students in Canada with space to share their thoughts and feelings about their post-secondary experience during the pandemic, access mental health resources, and find volunteer opportunities. Our combination of peer-to-peer social support and digital platforms allows for an efficient and scalable means to provide support to students struggling with the transition to virtual education.

For more information on the COVID-19 Student Support Network or to sign up for the support network, visit https://www.covid19mentalhealthawareness.com/ 

Stacie is the founder of the COVID-19 Student Support Network and the Director of Relations and Outreach for the YCRH. She is a recent graduate from Dalhousie University's Kinesiology program.

The YCRH Blog: Three Meaningful Ways to Increase Youth Engagement

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

A Guide for Public and Private Sector Organizations 

By Mobeen Lalani, (Member, The Young Canadians Roundtable on Health)

Traditional forms of youth engagement have limited youth to be members of society who need to be guided, controlled, and told how to live a more “positive” lifestyle. Through tokenized and invitational forms of engagement, youth voices have been limited to what governments, organizations, or companies want to hear, rather than truly working to understand the reality. These forms of youth engagement have disengaged and disconnected youth, making them feel powerless, voiceless, and incapable of contributing as active citizens to the communities in which they live. Furthermore, institutional barriers including social inequality and a lack of access to education have dramatic impacts on youth’s quality of life, which in return have downstream impacts which include limited access to opportunities for youth, and ultimately, limited ability to be active members of society. 

Over the past few years, there has been a shift – a generational shift in how youth participate in civil engagement and voice their concerns. With the advancement of technology and innovation, youth have taken participatory action into their own hands. Starting a hashtag, creating a Twitter thread, speaking at poetry slams, and boycotting products are examples of ways through which youth have attempted to amplify their voices and be a part of youth-led movements. 

With a strong sense of disconnect between youth and governments and organizations, where youth feel unheard and misunderstood, they have sought unique ways of engaging themselves in matters that mean the most to them. Through podcasts, video and audio production, visual art, among others, to organize community outreach and participate in lifestyle politics, youth have attempted to disrupt traditional forms of engagement which has limited their participation. The impact seen over the past few years has motivated youth to challenge the traditional models of engagement and ask for equal distribution of power at decision-making tables. 

With youth-led innovation growing and speaking for itself, private and public sector organizations must shift their priorities to increase youth engagement and governance within their structures. If the objectives of organizations are to speak to youth needs, then youth must be at the forefront of guiding the policies and programs proposed by the organizations.

This post shares three meaningful ways through which public and private sector organizations can work with youth and support a “for the youth, by the youth” approach, instead of continuing to work on behalf of youth. These include:

1. Organizations should have youth governance models integrated within their decision-making platforms. This starts when organizational culture, values, and bylaws support youth and their engagement within their institutions. Recognizing young people’s right to participate in decisions that impact them is one way towards a path to allyship. 

2. Youth must be engaged in both evaluations and research practices within organizations. Organizations can practice youth integration by keeping up-to-date with regular feedback from those that they serve and addressing the challenges that may arise. Having youth lead the evaluation processes of programs and policies is one way to involve youth in making quality decisions for their communities. 

   This is also a way to build capacity within organizations. By providing youth with the resources, mentorships, and support systems to leverage their own skillsets, this can lead to strengthened organizational hiring and recruiting processes. 

3. Integrate a “youth-led innovation” incubator or sandbox within your own organization. Youth face many issues in leveraging their own ideas due to the absence of support systems and resources, whether it be networks and connections, monetary resources, or project management. Your organization can support the development of youth-led innovations to boost impact and build on youth allyship. 

   This is a forward-thinking approach to build on your own organization’s goals and objectives, while also supporting youth-innovation.

Youth are the decision-makers of the future. They will be individuals who will guide, support, and take the organization to the next level. Disengaging with them is a direct miss. 

If it is for the youth, it should be guided by the youth. 

Mobeen is a member of the YCRH and a Youth Leader on the #WeCANforKids Core Engagement team with the CIHR, UNICEF Canada, Pediatrics Chairs of Canada, and Children’s Healthcare Canada. He is a Founder and Consultant with Emerging Youth Consultancy (EYC). EYC focuses on increasing inclusion of youth and young adults on decision-making tables, which work to serve them. To learn more about EYC, follow @YouthEmerging on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook or email emergingyouthconsult@gmail.com.

The COVID-19 Student Support Network is launched!

The COVID-19 Student Support Network is a space for post secondary students to share their thoughts and feelings towards the uncertainty around the upcoming school year. Students, especially those transitioning from high school to university, face an unprecedented situation with a global pandemic changing their way of learning. This project came about as part of the mindyourmind Youthexperts Design Lab Program. mindyourmind is working with young Canadians across the country to engage in Design Labs where they are co-developing and co-creating new resources that address the unique mental health needs of diverse communities.

The COVID-19 Student Support Network website will feature blog posts, resources and volunteer opportunities relevant to post-secondary students.

Check out the COVID-19 Student Support Network website here.