Youth Policy Conference

Youth Voices of East Van is hosting a FREE, all-day Youth Policy Conference on Feb 21st, 2020 at the PNE Forum.

The Policy Conference will capture the spirit of Youth Voices of East Van, developed as part of the 12-month Our Place, Our Home, Our Vision project funded by ESDC.

We aim to centre the perspectives of local youth, in particular urban Indigenous, low-income, newcomer and racialized communities. It will also be an opportunity to share food and space and celebrate our community with music, entertainment and cultural performances. 

The Policy Conference will bring together a diversity of youth from East Vancouver (as well as other parts of the city) and a range of intersectoral stakeholders to explore innovative pathways for Youth Participation, Self-Expression, and Advocacy. Ultimately we hope to develop new mechanisms and capacities that support youth to realize their needs and aspirations at the neighbourhood level and bring their ideas into action. Through YVEV we intend on developing a sustainable, long-term approach to youth leadership and governance in East Vancouver.

What we hope to achieve

• bring together a diverse group of 200+ youth in East Vancouver to promote and support youth engagement, leadership and reconciliation

• celebrate and honour the contributions and achievements of local youth in policy development and volunteer service

• develop a sustainable way forward with our partners to ensure meaningful youth involvement in decisions that affect them and their community

• identify the policy and systems changes we need to advocate for in order to better respond to the realities of local youth and Indigenous community members