Ontario seeks youth input on Youth Policy Framework

The Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services is developing a new Youth Policy Framework to guide its work in youth development, and the Ministry's Youth Development Committee is seeking input from young people through its "Where's Your Voice At?" campaign. Young people in Ontario can participate through an online survey, online dialogs or in-person dialogs being held all over the province between now and June 12.

Local youth-serving organizations and youth groups can also host their own youth dialogs using the ministry's "workshop in a box," which includes a policy literacy toolkit and PowerPoint presentation, a set of dialog questions and related activities, and a participant workbook.

The downloadable resources--especially the policy toolkit--are great resources that could be adapted by other organizations and agencies seeking to involve young people in guiding policy, whether in youth development or any other area.

Where's Your Voice At?

Youth and internet policy in the EU

An organization called HUWY (which I think stands for "Hub Websites for Youth") is seeking to engage European youth in internet policymaking through a pilot project sponsored by the European Commission and based in the UK, Ireland, Estonia and Germany. HUWY provides resources through an EU hub, as well as national hubs and online space for young people to discuss important internet-related issues (e.g., cyber-bullying, file sharing, ID theft, etc.). The idea is that after discussing the issues in whatever ways young people are comfortable with, they will then bring their ideas back to the hubs, and those ideas will be shared by HUWY with national and EU policymakers.

Below is a diagram of the project:


For more information visit HUWY.