The city is attempting to succeed where parents have struggled for years: understanding what teenagers want.
Greater Sudbury partnered with the Young Community Leaders Project, a joint project of the Youth As Facilitative Leaders Program and the YMCAs of Sudbury and North Bay, to survey youth in the Sudbury area.
“The aim of the community consultation was to understand the City of Greater Sudbury’s current situation, assets, capacities, issues and needs when it comes to youth engagement and youth-related issues,” stated the report. “The purpose of this report is to give youth a stronger voice in the community and to provide evidence of the current experience they’re living.”
Not only is the initiative seeking to understand youth, it's taking it a step further to develop projects to deal with issues outlined in the gathered information.
“The intention of the study was to be the foundation for the projects we're doing now,” said Stéphanie Chevrette, Regional Coordinator of the Young Community Leaders Project. “The first phase was to gather information about the community so the youth could have a better view of what is really happening, and to consult with their peers to really understand what they need and want.”
The phase one report was undertaken “so that when phase two starts, (the involved youth) can pick projects that would reflect the issues expressed in the report,” Chevrette said.
The project is now preparing for the next phase.
“We’re in preparation for phase two, we have recruited volunteers and done some brainstorming to project development,” Chevrette said. “Phase two officially begins Nov. 1.”
The group, under Chevrette's management, will then have to pare down the project suggestions to a manageable number.
“We're hoping to have three or four projects this year and three or four projects next year that young people are going to undertake.”
The youth won't be alone in the cold, according to Chevrette, they will have guidance and development provided.
“We're going to provide them with basic skill development sessions and we're going to explain to them how to do things, but we're not going to do things for them. It's going to be them who choose, create and deliver the projects. It's really to give them ownership of their own projects.”
What projects are chosen will be up to “what they decide to apply for,” Chevrette said. “We're doing it through an application process because if there are 30 ideas, well, 30 ideas can't go through.
It could be anything. It could be environmental, or a support group... it could be doing something with poverty. Anything they feel they can do, that they can support, we're going to help them start it.”
For people interested in getting involved, Chevrette can be reached at stephanie.chevrette@sudbury.ymca.ca or at 688-7300, ext. 3238.
Survey Results
Section One - letting us get to know you better:
- Out of 202 surveys, 165 were in English and 37 in French.
- Of the 198 who answered their age, 118 were aged 14 to 18, and 80 were between ages 19 to 30.
- 37 per cent of participants were male.
- Of the 199 responses to the question “Are you in school,” 77 per cent said they were.
- 53 per cent of those surveyed identified themselves as employed.
- 10 per cent felt they did not have reasonable access to transit.
- 69 per cent said they do not participate in youth services.
- Top ten youth-related problems, according to survey response:
- 83 per cent answered drugs
- 61 per cent alcohol
- 40 per cent school/education
- 25 per cent housing/homelessness/poverty
- 20 per cent transportation
- 19 per cent bullying/gossip
- 16 per cent violence/abuse
- 14 per cent lack of activities
- 12 per cent sex
- 12 per cent teen pregnancy
Section Two – interest and opportunity:
- Activities that interest youth:
- hobbies received 140 votes
- sports 120
- recreational groups 110
- volunteer groups 65
- environmental groups 60
- student groups 45
- youth groups 40
- advocacy groups 40
- other 20
- Activities youth actually participate in:
- hobbies received 125 votes
- sports 115
- recreational activities 80
- volunteer groups 65
- youth groups 45
- student groups 30
- environmental groups 20
- other 20
- advocacy groups 15
- 50 per cent of participants felt they didn't have enough time to participate in their chosen activities
- 34 per cent of participants said they were aware of youth accomplishments within the community
Section Three – engagement and leadership
- 80 per cent said it was easy to find volunteer work in Greater Sudbury
- 29 per cent said they had not completed any community service in the last year
- meaning 50 of the 175 people who answered the question are not currently contributing to the community in a volunteer capacity.
- 26 per cent have taken a leadership course, and 55 per cent said it would be of interest
- 73 per cent felt youth should have a voice at all levels of government
Section Four – life skills
- The three top strengths listed were leadership skills, being a good worker and communication skills.
- The top three weaknesses listed by participants were being shy, being impatient and having a temper.
Section Five – youth challenges
- 63 per cent said youth are viewed negatively, 16 per cent said they are not, and the remaining 22 per cent were unsure.
- 84 per cent of individuals said stress was a factor in their life.
Section Six – rate Sudbury
Positive attributes of Sudbury that participants indicated most often:
- friends/ friendly place 21 per cent
- greenery/ natural resources/ nature 12 per cent
- small town 11 per cent
- good sense of community 8 per cent
- shopping mall 7 per cent.
Negative aspects of Sudbury that participants indicated most often:
- roads/ pot holes 30 per cent
- no activities for youth 16 per cent
- excessive pollution 11 per cent
- lack/ inconvenient city transportation 6 per cent
- housing/ homelessness 6 per cent.
- 32 per cent said Sudbury is a youth-friendly community, 28 per cent said it isn't and 40 per cent said they didn’t know.
- 29 per cent felt left out of activities due to where they live, 55 per cent said they weren't and 16 per cent said they didn't know.
