UNICEF Canada Youth Activism Summit: November 19

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR THE 2021 YOUTH ACTIVISM SUMMIT ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19! Click here to register

Join UNICEF Canada, youth leaders, partner organizations and decision-makers for a virtual Youth Activism Summit on November 19. In honour of National Child Day (November 20), young people, adult influencers and decision-makers will come together for an intergenerational event to showcase young people’s recommendations for a better future. Register now to hear directly from young people about their ideas to build back better and the future they envision for young people in Canada.

Young people will discuss their recommendations on four advocacy issues: Disability and Accessibility, Climate Change, Mental Health, and Racial Justice and Indigenous Rights.

VIRTUAL YOUTH ACTIVISM SUMMIT DETAILS

Date: Friday, November 19 2021

Time: 1:00-2:30pm EST

Location: Online on Zoom

REGISTER FOR THE SHOWCASE HERE

This year’s Youth Activism Summit is hosted in partnership with BGC Canada, Equitas, International Institute for Child Rights and Development, The Students Commission of Canada, and YMCA Canada.

National Child Day 2021

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Canada's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It's a time to recognize the rights of all kids in Canada, while also acknowledging the unique rights of First Nations, Métis and Inuit children. 

Children First Canada invites you to a special National Child Day event to mark the occasion! 

Date: November 16
Time: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. ET
Register: National Child Day 2021


This year, the theme is #8MillionStrong in honour of the power and resilience of all 8 million kids in Canada and their right to survive and thrive. 

You’ll learn more about children’s rights, hear from inspiring Canadian leaders, and find out how you can take action. The event also highlights opportunities for reconciliation by honouring the past, acknowledging the present, and igniting hope for the future.

Children First Canada is pleased to announce that Arjun Ram of CBC Kids News will be hosting the event! 

Special Appearances:

  • Colonel Chris Hadfield, Canadian Astronaut (Ret'd), Engineer, Pilot and Author

  • Marissa Papaconstantinou, Canadian Paralympian

  • Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, O.B.C., O.C., Member of the National Assembly of First Nations Elders Council, Residential "School" Survivor, and his daughter, Karen Joseph, CEO of Reconciliation Canada

  • Jill Schnarr, Chief Social Innovation and Communications Officer, TELUS

For more information and to register, visit the Children First Canada website.

New resources from PHAC to prevent substance-related harms among youth

New resources for preventing substance-related harms among youth are now available. The Public Health Agency of Canada developed The Blueprint for Action: Preventing substance-related harms among youth through a Comprehensive School Approach and accompanying policy paper for administrators, school board officials, teachers, guidance counsellors, healthcare professionals and community organizations that support youth.

The Blueprint combines evidence-based prevention and intervention approaches with the Comprehensive School Health framework, an internationally recognized approach to building healthy school communities. It includes:

Interactive training workshops to help school community members implement the Blueprint locally are offered through a partnership with PHAC and the Students Commission of Canada. Email info@studentscommission.ca for more information or to register for these workshops.

The Blueprint and policy paper were informed by work done at the School Matters: Building a Blueprint for Action for School Communities to Help Prevent Substance Use Harms forum. Organized by PHAC, it was co-hosted with the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Joint Consortium for School Health.

10 Years of the CHILD Cohort Study: CTV News

CTV Winnipeg celebrated a decade of the CHILD Cohort Study in a report that aired on 20 October 2021.

The interview follows Manitoba-based Study participants 10-year-old Molly and her mother Krista into their clinical check-in with Study researchers and speaks with them about their experience with the Study and motivations for involvement. 

The footage shows Molly as, for the first time as part of the Study's clinical tests, she undergoes a DXA body scan to measure her fat, muscle and bone density.

In a tribute to the value of the Study’s staff, Molly says that one of the best parts about her involvement in the CHILD is “the people here [in the Study], because they’re really funny and nice."

The report also summarizes the purpose, scale and some of the logistics of the Study, noting that although it was originally designed to follow its participants for only five years, it continues going strong.

To illustrate how CHILD data is generating new scientific discoveries, CHILD Manitoba site leader Dr. Elinor Simons is interviewed about her CHILD-enabled research into peanut allergy and how early introduction of peanut appears to provide protection from later developing an allergy.

Also featured is Dr. Meghan Azad, the Deputy Director of CHILD, who speaks about the enduring value of the Study’s ‘treasure trove’ of data and biological samples: "There are many samples still in the freezer that probably hold secrets that will cure diseases or answer big questions, perhaps using technologies that don’t even exist yet."

See the CTV News report

Families Canada consultations: Let's Talk Vaccines

As COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues across the country, the need to address concerns and barriers to vaccination has never been more important. In partnership with the Eastern Ontario Health Unit,  Families Canada is working to build the capacity of the family support sector to increase vaccine confidence among disadvantaged and marginalized populations. They invite you to join two online consultations for service providers to engage with your peers and share your experiences in their popular Let’s Talk series.

Let’s Talk: Addressing Vaccination Barriers Faced by Families (Part 1)

Service providers: Join your fellow community organizations to identify concerns and barriers to vaccination that marginalized families may face. 

When: November 16th, 1 – 2:00 PM ET 

Where: Zoom 

Price: FREE

Topics:  

  • Are participants seeing low vaccine confidence in vulnerable families?

  • Are service providers vaccine confident?

  • What vaccination concerns and barriers are participants seeing on the ground?

  • Are the barriers and concerns about vaccinating adults the same as the barriers and concerns about vaccinating children? If not, what are the differences?

REGISTER for Part 1

 

Let’s Talk: Addressing Vaccination Barriers Faced by Families (Part 2)  

Service providers: Join your fellow community organizations to discuss strategies to address concerns and barriers to vaccination in your communities. 

When: December 9th, 1 – 2 PM ET 

Where: Zoom  

Price: FREE

Topics:  

  • Are participants trying to address low vaccine confidence and barriers amongst families?

  • What techniques and resources are being used?

  • What has been most effective? Least effective?

  • What is missing to help to address low vaccine confidence?

  • Is there anything that would help when children become eligible for vaccination?

  • Are there any lessons learned participants can share?

REGISTER for Part 2

For more information, visit the Families Canada website or connect with them at info@familiescanada.ca.