Hello and bonjour,
Happy Winter to all youth leaders, adult allies, and supporters!
Thank you for being a part of the Re:Action4Inclusion movement. Your participation and contributions continue to inspire and strengthen youth leadership!
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The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) is currently recruiting members for the 2022–2023 term. We need youth advocates to lead our movement and help us empower young people.
Are you an individual who has a passion for empowering and representing youth voices across Ontario?
Are you between the ages of 13 – 29?
Be part of a purposeful organization aligned with your values and mission. Have the opportunity to work with like-minded youth across Ontario to break down barriers to inclusion
DISRUPT! Social Justice Series
The DISRUPT! Social Justice Series is a series of educational workshops for ALL students, youth, supporters, educators, self–advocates and passionate community-builders. The themes of the workshops are designed for like-minded youth to come together to exchange ideas, share powerful stories and learn more about creative ways to promote an inclusive Canada.
The Youth Advisory Committee has selected five topics for the DISRUPT! Social Justice Series. The topics are: Mental Health, Inclusive Education, Truths of Institutionalization, Art & Culture from Indigenous artist, and Employment Equity. The series will be hosted in a hybrid form through a mix of online and in-person events, making sure to accommodate different communities in Ontario.
This February for inclusive education month Community Living Ontario (CLO) and our Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) were very busy spreading awareness and hosting events focusing on inclusive education. These events were facilitated by Tracey O’Regan who is currently the Community Inclusion and Advocacy Supervisor/ Education Consultant for Community Living Toronto. We collaborated with Tracey for these events because of her experience, passion, and knowledge on inclusive education. The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) chose this topic as many members and self-advocates can speak to both positive and negative personal experiences from their education years and felt it was important to invite people into the conversation to raise awareness.
Our first event was a webinar scheduled on February 15th. We had 88 participants in attendance. Tracey led the group through her experience and best practices for educators, parents, and students. We then had the opportunity to have a diverse panel of self-advocates and youth who spoke about their lived experience overcoming segregated environments. Participant feedback shared the benefit of the experience, the content shared and their desire to continue participating in future series events.
We then hosted a workshop in collaboration with Community Living Toronto which took place on February 25th at Foster connections in Toronto. We had 13 youth members in attendance. The group was guided by Tracey through many hands-on activities which continued the conversation of inclusivity. The group was composed of siblings, allies, youth, and self-advocates all who contributed to inspiring conversations. It allowed the group to share their passion for this type of advocacy and their reasoning for joining our Reaction4inclusion (R4I) movement.
In the coming months we are focusing on our third topic which is the of Truths of institutionalization of individuals with disabilities. We are arranging school visits to be led by our council members where they will be presenting the Truths of Institutionalization: Past and Present curriculum and sharing the importance of continuing the conversation on this topic.
Don’t miss out on upcoming DISRUPT! workshops—ALL youth, with and without a disability, are welcome to join these conversations.
Siblings: Citizens with a Cause Virtual Meet-up Sessions
Siblings: Citizens with a Cause is an inclusive program, led by inspirational siblings of Re:Action4Inclusion! These siblings hold virtual meet-up sessions specifically for youth advocates and allies of a sibling with a disability. The virtual meet-up sessions are held bi-monthly and provide an opportunity for siblings to connect and meet other siblings in order to share the joys, challenges, and responsibilities of being a sibling that are rarely discussed.
In addition to these events, our Siblings: Citizens with a Cause group hosted another meet up on February 23rd focusing on the transition for youth from high school to post-secondary. The committee demonstrated great leadership, planning, and teamwork. If you are a sibling looking to join an amazing committee, we are always accepting members. Don’t miss out on our next Siblings virtual meet-up session! The next meet up will be April!
Stay tuned for all details on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
