Local youth are about to rock out at the park.
The third annual Youth Achievement and Appreciation (YAA) Festival gets underway May 17 from 3 to 7 p.m. in Polson Park.
The festival celebrates youth in the community with music and food while highlighting available services and resources for young people and their families.
There will also be a Career Fair featuring many of the area’s top employers, educational institutions and employment centres.
“This festival brings together youth, parents, service providers, potential employers and the larger community to recognize the shared efforts toward the positive development of the youth in our community,” said Rejane Herzog, YAA Fest planning committee. “Everyone has a lot of fun at YAA Fest and the good vibes carry on throughout the year.”
Spearheading the event is the Community Based Youth Services Team (CBYST), a representative committee of youth serving programs, organizations and individuals that meet regularly to share information and identify gaps in service. They work to form partnerships to fill those gaps. The cornerstone of the CBYST is consultation with and the involvement of youth and youth serving partners in decisions that affect them.
This group started in 1998 and is a model for other communities who see the value in working together to meet community needs.
