3. PROGRESS REPORT ON "BRINGING YOUTH IN", ESTABLISHING THE COMMISSION DE LA JEUNESSE D'OTTAWA YOUTH COMMISSION.

RAPPORT D’ÉTAPE DU PROJET « FAIRE INTERVENIR LES JEUNES » ÉTABLISSANT LA COMMISSION DE LA JEUNESSE D’OTTAWA

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONs

That Council:

1. Receive this report including Highlights of the Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission (CJOYC) Annual Report attached as Document 1, and;

2. Approve the CJOYC recommendations contained in Document 1 and as reproduced below:

a. To use the information contained in this report in building city priorities and strategic planning;

b. To circulate this document to all city departments, key agencies and relevant community organizations as applicable with respect to youth issues;

c. To recognize the role that CJOYC can play in engaging the youth voice in the Children and Youth Agenda and other City initiatives; and

d. To have City Councillors meet with members of CJOYC in order to listen to their feedback, create stronger ties and foster greater communication about issues and potential partnerships within individual wards.

Recommandations du comité

Que le Conseil municipal :

1. reçoit le présent rapport, y compris les points saillants du rapport annuel de la Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission (CJOYC) joint à l’annexe 1,

2. approuve les recommandations de la CJOYC contenues à l’annexe 1 et reproduites ci‑après :

a. d’utiliser les renseignements du présent rapport dans l’établissement des priorités de la Ville et de la planification stratégique;

b. de faire circuler le présent document dans tous les services municipaux, les organismes principaux et les organismes communautaires pertinents en fonction des enjeux touchant les jeunes;

c. de reconnaître le rôle que la CJOYC peut jouer pour engager les jeunes dans le Programme des enfants et des adolescents et les autres initiatives de la Ville;

d. de demander aux conseillers municipaux de se réunir avec les membres de la CJOYC afin d’écouter leurs commentaires, de créer des liens plus forts et d’encourager une plus grande communication à propos des enjeux et des partenariats possibles avec les différents quartiers.

DOCUMENTATION

1. Deputy City Manager report dated 27 May 2007 (ACS2007-CPS-DCM-0006).

Report to/Rapport au :

Community and Protective Services Committee

Comité des services communautaires et de protection

and Council / et au Conseil

27 May 2007 / le 27 mai 2007

Submitted by/Soumis par: Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager/Directeur municipal adjoint,

Community and Protective Services/Services communautaires et de protection

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Pauline Daling, Project Manager

SIBP

(613) 580-2424 x24180, pauline.daling@ottawa.ca

City-Wide/ À L'échelle De La Ville

Ref N°: ACS2007-CPS-DCM-0006

SUBJECT:	PROGRESS REPORT ON "BRINGING YOUTH IN", ESTABLISHING THE COMMISSION DE LA JEUNESSE D'OTTAWA YOUTH COMMISSION.
OBJET :	RAPPORT D’ÉTAPE DU PROJET « FAIRE INTERVENIR LES JEUNES » ÉTABLISSANT LA COMMISSION DE LA JEUNESSE D’OTTAWA

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Community and Protective Services Committee recommend that Council:

1. Receive this report including Highlights of the Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission (CJOYC) Annual Report attached as Document 1, and;

2. Approve the CJOYC recommendations contained in Document 1 and as reproduced below:

a. To use the information contained in this report in building city priorities and strategic planning;

b. To circulate this document to all city departments, key agencies and relevant community organizations as applicable with respect to youth issues;

c. To recognize the role that CJOYC can play in engaging the youth voice in the Children and Youth Agenda and other City initiatives; and

d. To have City Councillors meet with members of CJOYC in order to listen to their feedback, create stronger ties and foster greater communication about issues and potential partnerships within individual wards.

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité de Services communautaires et de protection recommande au Conseil municipal :

1. de recevoir le présent rapport, y compris les points saillants du rapport annuel de la Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission (CJOYC) joint à l’annexe 1,

2. d’approuver les recommandations de la CJOYC contenues à l’annexe 1 et reproduites ci‑après :

a. d’utiliser les renseignements du présent rapport dans l’établissement des priorités de la Ville et de la planification stratégique;

b. de faire circuler le présent document dans tous les services municipaux, les organismes principaux et les organismes communautaires pertinents en fonction des enjeux touchant les jeunes;

c. de reconnaître le rôle que la CJOYC peut jouer pour engager les jeunes dans le Programme des enfants et des adolescents et les autres initiatives de la Ville;

d. de demander aux conseillers municipaux de se réunir avec les membres de la CJOYC afin d’écouter leurs commentaires, de créer des liens plus forts et d’encourager une plus grande communication à propos des enjeux et des partenariats possibles avec les différents quartiers.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In December 2005, Council approved $29,000 as one-time funding for Child and Youth Friendly Ottawa (CAYFO) to create a committee composed entirely of youth who could represent the youth voice in Ottawa. The new youth committee would solicit young peoples views and opinions through a number of methods, including focus groups, surveys, workshops, and conferences.

The Commission de la Jeunesse d'Ottawa Youth Commission (CJOYC) was created and launched in May 2006 with the following objectives.

· Identify priorities for youth

· Establish a municipal policy platform from youth

· Strengthen partnerships with the community and key stakeholders

· Build youth networks across issues, constituencies and geographies

· Monitor trends and relevant issues

· Promote successful practice, celebrate and highlight accomplishments

· Work with adult allies and secure adult guidance

· Lead, join and create forums to promote dialogue

· Focus on areas such as crime prevention, recreation, transportation, health, sports, rural issues, housing and homelessness

The CJOYC tasked itself to seek and convey the views and opinions of Ottawa's youth to City Council by implementing the following deliverables over the course of its first year:

Ø Hold 2 youth conferences

Ø Conduct 4 workshops

Ø Facilitate Twelve focus groups

Ø Circulate 4 questionnaires

Ø Distribute 2 surveys

Ø Create a Bilingual Website

Ø Hold 1 community art event

Ø Produce 3 progress reports

Ø Provide an Annual Report to Council

Since the formation of the Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission, progress has been made on developing the mandate, policy and procedures, membership and drafting of a longer-term plan for the City of Ottawa and it’s services to young people.

While several of these outcomes have provided an opportunity for youth to have a voice, further work is underway to expand CJOYC's leadership role in order to help the city engage youth in Ottawa.

A longer term plan will be developed which includes capacity building and working with the City of Ottawa and United Way/Centraide Ottawa’s Children and Youth Agenda and relevant City of Ottawa committees to continue to focus on youth priorities and issues that build awareness within the community and City council.

This report documents the activities and successes of the Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission over the past year.

RÉSUMÉ

En décembre 2005, le Conseil municipal a approuvé un financement non récurrent de 29 000 $ pour le « Programme Ottawa : l’Amie de la jeunesse » afin de créer un comité composé entièrement de jeunes représentant la jeunesse d’Ottawa. Le nouveau comité des jeunes aurait pour mandat d’intervenir auprès d’autres jeunes afin d’obtenir leurs points de vue et leurs opinions par le biais de diverses méthodes, notamment des groupes de consultation, des enquêtes, des ateliers et des conférences.

La Commission de la jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission (CJOYC) a été créée et lancée en mai 2006 avec les objectifs suivants :

· Déterminer les priorités des jeunes,

· Établir une plate-forme de politique municipale pour les jeunes,

· Renforcer les partenariats avec la collectivité et les principaux intervenants,

· Établir des réseaux de jeunes autour des enjeux, des circonscriptions et des divisions géographiques,

· Assurer le suivi des tendances et des enjeux pertinents,

· Faire la promotion des pratiques réussies, célébrer et souligner les réalisations,

· Collaborer avec les adultes et obtenir l’aide d’adultes,

· Mener, utiliser et créer différentes formes de promotion du dialogue,

· Mettre l’accent sur différents points tels que la prévention du crime, les loisirs, le transport, la santé, les sports, les questions rurales, le logement et les sans abri.

La CJOYC s’est engagée à relever les points de vue et les opinions des jeunes d’Ottawa et à les transmettre au Conseil municipal en mettant en œuvre les réalisations suivantes au cours de la première année :

· Organiser deux conférences pour les jeunes,

· Offrir quatre ateliers,

· Former 12 groupes de discussion,

· Faire circuler quatre questionnaires,

· Distribuer deux enquêtes,

· Créer un site Web bilingue,

· Tenir une activité artistique communautaire,

· Rédiger trois rapports d’activités,

· Rédiger un rapport annuel à présenter au Conseil municipal.

Depuis la formation de la Commission de la jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission, des progrès ont été faits dans les points suivants : l’élaboration du mandat, de la politique et des procédures, l’appartenance et l’ébauche d’un plan à long terme pour la Ville d’Ottawa et les services offerts aux jeunes.

Bien que plusieurs de ces réalisations aient permis aux jeunes de se faire entendre, d’autres travaux sont actuellement en cours afin d’accentuer le rôle prépondérant de la CJOYC, de manière à aider la Ville d’Ottawa à pousser les jeunes à s’engager.

Un plan à long terme sera élaboré et comprendra l’amélioration de la capacité et la collaboration avec la Ville d’Ottawa, Centraide, le Programme des enfants et des adolescents et les différents comités pertinents de la Ville d’Ottawa, afin de continuer l’étude des priorités et des enjeux importants pour les jeunes, dans le but de sensibiliser la collectivité et le Conseil municipal.

Le présent rapport documente les activités et les réussites de la Commission de la jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission au cours de la dernière année.

BACKGROUND

In 2001, the Ottawa Council approved the establishment of a youth cabinet for City Council, which came about following extensive deliberations by a planning committee of community leaders, concerned citizens, and youth.

The cabinet was to be comprised of young people from all regions of Ottawa who were selected by individual City Councillors. Their mandate was to review municipal matters; particularly those issues that affected children and youth.

The Youth Cabinet had a short history and failed to successfully get off the ground, which led to the decision in December 2004 to suspend the work of the Cabinet and consider alternative models. It was suggested at that time that Child & Youth Friendly Ottawa (CAYFO) propose a new way of engaging youth in matters of civic governance.

Child and Youth Friendly Ottawa submitted a proposal to “Bring Youth In” to City Council, to create a committee comprised entirely of youth, which could provide a channel for our younger citizens to engage and communicate with their municipal government.

In December 2005, Council approved $29,000 to fund CAYFO’s “Bringing Youth In” initiative to create a committee composed entirely of youth who would act as their spokesperson, soliciting their views and opinions through a number of methods, including focus groups, surveys, workshops, and conferences. Since it’s proposal, the “Bringing Youth In” initiative has evolved into the “Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission.”

In its inaugural year, the Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission (CJOYC) has been successful both in programming and delivery of their mandate by:

Creating a Youth Voice within City Hall

• The CJOYC has made steps towards delivering a youth voice in City Hall through 2 surveys presented to respective committees. The Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission has been able to provide a youth perspective on the City’s Integrated Drugs and Addictions Strategy and the Crime Prevention Ottawa initiative.

Gathered Youth Opinion and Created Awareness

• Through the See…Hear… Speak youth conference, focus groups and regional meetings, the CJOYC outlined priorities and issues of youth. Outcomes from these deliverables will help inform current City initiatives, as well as community agencies and groups to enhance the community's response to youth issues.

Completed Deliverables

1. See…Hear…Speak Youth Conference

• The Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission and the POPCORN Network of Youth Service Providers brought together over 150 youth from around the city to participate in a daylong conference, which included two surveys, one questionnaire, panel discussions and 14 focus groups discussing issues concerning youth.

§ Outcome: The event generated a vast body of information around youth participation, concerns and how they can make a difference such as:

§ How to become better informed on how youth can get involved in their community.

§ Positive youth actions need to be showcased.

§ Youth need a central place to find information on engagement (e.g. website)

§ Create a strategic plan on how to serve youth from all backgrounds and circumstances to deal with issues concerning them.

2. Focus Groups

• The Commission conducted a focus group relating to youth’s opinion on how to prioritize the issue of crime and safety in Ottawa.

§ Outcomes: Youth considered Ottawa to be a reasonably safe city but many felt that youth are often treated with disrespect simply because they are teenagers.

• Crime Prevention Ottawa Focus Group
• Outcome: The CJOYC held a focus group to help educate youth about Crime Prevention Ottawa’s mandate and asked them to discuss their concerns with safety in Ottawa. The opinions gathered were integrated into Crime Prevention Ottawa's strategic plan.

• Youth Consultation- Ottawa’s Integrated Drugs and Addictions Strategy.

Over 130 young people from local secondary schools were consulted to help create a report relating to substance abuse, which was used to help influence Ottawa’s Integrated Drugs and Addictions Strategy.

§ Outcomes: Those surveyed responded that the best ways to keep young people from experimenting with drugs are presentations with disturbing images, community activities and sports to keep them active and occupied.

• High School Focus Groups

The Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission held 4 focus groups with two Grade 10 Civics classes at Lisgar Collegiate Institute to explore youth led solutions and build on active problem solving.

• Outcomes: Ottawa is a generally clean, safe and friendly city however, there is not enough youth engaging activities and when they have them, transportation to these events needs to be more efficient and economical.

3. Questionnaire

• A questionnaire was distributed to youth 12-24 years during the Hear…See…Speak youth conference looking at some of the challenges of being a youth in Ottawa.
• Outcomes: 54 % of youth viewed Ottawa as being a good place for youth to live. Young people feel it's important to have the ability and power to make a difference and to be heard.

4. Surveys

• Four surveys were completed which highlight in brief some of the key issues that have been identified by the young people of Ottawa. A document titled “Matters of Concern” was produced from the survey findings.
• Outcome: Findings outline the need for prevention, access to services and rural youth issues being of concern.

5. Workshop

• The Commission conducted a workshop at the University of Ottawa asking youth their views on Ottawa as a city for youth.
• Outcomes: Ottawa is a good place for youth to live and have a selection of opportunities, although there was concern over violence and increased substance abuse. Youth would like to see more services for the less fortunate and an increase in youth activism.

6. Progress Reports

• The Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission have provided three progress reports outlining their ongoing activities and deliverables over the 2006-2007 year.

Awareness of the Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission:

• Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission was officially launched at City Hall with several media outlets in May 2006.
• Youth membership increased over the year from 6 to 10 members.
• The Commission has been guided by a group of independent Adult Mentors who provide feedback on progress and deliverables.
• The CJOYC recognized a need to create a constitution, which outlines the various objectives, roles and program successes to ensure proper governance. A draft constitution was created in July 2006 and approved by committee members as a working model.
• Monthly segment on Rogers Television to provide updates on current CJOYC programs and activities, and a "what if" segment on CTV.
• Presentations to Ottawa Carleton District School Board Leadership Camps to raise awareness of the Commission.
• Conference for youth by youth.

Creating Strong Relationships within City Hall

• Not only is the commission stretched between public relations and implementing projects, a strategy for truly amplifying youth voice in City Hall on a regular basis has proven to be a challenge. The commission will continue to address this problem by working more closely with the city's Children and Youth Agenda, and will propose to meet with City Councillors and relevant committees.

Outstanding deliverables:

• Community Art project - This deliverable remains outstanding but has been included as a priority in the 2007 workplan.
• Bilingual Website - This deliverable remains outstanding but is an integral part of their strategy and has been included in the 2007 workplan.

Challenges

The Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission has made great advances over the past year, although recurring issues have impacted their success.

• Resource Constraints:
• Due to the fact that the CJOYC is run entirely by youth volunteers, putting together events and achieving a solid structure of governance has been a challenge.
• The budget allocated to fund staffing, youth leaders, conferences, and material costs have been a challenge. The CJOYC was hopeful of support from other funding sources that did not materialize, which led to additional challenges.

Balancing Initiatives and Awareness

• In its first year the CJOYC recognized the need to establish its awareness and creditability within the community. The commission’s focus was on improving youth awareness through a website and other public relations initiatives, such as a Rogers Television Segment. To date, layout for the website has been created and the Rogers segment has been ongoing since July 2006.

Transitions:

• The recent municipal elections as well as, Child and Youth Friendly Ottawa - CJOYC's Senior Director and Supervisor transitioning his position to a new Executive Director contributed to a slowed progression of CJOYC meeting it's deliverables to date.

Future of the Commission de la Jeunesse d’ Ottawa Youth Commission

• The CJOYC has applied for 2007 funding through the City of Ottawa's Community Project Funding Program for continued support of the Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission.
• Key elements of CJOYC future focus are:

o Increased membership of university and high school aged youth;

o Continue to ensure that a diversity of youth is engaged in CJOYC and its activities;

o Strengthen leadership development opportunities by introducing a Youth Ambassador program where less experienced youth learn and practice the necessary leadership skills;

o Further develop relationships with Councillors and staff;

o Continue to strengthen ties with media outlets and key community stakeholders to engage the widest variety of youth and strengthen the impact;

o Hire one full time CJOYC support staff under the auspices of Child and Youth Friendly Ottawa and supported by the City of Ottawa and other key stakeholders;

o Develop a sustainability plan that broadens CJOYC's financial base;

o Host a series of information gathering sessions that solicit input to create an action plan to address the themes identified in this report; and

o Create a citywide action plan in collaboration with the City of Ottawa and United Way/Centraide Ottawa's Children and Youth Agenda project team.

CONSULTATION

The Commission de la Jeunesse d’Ottawa Youth Commission's Annual Report was brought to the Child and Youth Friendly Board of Directors on May 8, 2007.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial implications associated with this report.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1 - The Commission de la Jeunesse d’ Ottawa Youth Commission Annual Report (Previously Distributed)

DISPOSITION

Community and Protective Services to facilitate implementation of all approved directions.