By Lily Viggiano, former Halton Youth Initiative Project Coordinator
On Tuesday November 30, 2021, several Youth Impact Ambassadors facilitated discussions with other youth in Halton regarding key elements, or ‘data sparks’, from the Halton Youth Impact Survey. During the virtual Data Party, attended by nearly 50 youth, we learned more about relationships and youth mental health in presentations shared by the Research team at Our Kids Network (OKN).
We brainstormed suggestions, shared stories, and discussed how youth and adults could take action to make Halton a better place for all. We listened to the youth as they processed the data that they had received for the first time. We heard their recommendations for tackling key challenges such as mental health and sense of belonging. These reflections will help OKN’s Research team enhance the data statistics as they prepare them to be used by Halton professionals in their work.
Sharing thoughts
By Leah Minkovich, Halton Youth Impact Survey ambassador and data party guest
This was the first time since working as a Youth Impact Survey ambassador that I had a chance to see the survey results. I was both surprised and disappointed. The results were what I expected, reflecting on the feelings of isolation that I personally, along with the youth I had talked to, were feeling. But to see that I was right, and that mental health had dropped substantially among youth during the pandemic was a disappointment. The registrants in my group echoed similar thoughts. For some, this was what they were expecting, but there were quite a few who were caught completely off guard.
We were able to have an incredibly meaningful conversation about the reasons behind these results, as well as what could be done about them. Many of the registrants had similar ideas about school being the best opportunity for change. Ideas such as extra homework help, a greater variety of clubs, and being more open about mental health were discussed.
From conversation to action
By Shrena Sribalan, Halton Youth Impact Survey ambassador and data party guest
Since the pandemic started, I’ve been to a lot of online events of a similar sort. However, nothing compares to the excitement and passion that burst through my screen on the night of the OKN Halton Youth Impact Survey’s Data Party! As a Halton Youth Impact ambassador, it was so nice to see that we reached so many different young people and that hard work paid off. Seeing the data left me with mixed feelings. It showed me where we must grow as a community and what we are doing well at already.
The best part by far was when we got to deliberate our thoughts in breakout rooms. It was so nice to have meaningful conversations with people who care about issues I care about. It felt like I had known these people forever. Together, we proposed various solutions directed at various community stakeholders whether it be the municipality, the government, the school boards, and even ourselves. I hope that our thoughts get translated to the right people to ensure the voices of youth are heard and a plan of action is set.
