Responding to the Needs

of Youth

United Way of Leeds and Grenville Judi Baril, Executive Director,

Hannah Gzik Campaign Staff

What does United Way do?What does United Way do?

Our primary job is to fundraise for Our primary job is to fundraise for our member agenciesour member agencies

This year we will fund 27 member This year we will fund 27 member agencies from all across Leeds & agencies from all across Leeds & GrenvilleGrenville

Our agencies helped 33,000 Our agencies helped 33,000 people last year through our people last year through our funding – that’s 1 in every 3 peoplefunding – that’s 1 in every 3 people

Our other job is to help make this Our other job is to help make this community strong community strong

United Way’s Youth JourneyUnited Way’s Youth Journey UW has been having UW has been having

conversations with youth for the conversations with youth for the past six yearspast six years

Youth Town Halls conducted in Youth Town Halls conducted in 2004, 2006, 20092004, 2006, 2009

Youth Summits held every year Youth Summits held every year since 2004since 2004

Motivational speakers at all High Motivational speakers at all High Schools annuallySchools annually

Youth Journey con’tYouth Journey con’t Leadership training all high Leadership training all high

schools annuallyschools annually Youth 2 Youth Board since 2007 Youth 2 Youth Board since 2007

– two reps all high schools – two reps all high schools – – junior board of directorsjunior board of directors Junior Trustee at Board levelJunior Trustee at Board level Caring For Others – grade 4 Caring For Others – grade 4

level since 2002level since 2002 Publication Little Black Book Publication Little Black Book

20092009

What have we learned from What have we learned from youth over the years?youth over the years?

Children as young as 12 shared concerns Children as young as 12 shared concerns about drugs and alcohol use and abuseabout drugs and alcohol use and abuse

Youth were consumed by poverty issuesYouth were consumed by poverty issues Quest for jobs in children as young as 12Quest for jobs in children as young as 12 No affordable nutritious food choices at schoolNo affordable nutritious food choices at school Rural youth expressed feelings of Rural youth expressed feelings of

hopelessness, loneliness & isolation – rural hopelessness, loneliness & isolation – rural experiences more suicides per capita experiences more suicides per capita

Youth want to drive earlier, get jobs earlier Youth want to drive earlier, get jobs earlier and they want to leave their community after and they want to leave their community after schoolschool

We observed that rural communities suffer We observed that rural communities suffer from a “brain drain” unlike their urban from a “brain drain” unlike their urban neighboursneighbours

What else do we know about What else do we know about our youth?our youth? Youth living in rural communities live in Youth living in rural communities live in

deeper poverty than their urban deeper poverty than their urban neighboursneighbours

Cost of competitive housing traps rural Cost of competitive housing traps rural dwellers in poverty and keeps them dwellers in poverty and keeps them therethere

Some youth live in homes with no Some youth live in homes with no running waterrunning water

Lack of accessible transportation Lack of accessible transportation contributes to high level of povertycontributes to high level of poverty

Communities where rural poor live have Communities where rural poor live have no jobs and no available day careno jobs and no available day care

Homelessness amongst youth is Homelessness amongst youth is escalatingescalating

2006 Survey Results2006 Survey Results Priorities & Issues - Top sevenPriorities & Issues - Top seven

1. No affordable youth activities or 1. No affordable youth activities or entertainmententertainment

2. Drug and alcohol abuse2. Drug and alcohol abuse3. Peer pressure3. Peer pressure4. Youth don’t feel safe4. Youth don’t feel safe5. Youth don’t feel they have a voice5. Youth don’t feel they have a voice6. Youth employment opportunities – 6. Youth employment opportunities –

lack of jobslack of jobs7. Transportation7. Transportation

Have Things Changed ?Have Things Changed ?

United Way wanted to know if United Way wanted to know if anything had changed in 4 yearsanything had changed in 4 years

Engaged in a new phase of Engaged in a new phase of community consultationscommunity consultations

Online survey attracted 370 Online survey attracted 370 responsesresponses

In school turbo survey pooled In school turbo survey pooled over 1300 responsesover 1300 responses

# 1 Issue in 2006 # 1 Issue in 2006 No affordable youth activities No affordable youth activities or entertainmentor entertainment

2009 results indicated that 2009 results indicated that

28.35% of youth surveyed can 28.35% of youth surveyed can

find affordable activitiesfind affordable activities

39.81% struggle with finding 39.81% struggle with finding

activitiesactivities

31.84% cannot find affordable 31.84% cannot find affordable

activities activities

# 2 Issue in 2006 # 2 Issue in 2006 Drug and alcohol abuseDrug and alcohol abuseQuestion: Are drugs easy to get?Question: Are drugs easy to get? No : 15.68%No : 15.68% Maybe : 18.15%Maybe : 18.15% Yes: 66.17% Yes: 66.17%

Question: Do you feel pressure to Question: Do you feel pressure to do drugs or alcohol? do drugs or alcohol? No : 65.42%No : 65.42% Maybe : 26.12%Maybe : 26.12% Yes: 8.46%Yes: 8.46%

# 3 Issue 2006 Peer pressure # 3 Issue 2006 Peer pressure

Question: Do you find it difficult Question: Do you find it difficult dealing with pressure from dealing with pressure from friends?friends?

No: 42.63%No: 42.63%

Maybe: 34.48%Maybe: 34.48%

Yes: 22.89% Yes: 22.89%

# 4 Issue 2006 # 4 Issue 2006 Youth don’t feel safeYouth don’t feel safeQuestion: Do you feel safe at Question: Do you feel safe at

school?school?

No: 10.54%No: 10.54%

Maybe: 14.93%Maybe: 14.93%

Yes: 74.53%Yes: 74.53%

Question: Do you feel safe in your Question: Do you feel safe in your

community?community?

No: 11.44%No: 11.44%

Maybe: 29.10%Maybe: 29.10%

Yes: 59.46%Yes: 59.46%

# 5 2006 Issue# 5 2006 Issue Youth don’t feel they have aYouth don’t feel they have a voice voice

Question: Do you feel adults Question: Do you feel adults

(parents) listen to you?(parents) listen to you?

No: 21.35%No: 21.35%

Maybe: 33.31% Maybe: 33.31%

Yes: 45.34% Yes: 45.34%

# 6 Issue 2006 : Youth employment # 6 Issue 2006 : Youth employment opportunities – lack of jobsopportunities – lack of jobs

Question: Are you finding it Question: Are you finding it

difficult to find a job?difficult to find a job?

No: 22.88%No: 22.88%

Maybe : 34.82%Maybe : 34.82%

Yes: 42.30%Yes: 42.30%

# 7 Issues 2006: Transportation# 7 Issues 2006: Transportation

Question: Do you have a problemQuestion: Do you have a problem

with transportation with transportation

getting to work, school, getting to work, school,

sports etc.? sports etc.?

No: 65.92%No: 65.92%

Maybe: 21.89%Maybe: 21.89%

Yes: 11.94% Yes: 11.94%

What about youth and mental What about youth and mental healthhealth

What we know:What we know:

It is estimated that 10-20% of Canadian youth are affected by a mental illness or disorder - the single most disabling group

of disorders worldwide.

Today, approximately 5% of male youth and 12% of female youth, age 12 to 19, have experienced a major depressive

episode.

The total number of 12-19 year olds in Canada at risk for developing depression is a staggering 3.2 million.

How are our youth coping?How are our youth coping?

Q. Are curriculum expectations in Q. Are curriculum expectations in high school too high?high school too high?

N: 33.98% M. 39.16% Y. 26.36%N: 33.98% M. 39.16% Y. 26.36%

Q. Do you struggle with homework?Q. Do you struggle with homework?

N. 49.25% M. 28.86% Y. 21.89%N. 49.25% M. 28.86% Y. 21.89%

Q. Is bullying a problem for you?Q. Is bullying a problem for you?

N. 75.87% M. 12.69% Y. 11.44%N. 75.87% M. 12.69% Y. 11.44%

How are they coping con’t…How are they coping con’t…

Q Are you worried about yourself Q Are you worried about yourself or someone close to you?or someone close to you?

N.35.32% M. 29.36% Y. 35.32%N.35.32% M. 29.36% Y. 35.32%

Q. Do you sometimes feel sad or Q. Do you sometimes feel sad or depressed?depressed?

N. 26.93% M. 32.22% Y. 40.85%N. 26.93% M. 32.22% Y. 40.85%

How are they coping con’t…How are they coping con’t…

Q. Do you feel stress or pressure Q. Do you feel stress or pressure

at school? at school?

N. 27.16% M.31.10% Y. 41.74%N. 27.16% M.31.10% Y. 41.74%

Q. Are you worried about having a Q. Are you worried about having a place to stay?place to stay?

N. 72.89% M. 19.40% Y. 7.71% N. 72.89% M. 19.40% Y. 7.71%

United Way’s RoleUnited Way’s Role Our role has been defined as a Our role has been defined as a

convenor, facilitator and plannerconvenor, facilitator and planner We are a funder & a fundraiserWe are a funder & a fundraiser We will work with organizations to We will work with organizations to

help launch a program but will not help launch a program but will not launch it ourselveslaunch it ourselves

We are interested in funding We are interested in funding programs that get at root causesprograms that get at root causes

We are interested in outcome We are interested in outcome measurementmeasurement

United Way’s role con’tUnited Way’s role con’t

At National level we are At National level we are delivering branded programs to delivering branded programs to the communitythe community

At Provincial level we are At Provincial level we are working on two provincially working on two provincially driven initiatives Ontario Youth driven initiatives Ontario Youth Matters which is managed by a Matters which is managed by a collaborative of YMCA, Boys & collaborative of YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs and United WayGirls Clubs and United Way

Our Role ContinuedOur Role Continued We are also working on a poverty We are also working on a poverty

initiative that is in its beginning initiative that is in its beginning stages across the provincestages across the province

We will continue to provide youth We will continue to provide youth programming aimed at our issues programming aimed at our issues and our strategic plan including and our strategic plan including Y2Y Board, Youth Summit, Y2Y Board, Youth Summit, Leadership Development Services, Leadership Development Services, Caring For OthersCaring For Others

Youth Survey ConclusionsYouth Survey Conclusions

We found that some issues have We found that some issues have improved – levels of bullying seems improved – levels of bullying seems to have declined but emotional to have declined but emotional bullying is upbullying is up

Youth are feeling more safe at Youth are feeling more safe at school and in their communityschool and in their community

Stress level, has gone upStress level, has gone up Youth are still consumed by issues Youth are still consumed by issues

that affect them and their peersthat affect them and their peers There seemed to be a shift in the There seemed to be a shift in the

needs around youth polled regarding needs around youth polled regarding the needs of transportationthe needs of transportation

ConclusionsConclusions Drug and alcohol abuse andDrug and alcohol abuse and behaviours have remained the samebehaviours have remained the same Youth identified more support and Youth identified more support and

assistance for career counselling and assistance for career counselling and course related assistance than they did course related assistance than they did in 2006in 2006

Youth did not express as much Youth did not express as much dissatisfaction about having their voice dissatisfaction about having their voice heard as in 2006heard as in 2006

Many young people that we spoke to Many young people that we spoke to remained hopeful for their future, spoke remained hopeful for their future, spoke highly of the adults and peers in their highly of the adults and peers in their liveslives

Our Community & SuccessesOur Community & Successes

Programs to help youth deal with Programs to help youth deal with in school issues have developedin school issues have developed

Wait times for youth receiving Wait times for youth receiving counselling have lessenedcounselling have lessened

Lots of after school and Lots of after school and mentoring programs continuementoring programs continue

United Way will continue to United Way will continue to invest heavily in priority issuesinvest heavily in priority issues

““Young people need models, Young people need models,

not critics”not critics”

John WoodenJohn Wooden