Youth Community Partnership (YCP) Gimli

- Supporting Students' Role as Active Citizens & Decision-Makers

In early 2006, Gimli-area community activists met with local high school students to find out what they thought were the issues facing youth in their municipality. Youth spoke out in these sessions on their concerns about education and employment opportunities, recreation, transportation challenges, the natural environment, in particular about Lake Winnipeg, alcohol and drug use outside of school and nutrition issues in school, adults’ views of students, and the need for youth to have a voice in local community decisions.

When the 2006 fall term began at Gimli High School, a brief presentation was made on the survey at an assembly, and students were invited to meet afterwards to get involved in exploring and taking on some of these issues. Twenty students participated in that first session and in regular meetings throughout that year, visioning an “ideal” community and building skills to take leadership on community issues. They organized events, worked with the media, fundraised, and did research.

With support from Gimli’s Mayor and Council, YCP appointed one of its members to Municipal Council as a Youth Representative and other members were named to the municipal recreation and environment committees. YCP has been involved with the Council in discussions around recreation issues, such as the proposed building of a skateboard park and the establishment of a new youth drop-in centre.

With funding from Green Manitoba and Conservation Manitoba, and support from the Interlake Regional Health Authority, YCP has taken action on water conservation, promoting “green” products to merchants and consumers, and healthy choices and serving nutritional snacks at school. YCP is undertaking a twinning relationship with youth in Tanzania, East Africa to support their work on similar environmental issues that face Lake Victoria.

YCP has been incorporated and its Board reflects the support of adults and the leadership and action of youth. Since its inception, YCP has received the Premier’s Voluntary Service Award and a Youth Achievement Award at Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Initiatives’ “Rural Forum”. Community Futures East Interlake has also recognized YCP for its local efforts.

You can learn more about YCP at www.youthcommunitypartnership.com and email the group at gimliyouth@mts.net. We look forward to sharing experiences with youth in other schools and communities and are excited about the challenges that we’ll be taking on in our third year!