Stories of change focus of event
U of R event underscores how generation can take role in social, economic issues
I hope that the young people there really feel like the actions that they take in their communities matter.
It’s no secret that young people get a bad rap sometimes. From millennial-bashing to stereotypes of laziness and entitlement, their power and potential is often underestimated.
A University of Regina event is trying to change that.
“My work’s really all about recognizing the value that young people have,” said Ilona Dougherty, managing director of the youth and innovation research project at the University of Waterloo and the keynote speaker for Thursday ’s UR Change Makers alumni event.
The event invites young alumni to hear from Dougherty and other speakers share their stories of leadership and change-making.
“In Canada, we are facing a lot of economic and social challenges and we need everybody to be involved,” said Dougherty. “Sometimes it’s young people who tend to be on the sidelines of democracy or the economy, not taken seriously.”
Originally from Prince Albert, Dougherty is excited to return to her home province to inspire young leaders and give them tools to make a difference in their home communities. She will be sharing research from her team that highlights how young leaders have historically made significant impacts on social issues in Canada and how they did it.
She said results from a 2015 study on youth-led social change show young people can have more of an impact when they are supported by older generations, making intergenerational collaboration essential. More recently, she said a study on brain research found people in their mid-teens to late 20s are wired for innovation and are at the height of creativity and innovation potential.
“We’re really trying to do the academic research that makes the case that, yes, young people are having an impact and also share lessons learned about how we can best support them,” said Dougherty.
Attendees can also hear from local community leader Shawna Oochoo, the co-founder and executive director of White Pony Lodge Inc., a non-profit community-based organization in which volunteers patrol Regina’s North Central neighbourhood in an attempt to make the community a safer, better place to be.
She will be talking about her personal story of recovery and healing in hopes of inspiring change among alumni.
“As a young Indigenous woman, I grew up primarily within North Central,” said Oochoo. “Like many young people who live down in this area, I was inflicted with very similar issues within our community — poverty, violence, racism, all of those things that tend to hold a lot of our young people back.”
But through a journey of healing she has been able to help others and make a difference by breaking down stereotypes and stigma about North Central and the people who live there.
“We’re a community that cares for one another,” she said. “We’re all working in our own ways, little by little, towards change.”
Also speaking are young community leaders Kelly Husack, executive director of Student Energy in Action in Regina for Community Health Inc. (SEARCH) and Jim Deremay, co-founder of UnderstandUs, a volunteer organization that provides awareness and education to overcome mental health barriers in youth.
The event is a chance to emphasize the important role young people have in addressing the pressing social and economic problems of our time and how, with the right support, they can do that, said Dougherty.
“I hope that the young people there really feel like the actions that they take in their communities matter.”
The event begins at 7 p.m. on March 22 at the Delta Hotel. People who wish to attend are asked to register online before March 19.