Youth Town Council Handbook

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Youth Town CouncilHandbook

• New North SANC Services Inc.
• Saskatchewan Associations of Northern Communities
• Northern Youth Leadership Coordinators
• [phone]

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New North Mission

• The New North-SANC Services Inc. (Saskatchewan
  Association of Northern Communities) through
  strength in unity is organized to advocate,
  negotiate and initiate, improvements for the
  interests and concerns to the Local, Provincial,
  and Federal Governments to enhance the quality of
  life for Northern people within the Northern
  Administration District (NAD) of Saskatchewan.

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Purpose of YTC

• To engage and mobilize youth from Northern and
  remote communities via the Youth Town
  Council (YTC) infrastructure, to participate in
  social development decisions within their
  communities.
• Youth are the future of our communities it is
  very important that we invest in them and support
  the YTC.
• 43 of the population in the Northern region is
  under the age of 20 years, a much higher
  proportion than the 27 under age 20 in the
  province as a whole. (Northern Sask. Training
  Needs Assessment Report Stat)
• Involving youth in the community, allowing them
  to participate more at the municipal level will
  decrease involvement in crime, vandalism,
  substance use and violence through an increase in
  personal knowledge, development, and support to
  participate in and create community change.

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Purpose Continued

• In article 12 of United Nations Human Rights
  Convention it states that
• Young people, have the legal right to formally
  express their opinions and for those opinions to
  be taken seriously. It places a legal
  responsibility on the decision-makers to consult
  young people about things that will affect them
  and recommends that this be done through
  establishing youth based groups such the YTC.
• Young people are finding themselves increasingly
  marginalized in their local communities. It is
  therefore important that young people are
  involved in the decisions made in the local
  community that affect them.
• Developing the YTC can act as a real means of
  incorporating young people into our communities
  and can lead to a more safer, vibrant and
  sustainable community.

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Purpose Continued

• Festering Hopelessness
• Northern Saskatchewan youth are experiencing
  increasing levels of a debilitating sense of
  hopelessness. This is reflected in youths
  involvement in addictions, attempted suicides,
  and in degrees of youth living in a state of
  homelessness, gang formation, crime activity,
  incarceration, and representation of northern
  youth in care.
• Northern youth are experiencing many
  issues/problems as seen in larger urban centres,
  yet Northern communities lack many of the
  amenities, resources, and human resources to
  address these issues.

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Who Benefits?

• Not only do young people benefit from setting up
  a youth town council but your town council and
  the local community as a whole benefits.

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YTC enables young people to

• Voice their concerns
• Participate in local governments
• Be empowered to take decisions and action to
  improve their local community
• Stat Only 49 of Northern youth are attending
  school!

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YTC enables the Local Council to

• Truly represent the whole of the community they
  live in
• Become more vibrant, modern and dynamic
• Encourage young people to vote and become
  councilors when they are ready
• Improve services to young people

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YTC enables the local community to

• Become more safer and more sustainable
• More vibrant and progressive
• Improve services and be more representative

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Structure of YTC

• The Province of Saskatchewan recognizes youth who
  are in the age range of 13-21 years old.
• It is a very good idea that you find your
  representation through the schools or Friendship
  Center youth council if any.
• It is essential that you, as young people
  themselves, to choose who you wish to be
  represented by (not the teachers or the council)
  and seek guidance from them.
• It may be useful to aim for a certain number of
  youth councilors per age group, and ensure that
  these are spread across the area you represent in
  order to ensure a fair representation.

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Structure of YTC

• Most Youth Town Councils mirror the local
  government structure. The basic structure is 1
  Junior Mayor with 2 - 6 Junior Councilors
  pending on size of community and what the actual
  town council has in its system.
• You may wish to adopt a more informal and
  flexible approach to meetings and communications
  etc.
• There should be a chair person for the YTC. An
  elder or a town councilor should be appointed to
  oversee the YTC, and to ensure that their
  decisions are legal, as well as to provide
  support guidance to the YTC members.

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Structure of YTC

• Each YTC must included two or more youth at risk
  and/or involved in the criminal justice system to
  ensure full participation and representation of
  youth in the community.
• Those who are recognised as a youth at risk are
  on a self-declared basis only.
• If the members voted into the YTC do not
  categorize themselves as a youth at risk, it is
  the YTCs responsibility to find members at
  large to fulfill the requirement. The members at
  large are special members as their opinions/
  ideas are to be put into consideration, but they
  do not need to be voted-in or participate in all
  YTC meetings.

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Structure of YTC
Youth at Risk are defined as individuals
demonstrating one or more the following
characteristics
Difficult "personality" or temperament.
Problems/difficulties as the result from brain
diseases or disorders (ex. ADD, FASD, and
others). Family violence, including verbal and
emotional abuse and neglect. Childhood traumas
such as physical and sexual abuse. Poor or
ineffective parental supervisory and discipline
skills.  Parental alcoholism or drug
addiction.  Failing in school truancy and
other school problems.  Low socio-economic
status living in poverty.
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Duties of Junior Councilors

• Represent the well being and interests of youth
  (ages13-21) in their community in regards to
  education and crime.
• To implement one project to address youth at
  risk, meet needs of community, increase community
  involvement and change perceptions of youth in
  the community in regards to the decrease in youth
  involvement in crime, vandalism, substance use
  and violence.
• To ensure that administrative practices and
  procedures are carried out.
• To participate in YTC meetings and once a month
  town council meetings to voice opinions and
  concerns for youth representation.
• To keep in confidence matters discussed in
  private at a council or committee meeting until
  the matter is discussed at a meeting held
  publicly.
• Maintain the integrity of the YTC through
  positive role modeling in the community and
  exemplar public behaviors.
• To perform duties or functions as delegated by
  the council as a whole.

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Duties of Junior Mayor

• Perform all duties of a councilor as well as
  duties of Junior Mayor.
• Designate an acting junior mayor to act in
  his/her replacement.
• Schedule monthly meetings and contact all members
  within 24 hours of meeting.
• Provide conflict resolution among the members of
  council .
• Remove a member of council if found disagreeable
  towards the better good of the whole project.
• Find replacement council members when vacancies
  arise.
• Provide leadership, goal setting, time lines, and
  strategic project planning for the council to
  follow.
• Attend networking meetings and conferences as a
  representation for the YTC.

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Objectives and Duties of YTC

• Each YTC will implement and determine one project
  to address youth crime prevention and education
  within their community.
• Recognize a gap or need within their specific
  community and put forth a resolution by
  addressing crime prevention so that they can
  reach out to the youth at risk, meet needs of
  community, increase community involvement and
  change perceptions of youth in the community.
• Increase awareness to the youth to existing
  community resources such as social workers,
  guidance counsellors, Elders, mental health
  professionals, by the use of the one project.
• YTC will work on this one project to impact
  community youth and establish YTC members as role
  models recognised by peers, SRCs, and Town
  Councils.
• Implement a strategy of incorporating youth
  decisions on social development into the YTC to
  decrease incidents of youth criminal activity,
  vandalism, substance abuse and violence through
  increasing self-esteem of youth and enhancing
  community participation.

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Objectives and Duties of YTC

• Generate youth discussion in communities about
  events, activities and topics of interest through
  newsletters, radio spots, and other advertising
  determined by the YTC to create skill
  development, get youth interested and recognize
  their ability to generate social change in their
  community.
• Communicate and report issues, programs, and
  progress to other YTCs via the NewNorth
  Newsletter.
• Present monthly reports and/or presentations to
  town council, YTC coordinators, community
  organizations to inform community organization
  sectors on the needs and issues of youth.
• YTC will hold intergenerational events to
  facilitate the exchange of learning and
  experiences between youth and adults and/or
  elders in the community to recognize strengths
  and assets thereby generating support and
  understanding of marginalized groups in the
  community for crime prevention and education.
• Research and apply for grants/funding to support
  the ideas/projects implemented.

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Duties of Junior Council

• To represent the well-being and interests of
  youth ages (13-21) in their community in regards
  to crime prevention and education
• To implement one project to address youth at
  risk, meet needs of community, increase community
  involvement and change perceptions of youth in
  the community in regards to the decrease in youth
  involvement in crime, vandalism, substance use
  and violence.
• To ensure that administrative practices and
  procedures are carried out to completion for the
  overall success and good of the project decided
  upon by the Council.
• To participate in YTC meetings as well as once a
  month Town Council meetings to voice the visions,
  ideas, and project initiatives of the youth they
  represent.
• To keep in confidence matters discussed in
  private at a council or committee meeting until
  the matter is discussed at a meeting held in
  public
• Maintain the integrity of the YTC through
  positive role modeling in the community and
  through exemplar public behaviors
• To perform duties or function as delegated by the
  council as a whole

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General Duties of the Junior Mayor

• Perform all the duties of a Councillor in
  addition to Junior Mayor duties.
• Serve as a voice/ representative of his/her YTC
  to the Town Council monthly meetings.
• Submit/ present a report to the Town Council
  about the YTCs activities and progresses since
  the last preceding meeting.
• Designate an acting Junior Mayor to act in
  his/her placement due any unavoidable
  absenteeism.
• Schedule monthly meetings and contact all
  members with a minimum 24 hour notice by either
  hand-delivering, e-mailing, fax, or left at the
  usual place of business or residence.
• Provide conflict resolution among the members of
  Council and leader management.
• Remove a member of Council if found disagreeable
  towards the better good of the whole project.
• Find replacement Council members when vacancies
  arise.
• Provide leadership, goal setting, time lines, and
  strategic project planning for the Council to
  follow.
• Attend networking conferences and meetings as a
  representation for the YTC.

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The Objectives and Duties of the NewNorth Youth
Leadership Coordinators

• Provide leadership training and workshops to
  increase YTCs self-efficiency and
  sustainability.
• Set up networking conferences and meetings for
  the benefit of the YTC. Such as the Justice
  Symposium in Prince Albert, Minters Round Table
  in Regina, Youth Conference in South Bay, and
  others.
• Indicate accesses to support networks,
  organizations, and governments within the
  community.
• Advertisements and exposure of the YTC within
  their community and the North.
• Distribute monthly NewNorth Newsletters with YTC
  highlights to all communities involved.
• To assist YTCs in proposal writing to obtain
  funding to sustain the project suggested.
• Evaluation to the YTC effectiveness and outcomes
  with Town Councils, community organizations, and
  business.

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The Objectives and Duties of the NewNorth Youth
Leadership Coordinators

• Advocate the YTC to Town Council and ensure that
  it is held is high regard, and taken in a serious
  and respectful manner by the Town Council.
• Remove members from the YTC if deemed unanimously
  by their peers as unfit or have constant
  criticism the associations in which they work
  with.

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Meetings

• Most town council meeting once every 2 weeks or
  once a month pending on size of community.
• Have your meetings on the same day/ time as the
  previous ones if you had a meeting on a
  Wednesday have the next meeting on a Wednesday
  (to avoid confusion or absenteeism).
• Meetings must be held publicly unless otherwise
  posted anyone may sit in on a meeting and the
  only way they can be expelled from meetings is
  the use of improper conduct, this cannot be
  tolerated!
• Private meetings may be held to discuss private
  issues such as long-range planning or strategic
  planning.
• The first meeting must be held within 31 days
  after the formation of the YTC.
• Members must be notified within 24 hours of
  meetings or cancellations.

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Some Project Ideas?

• Transportation
• Local Facilities youth centre, skate-park,
  etc...
• Employment in the community
• Communication of ideas with businesses, citizens,
  and government municipal officials
• Removal of prejudices of youth in Northern
  Communities
• Training opportunities for youth
• Creation of youth success stories and awareness
  of local role models
• More work with Elders - cultural
  programming/respecting their knowledge
• Connect ideas with funding at local level
• Train YTC members how to make business plans
• Make up business plans with approval from town
  council and create your own funding

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Sources for Funding

• Canada Council for the Arts
• Can Sask
• NRCC Northern Regional Recreation Committee
• Saskatchewan Arts Board
• Sask Culture Inc
• Saskatchewan Lotteries
• Sask Learning
• SaskSmart Innovations Funds
• Sask Sport
• SPFC Small Business Funding Centre

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Helpful Strategies and Tools

• Conflict!
• Conflict can be an opportunity. When you
  experience conflict, embrace it and see what good
  can come of it! Remember, the most efficient and
  prosperous teams are those that deal with and
  resolve conflict in a positive manner on a day to
  day basis rather than avoiding it!
• Conflict Resolution Strategies Source
  OfficePro magazine, August/September 2003
• PEGGY L. MCNAMARA
• Three general understandings about conflict
  resolution are
• It takes willing participants
• Not all conflict can be resolved
• Conflict is good

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Conflict is good

• Have clear job descriptions and expectations.
• Bring the parties involved in the conflict
  together to resolve the issue.
• Put specific issues in writing
• Create an accountability structure
• Always value the working relationship

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Authentic Listening

• Authentic listening occurs when you respond to
  the speaker in ways which
• indicate to him/her that you care about what
  he's/shes saying and give him/her
• every opportunity to complete his/her train of
  thought. The idea is to let the
• speaker know without a doubt that you are
  focusing your attention on his/her
• words and feelings with the specific intent to
  understand his/her point.
• You will become more attractive to others and
  they, in turn, will be attracted to you
• You will get more important information about a
  person that others may miss
• You will appear thoughtful and intelligent.
• You will be practicing self-control and
  self-discipline.
• Your will substantially improve your relationship
  with every person in your life, whether business,
  familial, or friends
• You will be more confident and have more control
  of yourself in conflict settings
• You will develop greater self esteem

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How do you listen authentically?

• Close your mouth. Listening and talking are
  mutually exclusive, really engage into what is
  being said or told to you. Do not interrupt.
• Don't predict or judge the outcome of someone
  elses words or finish someone elses sentences
  for them.
• Watch your body language does your posture
  indicate you're interested in the speaker? Are
  you maintaining eye contact with him? Are you
  nodding when appropriate, smiling or otherwise
  physically communicating your attention to what
  he is saying?
• Ask questions when you do not understand
  something or need clarification.
• Paraphrase repeat what has just been said in
  your own words to clarify that you understand
  what has just been expressed.
• Put yourself in the other person's place mentally
  so that you can better relate to his/her point(s)
  of view.
• Control your emotions, and dont take criticism
  personally it very rarely ever is!

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How do you listen authentically?

• Listen to what is not being said. When you are
  listening authentically, you have the wonderful
  opportunity to "fill in the blanks" in the
  speaker's communication. Often times what is not
  stated by the speaker is more important than what
  he's said.
• Listen to how something is said. Inflection,
  intonation and strength of the speaker's voice
  may tell you more about the speaker's personality
  and values than mere words.
• React to the speakers ideas, and not to the
  speaker specifically. This technique is
  especially helpful when you don't particularly
  like the speaker. Remember, you don't have to
  like someone to learn from them. But you cannot
  learn from them without listening to them
  authentically.
• Be consistent. Practice these techniques in every
  communication.

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The End