United Way of Thunder Bay

YouthScape November Gathering Participant Bios

YouthScape Thunder Bay United Way of Thunder Bay

Beth Boon, Coordinator Beth Boon was born and raised in Thunder Bay and has worked coast to coast and as far south as Mexico in a variety of positions. Educated in Political Studies and in Aboriginal Law and Advocacy, Beth fosters a passion for justice and is conscious of her social and environmental footprint. Be they members of rural grassroots organizations or ministers of the Provincial/Federal cabinet, Beth has had the opportunity to spend her life speaking and working with people. She has had the privilege of focusing the efforts of project stakeholders, working to bring all parties to a level of mutual understanding and respect, and then motivating them to action. On any given day, Beth would just like to have the opportunity to continue to be a conduit for positive change.

Sandra Albertson, Manager of Community Capacity Building, United Way of Thunder Bay Sandra Albertson began working with the United Way of Thunder Bay in 2005 on a federally funded revitalization project – Action for Neighbourhood Change. She has since expanded the United Way’s community building initiatives to youth, through the YouthScape project and most recently, poverty reduction work. Each of these projects has emphasized building capacity within the community to work together towards common goals to create positive, sustainable change. Sandra’s educational background is in Social Work and Gerontology and her personal pleasures include good food, wine and conversation along with being a watchful participant in the growth of her two children. She is also an avid runner and loves to watch the changing of locations, scenery and seasons at a semi-fast running pace.

Akio Brayshaw, Youth Intern Akio is an artist in his mid-twenties looking for a challenge! He has ten years of experience & countless projects under his belt as a director, videographer, and editor in his short but growing career as a broadcaster. Since June of 2007 Akio has been working through Thunder Bay Ventures & the United Way of Thunder Bay on the YouthScape initiative. He is also in the process of producing a video in promotion of skilled trades, and has been contemplating the idea of a short film based on the local 16 block radius that comprises the YouthScape neighborhood community in Thunder Bay.

1 YouthScape Halifax Regional Municipality Heartwood Centre for Youth Community Development

Clara Doucette, Youth Clara is a Grade 9 home-schooled student from Halifax. Clara chose to get involved in YouthScape to voice her opinion in some of the decisions that are being made affecting youth and to learn new things, all at the same time. She sees so much potential in her generation and the possibility that she could help unlock that makes this project worthwhile for her. Clara is the founder and head of a group for home-schooled youth that will soon be starting up again for the year. She is also very interested in music and has started her second year in the all city orchestra, playing the viola.

Sarah Trites, Youth Sarah is a grade 10 student from Auburn Drive High School in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. Sarah chose to take part in this Initiative because she believes that youth and adults should be treated as equals. She hopes that YouthScape will help create a relationship and understanding between the generations. This past summer, Sarah volunteered at her local library, met a lot of new people and even learned about herself. Since September, she has joined the Student Council and will also help out at the Anglican Church of Saint Andrew with the Sunday School. Dancing has always been important to Sarah and this year she is taking a jazz and highland class at Joseph Wallin School of Dance. Besides dancing, she enjoys hanging around with her close friends who are like her second family and are very important to her.

Sabrina Poirier, Coordinator Sabrina has worked within the private, public and not-for-profit sectors over the past 10 years. Throughout her career, she has always worked hard to motivate and support youth to get involved, speak out, and make a difference in their communities. She believes that communities can only benefit from the talent, drive and enthusiasm that youth can share with them when given the opportunity. She also feels that youth and their families need support, opportunities and sometimes second chances from their communities. Sabrina is also a proud mother to 8 year-old son, Dillon. She enjoys reading, writing, watching movies, volunteering, playing sports and games.

John Ure, Project Manager John became involved with YouthScape when it was only an idea. Along with others at HeartWood, he has helped shape the vision of the National Initiative and has played a key role in bringing the project to HRM. Along with his role as Project Manager for YouthScape, John also works with individuals and organizations who are interested in engaging young people in the community through HeartWood. On a personal level, John is very involved in his housing co-op which is active in his neighborhood. He enjoys creative writing,

2 carpentry, cooking, stained glass, reading, walking and spending time with his wife Kris and his three children, Cale, Emma, and Cameron.

Lorena Pilgrim, Developmental Evaluator Lorena has been working in the community-youth development field for 10 years and is inspired everyday by the youth she works with. Her interest in the YouthScape initiative comes from wanting to support young people and community to create systemic change and has been involved in the initiative since the beginning. She has enjoyed working with diverse youth and communities at the local, provincial, and national levels. In her spare time, Lorena loves to snuggle up with a good book or spend time playing in her garden. She is also an avid paper crafter and board game guru.

YouthScape Saskatoon Communities for Children

Tala Tootoosis, Coordinator Tala is a 23 year old Indigenous mother of a 6 year old girl and a member of the Youth Justice Relations Committee for the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations. As a motivational speaker and experiential ‘Crystal Meth’ presenter, she tells her story of how she became caught up in addictions and how she got out of that lifestyle through spirituality. A self described community and youth activist, “whatever that may be”, Tala believes in standing up for her people, human beings; whoever they may be, wherever they may come from and whatever they may do.

Rosa Kouri, Youth Engagement Advisor Rosa has been the National Director of the Sierra Youth Coalition since 2005, one of Canada's leading youth environmental organizations and the youth arm of the Sierra Club of Canada (www.syc-cjs.org). She is a tireless spokesperson and advocate for young people, as she firmly believes that youth deserve the power to shape a sustainable world. She founded the Sustainable McGill Project bicycled the west coast of California to raise awareness about industrial agriculture and poor working conditions for migrant farmers, and organized youth delegates at the 11th UN global climate summit. In September, 2006, she was a founding member of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition. Raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Rosa completed a joint honors degree in economics and political science from McGill University in Montreal. She was recently recognized by the World Conservation Union for outstanding work on climate change issues.

Jon Ellis, Developmental Evaluator Jon studied early childhood development and acting before moving to Vancouver with his partner and pursuing work with youth at risk. With mixed emotions, Jon and his partner returned to the solitude of Saskatchewan where he pursed work in the “early years” stream (day care and young children) and

3 learned much about the profound deficiencies, shortcomings and general malaise toward Canada’s child care programs and services. For the past five years Jon has involved himself in social activism and community development with Saskatoon Communities for Children and welcomes new challenges and opportunities to develop his modest acumen for quiet observation and judicious commentary.

YouthScape Calgary Child and Youth Friendly Calgary

Elizabeth Dozois, Developmental Evaluator Elizabeth Dozois (Word on the Street Consulting Ltd.) is the developmental evaluator for Youthscape Calgary. Combining a passion for narrative with a desire to effect positive social change, Elizabeth (Word on the Street Consulting, Ltd) uses ‘story’ to inform policy, funding, and program development in the social-profit sector through focus groups, interviews, and community consultations. Youth have long been an area of focus, but she finds this work even more compelling now that her two children, Grady (17) and Arden (14), have hit the teen years. Another area of interest is social learning and innovation. Over the past three years, Elizabeth has been working with Leadership Calgary and the Action Studies Institute to map out and understand the ecology of human learning and social change.

Yisha Pang Yisha was born in Beijing, China but left for the U.S. at the age of 2. She has lived in Calgary for 8 years and is excited to see how the city will develop and grow within the next few years. Yisha has been involved in several youth volunteer programs and initiatives since 2003, including the Youth Volunteer Corps and the Mayor’s Youth Council. She hopes to stay connected with youth as she continues her studies as a 1st year Haskayne School of Business student at the University of Calgary.

Kim Morrison, Coordinator Kim is a 5th generation Calgarian and proud of it! She loves Calgary and wants to see it flourish and prosper into the future and believes there is no better way to assure this than by involving youth in the development of the community. Kim has a multidisciplinary background and skill set that has proved useful for this type of position. She holds a Master’s Degree in Art Therapy and has spent the last 6.5 years doing creative youth and community development at the Calgary non-profit, Urban Youth Worx for which she has been recognized with an award. She now divides her time between her husband and work life which involves nurturing YouthScape, judging horse shows globally for the International Equestrian Federation and managing public art projects for a developer in Calgary.

4 Jeff Loomis, United Way of Calgary and Area Jeff is a Community Planner with the United Way of Calgary and Area working primarily within the Children and Youth portfolio. His work at United Way involves serving as a liaison with funded agencies, supporting new collaborative initiatives and assisting with public policy analysis and development. His role with YouthScape Calgary is to serve as a representative of the local funding organization as well as an active member of the steering committee. Prior to joining United Way Jeff worked with several community based non-profit organizations in Calgary focusing on community development. He holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Design and played varsity basketball while completing his undergraduate degree in Political Science. He is happily married (with no kids yet!) to another former university basketball player and lived in the Netherlands for a year together after completion of their university athletic careers.

Project Beluga, YouthScape Riviere des Prairies Boscoville 2000

Claude Bilodeau, Executive Director, Boscoville 2000 Claude has a background in education and has worked with troubled youth in the context of re-adaptation and integration since he was sixteen years old. He has worked as the director of safety/protection for youth in Montreal and the director for Quebec Youth Centers. He has since been working on community projects such as the creation of the 1,2,3, GO! Initiative at Boscoville 2000 and YouthScape. He believes that if youth believe in themselves and others they will succeed at anything.

Josée Latendresse, Developmental Evaluator Passionate about community mobilization processes and convinced that the young people can make a difference in the development of our communities, Josée has developed an expertise in bringing into play the vibrant strengths of an environment. Believing in the capacity to take action of a neighbourhood, she facilitates processes furthering the emergence of collective assets so people can get involve in commune actions and become agents of change of their own community.

Michèle Themens Michele has been working for over 10 years with youth and young adults helping them integrate socially. She is passionate about individual dynamics and the impacts of one another within a group.

Lloydee Chrispin, Coordinator LLoydee has been working at Boscoville 2000 for approximately one year and working in Rivière-des-Prairies for about 3 years. Before YouthScape she the coordinator of an after school program that planned activities and implemented an after school homework program for kids age 6 to 12. During

5 that time she worked with parents and school staff which allowed her to see and understand the issues parents and kids were working with. It was a great learning experience!! Reflecting on this experience, she feels strongly about the YouthScape initiative because could be the answer to many of the difficulties youth, parents, organizations and society have to deal with and for that reason, it gives her lots of faith and hope.

International Institute for Child Rights and Development

Michele Cook, Project Manager Michele is the Project Manager for the YouthScape Initiative and the Program and Capacity Development Director at IICRD. She has been working with IICRD since it's inception in 1994 and specializes in community development, working with children, families and communities, and curriculum development. As the YouthScape project manager, her role is to make sure that the initiative is fulfilling the vision and living the values. Michele is the mother of 3 children and has a passion for deepening relationships with people, traveling, cooking and gardening. She is also a practicing physiotherapist with a specialty in children with disabilities.

Jorge Salazar, Community Youth Developer Since leaving Colombia as an exile and living first in Spain and then in Canada, Jorge has worked with numerous youth engagement initiatives. He has worked as the Youth Engagement Coordinator for the provincial advocate office of BC (Child and Youth Officer of BC) and was also the Co-Coordinator of the Ecumenical Task Force for Justice in the Americas, a Latin America Human Rights organization. Jorge has also worked with a number of youth driven organizations and programs as a community developer, trainer and facilitator on diversity, group and power dynamics such as the Kinex Youth Initiative, SHRA of BC and MY Circle Program of the Immigrant Services Society of BC. He has worked mainly with immigrant and refugee youth but has also been privileged enough to connect with and work with youth and community members from indigenous communities, people with disabilities and other marginalized communities in BC, Canada and the globe.

Dr. Natasha Blanchet-Cohen, Research Director Dr. Natasha Blanchet-Cohen has been working with IICRD for the past 10 years on a range of topics, including indigenous children’s rights, sexually-exploited young people, education, and more broadly on issues of governance. She led the Growing up in Cities Canada Initiative which involved working with youth- led organizations, youth councils within formal municipal structures and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO in research, education, advocacy and dissemination to move forward the issue of young people’s civic engagement across the country. She has coordinated the publication of training manuals, videos and academic articles, including in the Canadian Review of Social Policy

6 and Children, Youth and Environment. She holds a PhD in curriculum and instruction from the University of Victoria. The title of her dissertation was Rainbow warriors: the unfolding of agency in early adolescents’ environmental involvement. She is the research director for both the IICRD, and the YouthScape initiative.

Dr. Philip Cook, Executive Director Dr. Philip Cook, a graduate from Queen’s University in Cross Cultural Psychology is the founder and current Executive Director of the International Institute for Child Rights and Development (IICRD). Since 1991, Dr. Cook has overseen the Institute’s growth as a leader in linking children’s healthy development to broad issues of human development and participatory governance across diverse cultures and situational contexts. During this time Dr. Cook has worked in partnership with a cross section of UN agencies, governments, and non-governmental organizations, as well as with children, youth, and families. These partnerships have resulted in: policy design, school based programs, community based research initiatives, and projects with vulnerable children and youth (e.g. indigenous children, sexually-exploited children and children orphaned by HIV/AIDS).

Marc Langlois, Heartwood, Montreal Marc Langlois has spent twenty five years in the youth sector working directly with youth, youth workers, agencies and organizations, researchers, and policy makers. In 1989 he co-founded and then directed for its first 15 years, HeartWood Centre for Community Youth Development. Marc is a PhD candidate at Concordia University in a Special Individualized Program with a focus on youth participation; holds a Masters of Management in the Voluntary Sector from McGill University, a National Certificate in Voluntary & Non Profit Sector Management from Henson College; a Diploma in Recreation Therapy from Mount Royal College; and a Diploma in Outdoor Recreation from Seneca College.

Jen Wheeler, Project Assistant Originally from Northern Ontario, Jen is happy to call Victoria and Vancouver Island her home. With a background in Anthropology and experience working with both government and non-profit organizations Jen joined the YouthScape project in its infancy and is enjoying participating in its growth and development. In particular, she feels honored to be part of the growing YouthScape community and is motivated by the development of deeper personal relationships between and among the YouthScape team members. She enjoys baking, gardening, camping, and swimming and is surprised by her growing infatuation with hockey.

7 Additional Participants and Facilitators

Jane Rabinowicz, Santropol Roulant Jane is Executive Director of Santropol Roulant, Montreal's youth-run and volunteer-driven Meals-on-Wheels organization. Santropol Roulant bridges cultures and generations through food, and engages people of all ages to take an active role in initiatives that address food security needs in the community. A social service organization with a vision for social change, Santropol Roulant takes a unique look at food systems, urban ecology, and human relationships in the city. In her 7-year relationship with Santropol Roulant, Jane has been a volunteer, summer intern, Volunteer Coordinator, and established the Rooftop Garden project volunteer program. She is now passionate about program and partnership development, collaborative leadership and long-term planning. Outside of work, Jane plays on two softball teams and is discovering a love for portaging on canoe trips.

Kimia Ghomeshi, Creating Local Connections Canada, TakingITGlobal Kimia Ghomeshi was born in Tehran, Iran and moved to Canada when she was 6 years old. Kimia has completed a degree in International Development Studies, with a Latin American focus, and has recently worked in Central America. Being herself an Iranian immigrant to Canada, and having worked and studied in various environments, Kimia has experienced many issues related to intercultural dialogue and global themes, such as food security, climate change issues, and online social networking. Currently acting as the National Coordinator for Creating Local Connections (CLC) Canada – a TakingITGlobal initiative – Kimia has strong contacts with various youth organisations and has gained a strong awareness of issues faced by Canadian Youth in different parts of the country.

Eriel Tchekwire Deranger, TakingITGlobal Eriel belongs to the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation of Northern Alberta and works as the National Aboriginal Youth Engagement Coordinator with TakingITGlobal. Through the Creating Local Connections Canada project she is paving the way for Aboriginal youth visibility in Canada and has successfully developed a Canadian Aboriginal portal in the TakingITGlobal online community. Eriel sits on the United Nations International Indigenous Youth Caucus, various local community boards and was recently chosen as one of 24 global participants for training on Indigenous People in the International System with the International Training Center for Indigenous People in Greenland. At 28, she has clearly demonstrated her skills as a promising new leader in the movement for Indigenous rights, education and visibility in Canada. Prior to working with TakingITGlobal Eriel worked a number of youth and aboriginal led programs, with various volunteer initiatives, and as a researcher. This work on grass roots community issues has allowed her to gain extensive knowledge of community resources and a complex understanding of working across cultures to promote dialogue and create necessary change.

8 Shahina Saya, Program Manager, ArtReach Shahina has worked with ArtReach Toronto, a funding program for youth engagement and arts projects, for the past year. She comes to ArtReach Toronto after working as Executive Director and Project Coordinator at For Youth Initiative (FYI), a youth-led organization, for five years. She is a founding member of the Grassroots Youth Collaborative (GYC), a collective of some of Toronto's top youth-led organizations. Shahina was awarded the Vital People Grant Award from the Toronto Community Foundation in 2004, and was co-author of a report entitled "Thinking about Tomorrow's Space Today: Youth Recreational Programming in the Former City of York" - 2005. She also developed and is Chair of the FYI Scholarship Program, a volunteer-driven initiative created in memory of two Toronto youth lost to gun violence in 2005.

Mike DesJardins, Hamilton YMCA Mike has been involved with community development and youth engagement for a number of years in Hamilton. Though he went to Teachers College and could be a "mainstream teacher," he is energized by the work that we do to improve the capacity of our community to effective engage young people, particularly those youth who are disconnected because of the additional barriers that they face in being meaningfully involved.

Tatiana Fraser, Executive Director, POWER Camp National Tatiana co-founded POWER Camp in 1995, and has since provided the leadership for POWER Camp's growth and expansion on a national level. Tatiana holds a Bachelor of Arts in Women's Studies from the University of Ottawa, and a Master of Management for National Voluntary Sector Leaders from McGill University. PCN/FA provides social justice education and leadership programs to girls and young women and coordinates a national network of organizations providing innovative girl specific empowerment programs.

Ilona Dougherty, Apathy is Boring Ilona Dougherty was raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and Whitehorse, Yukon, and now lives in Montreal, Quebec. Ilona began her career as a concerned citizen at a young age. She was elected Chair of the Canadian Environmental Network Youth Caucus at 14, later served on the National Youth Roundtable on the Environment, Sierra Youth Coalition Executive Committee, & Sierra Club of Canada Board of Directors. She was a co-founder of the Youth Environmental Network and a Canadian Delegate to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in 1997. Ilona completed a degree in Policy Studies and Contemporary Dance at Concordia University in 2003 and in 2004 founded Apathy is Boring (www.apathyisboring.com) a national non- partisan organization that aims to use art, media, and technology to re-engage youth in the democratic process, where she is currently the Executive Director. She was recently named one of five women changing the world by Canadian Dimensions Magazine, and was featured in the book “Notes from Canada’s Young Activists”

9 Jacques Chevalier, Carleton University Jacques Chevalier is Chancellor’s Professor at Carleton University, with cross appointments to the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the Institute of Political Economy. He is the co-author of SAS2 (www.sas2.net) and the forthcoming book entitled A Guide to Collaborative Inquiry and Social Engagement. Since 2001, the concepts and tools of SAS2 have been applied and adapted to fields ranging from natural resource management and organizational development to education, public health, governance, and conflict management in North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

Jessica Bynoe, National Coordinator, Youth Innovation Fund Jessica Bynoe, an AED Program Officer for Youth Engagement, is also the national coordinator of the Youth Innovation Fund at AED, with which she has worked since its inception in 2003. The Youth Fund is a youth-led investment strategy aimed at changing how communities operate. Through the Youth Fund, young people are positioned as investors of financial, social and intellectual capital as well as conveners, advocates and evaluators of community change agendas. As national coordinator, Ms. Bynoe provides technical assistance and training to youth and adults leading local work, brokers partnerships to support and sustain the impact of the Youth Fund, and manages the growth and expansion of the model to new communities.

Liesette Brunson Liesette Brunson teaches community psychology at the Université du Québec à Montréal. She is interested in community based organizations that promote youth and child development and family well being; empowerment and citizen participation; and programs and policies that create more resources for families living in low-income neighborhoods.

YouthScape National Advisory

Denise Andrea Campbell: Manager of the Community Development Unit, City of Toronto Educated in the art and science of saving the world, Denise Andrea Campbell jumped out of the sandbox and started working on social justice issues. Youth engagement, anti-oppression and feminism have dominated her work life and she has helped build The Students Commission as a leader in youth engagement, advised on strategy development for leading foundations like the J.W. McConnell Foundation, and worked internationally as an advocate on race and gender in numerous United Nations organizations and most recently, the African Union. At age 26, she became the youngest president of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women. Denise has won numerous awards including being named a Who's Who in Black Canada and a notable Woman in Canadian History. Currently, Denise is the Manager of the Community Development Unit with the City of Toronto, where she supports the

10 implementation of Neighborhood Action in 15 under-serviced Toronto neighborhoods.

Honourable Landon Pearson: Landon Pearson Resource Centre for the Study of Childhood and Children’s Rights, Ottawa The Honourable Landon Pearson is a long-time advocate for the rights and well- being of children. Prior to her appointment to the Senate of Canada in 1994 as Senator for Children she served as President and then Chair of the Canadian Council on Children and Youth. She was a founding member and Chair of the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children. In May 1996, Senator Pearson was named Advisor on Children’s Rights to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and then became the Personal Representative of the Prime Minister to the 2002 United Nations Special Session on Children. She coordinated Canada’s response to the Special Session entitled A Canada Fit for Children. She now directs a Resource Centre for the Study of Childhood and Children’s Rights that has been established in her name and is currently adjunct professor in the Pauline Jewett Institute of Women’s Studies. Landon Pearson has published numerous books and articles on child-related issues and is recipient of numerous awards. In 2005, she was one among 1000 women world wide nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on behalf of children.

Claude Perras, Director of International Affairs, Alcan Bauxite and Alumina A 48 year old native of Boucherville, Québec, Claude Perras has a track record of over 20 years of professional involvement in the volunteer sector. He first became interested in this sector after participating with Canada World Youth in Tanzania and Ecuador, and World University Service of Canada (WUSC) in Zimbabwe. He holds a Master’s degree in Management from McGill University, Montreal; a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science with double concentration in Politics and Economics from the University of Ottawa and a Diploma in Social Development from the Coady International Institute of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. In 2006, Mr. Perras joined Alcan Bauxite and Alumina (B&A) in Montreal as Director International Affairs where he is driving the development and implementation of B&A’s strategy for sustainability development. His particular focus is on the social dimension and ensuring harmonious relationships with the local governments and communities in B&A’s 18 countries of operation.

Elizabeth Barot: Programmes Officer, Canadian Commission for UNESCO Elizabeth Barot has a Doctorate in Ibero American studies, University of Pau in collaboration with the University of Bordeax, France and a Masters of Arts, in Political Science and International Relations, University of Ottawa. She has a strong background in policy analysis, development of strategic and innovative partnerships, training and instruction, public relations program management and evaluation within both the local and international communities. In particular, Ms. Barot has a wealth of experience and knowledge in youth mentorship in issues of human rights, community development, and education.

11 She is a Programmes Officer (Human Rights; Social Sciences; Women; and Youth) with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.

J.W. McConnell Family Foundation

John Cawley, Senior Program Officer John Cawley is currently a senior program officer for the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation based in Montreal. He worked for over 20 years for Canada World Youth as a facilitator of youth engagement initiatives in developing countries and Canada, program designer and finally senior manager for this international leader in community-based education. John has also worked as a consultant helping community sector organizations improve their governance and strengthen their planning and evaluation capacities. He is active on several Boards, including Digital Opportunity Trust, an innovative leader in ICT for development. On most weekends from October to April he can be found coaching curling.

Elizabeth Fraser, Program Intern Elizabeth Fraser, Program Intern Elizabeth Fraser is the Program Intern with the McConnell Family Foundation while also finishing degrees in Music (Flute Performance) and Environmental Studies at McGill University. She has worked and volunteered with youth driven organizations including Free the Children, the Otesha Project and the Sierra Youth Coalition. She is also an avid biker and baker.