About the Youth Impact Project

The Youth Impact Project (YIP) is a collaboration between the Children and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region (CYPT) and Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab (SWRIL).

On June 8, over 100 youth from 15 local organisations pitched their ideas to a panel of nine youth. The Youth Decision-Making Panel (“The Dragons”) decided which projects would receive funding to make their idea a reality. The Youth Impact Project looks to fund youth who are addressing local challenges which are identified through the 2023 Youth Impact Survey results. The funded projects include a focus onsupporting youth mental and physical health, increasing feelings of belonging,and responding to climate change and food insecurity.

Youth will be working on their projects untilDecember. We're featuring each of the 12 projects!

The Welcoming Table

Who pitched the project?

The Welcoming Table is a program created by Niya and Hanan, two students from Forest Heights Collegiate Institute. They are both newcomers in Canada and noticed a big gap in some of the things that they thought newcomers needed in school.

Together, with the support of Volunteer Waterloo Region, these two youth wanted to make a safe place for newcomers and others who wanted a place to go during lunch hour.

What problem are you addressing in Waterloo Region?

This space was made to address the important concerns that they witnessed in their school:

1. English language learners had a hard time connecting to each other, and frequently felt isolated during lunch time. This also made it difficult to complete some homework assignments.
2. Many of their friends and people they know didn’t always have food during the day, adding to the stress of school.
3. Feelings of safety in their school were dropping, and that meant some of their friends and peers were afraid to show up.
4. Many of their friends and other students had questions about volunteering, employment, and other Canadian student opportunities, but were not sure where to get these questions answered

Through their passion for helping other students, the program was created to address all of these issues. They made sure that they created a judgment free environment where their peers could talk openly and not be judged based on their language skills. They provided snacks to the participants to help them get through the day without being hungry. They worked together with other students to assist with homework and studying. They made sure that there were activities that could bring people together, and allow for friendships and bonds to be made. With the support of a Volunteer Waterloo Region staff, and a couple of very caring faculty at the school, they gave students the opportunity to learn more about graduation requirements, volunteering opportunities, and ask questions about post-secondary options to knowledgeable people.

The program was a big success, with so many students and faculty at the school finding a notable improvement in the participants' mental health and wellbeing. If you would like some quotes from participants and faculty, please contact Daniela@volunteerwr.ca.

What are you going to do with the money?

The funding from the Youth Impact Project is being used to continue the program, and replicate it in at least one other school within Waterloo Region.

A Message from The Welcoming Table

If any students are interested in leading this program in their school (part of the funding allocation from the Youth Impact Fund) they should contact daniela@volunteerwr.ca.

More about the Youth Impact Project

The Youth Impact Project is a collaboration between Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab (SWRIL) and the Children and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region (CYPT).

Learn more about the Youth Impact Project