Rachel Lucas
submitted
Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) welcomed six new members to its Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) this past weekend in Golden. YAC members are motivated and involved youth age 15-29 who provide advice on youth-related grants and events at CBT.
“Engagement and leadership are two key areas of CBT’s recently finalized 2011-2016 Youth Strategic Plan,” said Wayne Lundeberg, CBT, Director Youth Initiatives. “The YAC is an important means for CBT to engage with Basin youth and through their participation they are able to build their own skills as leaders.”
Prospective YAC members go through an application process and are selected to volunteer on the committee by the previous year’s committee members. The commitment to serve on the YAC is a minimum one-year term. This commitment involves a weekend meeting every two months and review of all Columbia Basin Youth Grant applications. This is a task unique to this CBT advisory committee and was specifically given to the group to further promote the active engagement of youth in regional decision-making processes.
“I am excited to be joining the YAC because it gives youth a voice,” said new Revelstoke member Taryn Walker. “I look forward to getting to know other youth in the Basin, learning new leadership skills, and making a difference in my community.”
“CBT’s YAC is a great opportunity to be an active member of your community,” said returning Golden member Zachary McClean. “It gives members the unique opportunity to provide input and affect change.” YAC members are also often asked to become involved in a number of CBT and community events and youth forums, to special projects and website moderating.
Welcome new members: Jaya Ducharme (Winlaw), Sierra Franklin (Canal Flats), Tessa Jackson (Nelson), Blake Nicol (Nelson), Jane Rolandi (Cranbrook) and, Taryn Walker (Revelstoke). Returning members are: Laura Archer (Golden), Miranda de Groot (Cranbrook), Matt Fontes (Castlegar), Zeb Hansell (Fruitvale), Zachary McClean (Golden) and Kyler Perepolkin (South Slocan).
CBT works with youth and communities to increase youth opportunities and engagement through enhancing capacity, leadership and participation. CBT funds youth developed projects through the Community Directed Youth Funds (CDYF) and Columbia Basin Youth Grants (CBYG) programs and provides a forum for youth in the Columbia Basin to share their art, ideas and experiences with each other through SCRATCH magazine at www.scratchonline.ca. October deadlines are approaching for CDYF and CBYG. Visit www.cbt.org/youth for more details.
