Message from Lauren, the Youth Engagement Advisory (YEA) Chair
from the Wellkin 2021-2022 Annual Report
Hello, my name is Lauren and I am the Elgin County chair for the Youth Engagement Advisory. We currently have 6-10 regular members as well as a few additional members that will join us on occasion.
Members of Wellkin’s Youth Engagement Advisory were successful recipients of an Enabling Accessibility Grant. With this grant, we have worked to create a sensory experience for individuals who access services at Wellkin. We partnered with the STEAM Centre as well as additional community members and schools to bring this project to life. This project is to be wrapped up in early June and we are excited to see this dream become a reality.
Wellkin’s Youth Engagement Advisory has been hosting virtual wellness nights for youth in the community. The wellness nights have been held virtually for health and safety reasons as well as in an attempt to remove the transportation barrier for local youth. We have planted sunflowers, painted mugs, made jewelry, experimented with watercolour painting, played in a virtual escape room, enjoyed a movie night, and had fun challenging each other at trivia and other games. Future wellness nights we have planned are another paint night as well as an origami night. We have received feedback that these wellness nights are an excellent means for connection, especially in times of social isolation and we are looking forward to the continuation of wellness nights in the upcoming year.
Looking forward to the future we are planning on creating a volunteer fair for youth to make connections with agencies that accept volunteers in the community. Wellkin’s Youth Engagement Advisory is excited to partner with additional youth-serving agencies and committees to host this volunteer fair. We have heard from youth that volunteering is an important aspect of wellness and are looking to help community youth make the connections they need in order to start volunteering at local organizations.
This next year is one we look forward to in hopes that it brings connection with each other and our purpose as well as fosters a sense of wellbeing in youth both on the committee and in the community.