Would you like to see sexually and gender-diverse girls and youth in your community get involved and develop projects while learning about themselves and the issues that affect them? Invite youth services to host a committee in your community! There is no minimum number of youth required to start a committee. The optimal number is between 8 and 15 youth per committee to encourage participation and group cohesion. Since its inception in 2009, close to 1850 girls and creative youth have participated in youth services workshops.
We believe that young people have the capacity to change the world. We believe it is important to value and give a place to youth from discriminated and/or minority groups in order to make the issues that affect them heard. This is why we have created Inclusive Girls Circles, non-mixed spaces where youth can discover their strengths, develop their critical thinking skills, speak out and get involved in the community. Together, they will reflect on the changes they would like to see in the world and complete a community action project that is important to them.
Circles generally meet from September to May. Throughout the year, the groups follow the different steps that will lead them to the completion of their project. Youth will also participate in workshops on collectively determined topics such as healthy relationships, violence prevention, mental health, identity, diversity and feminism.
Community Action Project
Project set up by young people in order to find solutions to problems that affect them in society.
Objectives for participants
- Discover and share interests through different activities
- Develop self-confidence by taking your place in a group
- Develop critical thinking skills by identifying problems to be solved
- Get involved in the community by carrying out a community action project
- Make a positive impact for yourself and for those around you
Why organize an inclusive girls’ circle in your community?
Meeting weekly with a group allows youth to :
- Develop a sense of belonging to their school or community;
- Discovering new things, having access to different models, learning about different subjects;
- Experimenting with new ways of expressing oneself, overcoming embarrassment, gaining self-confidence;
- Feel comfortable in a less formal space than school or home, with peers and significant adults;
- Make connections between your experiences and those of others, share experiences; feel valued and understood;
- Question the stereotypes that can limit us in our choices, be open to others and to differences;
- Create links, break isolation, develop a sense of belonging to the community;
- Know your rights, develop tools to defend them and ways to get support;
- Take a stand and act to improve things, be supported in their actions in their environment.
How does it work?
- Call or email the Youth Services Coordinator to discuss your environment and needs.
- Plan dates, a time (for example, Wednesday lunches or Thursdays after school) and a quiet place to meet.
- Assemble a group of young people aged 10 and up who are interested in participating and are approximately the same age. Confirm with the youth services coordinator the schedule, number and age of the girls registered.
- A popular education officer will meet with you to plan the first workshop and work out the final logistical details.
- In the first workshop, the youth in the group will do activities to get to know each other, to understand the purpose of the committee and to talk about their expectations of the group.
- Over the course of the weeks, the popular education agent will propose workshops specifically for the group, listening to their interests and needs, and adjusting to the situation. The young people will explore themes that they have chosen and will be accompanied in all the steps of the realization of their project.
How does it work?
We have several circles underway in schools as well as in low-income housing in Quebec City. Depending on the needs and interests of the youth, we adjust our schedule. Contact us to find out if a committee is active in your area!
Who are our popular education agents?
Our team of popular education agents comes from different fields of study and work, which is our strength in terms of versatility and our fields of expertise. Dynamic, passionate and creative, our agents believe in the full potential of young people and have strong feminist values. They believe in the power of popular education, collective action and social change. The team makes sure that they are trained and informed on issues and current events in various fields, in order to be able to respond to the concerns and needs of youth. The agents accompany the youth without judgment and respecting their rhythm. A real team work is done within the committees.
Interested in meeting our Youth Services team?
Contact us:
Tel: 418 683-2155, ext. 138
coordosj@ywcaquebec.qc.ca
Other resources
- Click here to discover several resources to help you.
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