Quick Facts:

• We are committed to protect the privacy of those who search our site.
• We will not disclose, give or sell any personal information about visitors to our site.
• We do collect statistical information through a log file which indicates which pages were visited and how frequently. This information is analyzed to help us develop content that responds to the interests of our site visitors. HRYAC collects statistics and information from the polls, message boards and surveys. We will use anonymous quotes from the message board and surveys to support our data.
• The Regional Municipality of Halton administers the web server where Haltonyouth.com is located. This allows us to use the latest industry standards & practices for protecting you and your information.
• We are affiliated with the Regional Municipality of Halton and committed to ensuring that no harm comes to anyone who participates in our polls, message board, and surveys.

If you decide to participate in our polls, message board and surveys:

• Participation in our polls, message board and surveys is optional. Participation will require that you provide your age, gender and postal code.
• This information allows us to use responses of Halton Youth to determine local youth's views and priorities.
• We want your opinions, ideas and solutions to issues that we will be addressing in our polls, message board and surveys.
• We will analyze the information you provide and use it in our planning and activities (see below).

Information you provide in polls, message boards and surveys is anonymous.

What will we do with the information we collect?

If you submit information, we will use your information in a number of ways.

• The HRYAC will use the information you provide to develop a deeper understanding of youth issues, concerns and needs when working in with community decision-makers. This will provide youth with the opportunity to be active participants in decisions affecting their lives.
• The results of our polls, message board and surveys will be available on our web site.

If you would like more information on how your information has influenced proposals, decisions, services and programs, please contact Halton Regional Youth Advisory Committee

Linking Policy

The goal of the Halton Regional Youth Advisory Committee (HRYAC) Web site is to create an interactive Web site designed to provide youth with a channel to express opinions, concerns and needs to decision-makers in order to improve the quality of life for youth in Halton. The HRYAC Web site will also provide youth with links to credible sources of information, resources, and supports. It will give Halton service providers and decision-makers an opportunity to access youth opinion.

The Halton Regional Youth Advisory Committee's guidelines on:

• linking to external Web sites
• requests from external Web sites interested in linking to the Halton Regional Youth Advisory Committee' Web site.

For Links from the Halton Regional Youth Advisory Committee Web site to external Web sites

• The Halton Regional Youth Advisory Committee does not sell or allow advertising space to be purchased on our Web sites (including but not limited to banners).
• Links to external Web sites should provide credible sources of information, resources, and supports for youth.
• Links to external Web sites are limited to sites that are educational, free of charge, and should not offer for sale any product or service for profits.
• The link should serve the majority of our Web site visitors.
• The source of the content should be established, respected and reliable. There should be contact information on the site as well as dates on pages to show the currency of the information. The site or page should be well-organized, and easy to use.
• When selecting web sites to link to, follow the criteria outlined in the tool "Evaluating Health Information Online". (see attached)

For those requesting to post a link from their Web site to the Halton Regional Youth Advisory Committee:

• Explain why you are interested in providing a link to our site.
• Provide a brief description of your organization.
• Provide a link to your Web site.

When making the link request:

• Use text-only links using the Halton Regional Youth Advisory Committee's name in unstylized format.
• Do not use the Halton Regional Youth Advisory Committee's name, logo, slogan or other identifiers in stylized format without prior written permission.
• Do not state or imply that the Halton Regional Youth Advisory Committee endorses a company, product or service without prior written permission.

Meaningful Youth Participation

Meaningful Youth Participation is a process where partnerships are developed between adults and youth. These partnerships recognize and nurture the strengths, interests and abilities of youth through shared decision-making and collaboration with adults who may serve as resources and mentors for youth. These partnerships allow youth to have an active voice in identifying issues and developing solutions that are meaningful to them. Meaningful youth participation recognizes the valuable contribution youth can provide as they participate in decisions affecting their lives, their communities and society. The Halton Regional Youth Advisory Committee is committed to providing opportunities for Meaningful Youth Participation.*

A variety of models of participation have been developed in an effort to increase youth involvement in decision-making. One of the most commonly used models is the Ladder of Participation developed by Roger Hart. The bottom three rungs describe youth involvement that is not true participation whereas the top five rungs describe true participation.

Ladder of Participation

From Roger Hart, Children's Participation: From Tokenism to Citizenship, UNICEF.

*Meaningful Youth Participation is about recognizing and nurturing the strengths, interests and abilities of young people by providing them with real opportunities to become involved in decisions that affect them at the individual and systemic levels". April 2001: "How Does Meaningful Youth Participation Work To Improve The Health of Youth?" This article was prepared by the McCreary Society Center, as part of the Youth health Affiliate for the Canadian Health Network.

DEGREES OF PARTICIPATION

8) Youth-initiated, shared decisions with adults is when projects or programs are initiated by youth who share decision-making with adults. These projects empower youth and at the same time enable them to access and learn from the life experiences and expertise of adults.

7) Youth-initiated and directed is when projects and programs are initiated and directed by youth with adults only involved in a supportive role.

6) Joint Decisions are when projects and programs are initiated by adults but the decision-making is shared with young people.

5) Consulted and Informed projects and programs are designed by adults who consult with youth. Youth make recommendations that are considered by adults.

4) Assigned but Informed youth are assigned a specific role and informed about how and why they are being involved.

3) Tokenism is where young people appear to be given a voice, but in fact have little or no choice about what they do or how they participate.

2) Decoration is where young people are used to help or "bolster" a cause in a relatively indirect way, although adults do not pretend that the cause is inspired by youth.

1) Manipulation is where adults use youth to support causes and pretend that the causes are inspired by youth.

The 7 or 8 Debate

Roger Hart's Ladder of Participation shows Youth-initiated, shared decisions with adults as the top form of youth participation, followed immediately by Youth initiated and directed. This is somewhat controversial an issue for many people working with and around young people. Essentially, the debate is which of these levels of participation is actually the most meaningful.

Many believe that shared decision making is most beneficial to both young people and adults. This may be true in its purest form where adults and young people are equal and where power struggles rarely occur.

Others believe that young people are most empowered when they are making decisions without the influence of adults. Most often, this doesn't exclude adults but reduces their role to that of support.

Both arguments have merit; ultimately, it is up to each group to determine which form of decision-making best fits with the group's needs.

By having youth participate in haltonyouth.com polls, message board and surveys our projects make it to about the 6th rung of the ladder. Here, adults initiate programs or projects and share the decision-making with young people. Our goal is to move to the 7th or 8th rungs of the ladder where projects or programs will be initiated by Halton Youth. Some of these programs will be directed by youth alone and some will involve adults in a supportive role.

In order to move up the Ladder of Participation to the 7th rung, the Halton Regional Youth Advisory Committee youth will:

• Select issues (you can e-mail your concerns and issues to the committee)
• Draft poll, message board and survey questions
• Assist in the analysis of the data
• Participate in drafting of the reports on the analysis of collected data
• Determine to whom the collected information should go to
• Use the information to advise, to influence and to advocate for youth with decision-makers.

Meaningful Youth participation requires that adults and young people learn new ways of working together. To accomplish this, both young people and adults have to let go of the stereotypes they hold of each other. Young people must give up the notion that adults are domineering task-masters who seek to maintain control, and adults must acknowledge that young people have something of value to contribute. An ideal partnership is based on mutual trust and understanding.

FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, this means:

• Believing that you can make a difference in your community
• Taking on new roles and responsibilities
• Learning to cooperate with different kinds of people
• Developing new skills: leadership, communication and team work
• Recognizing how much power and influence you can have

FOR ADULTS, this means:

• Being open to the energy and insights of young people
• Listening to young people rather than telling them
• Learning to work with young people, rather than doing things for them
• Learning to share power and responsibilities

Respecting young people's contributions, values and opinions.

Information for Halton Decision-Makers/Service Providers
Service providers and decision-makers, who service youth, may have an opportunity to access youth opinions, concerns and needs through Haltonyouth.com's polls, message board and surveys. Before embarking on a strategy of youth participation, it is important that you and your organization become familiar with our Polls, Message Board & Survey Request Guidelines and our Project Guidelines for Meaningful Youth Participation.

Polls, Message Board & Survey Request Guidelines:

• HRYAC's web site may be available for decision-makers and not for-profit groups and agencies serving youth in Halton. The web site allows for consultation with Halton youth through our polls, message board and surveys.
• HRYAC has first priority in using these web site functions.
• The use of the HRYAC's website by other groups is dependent on availability.
• Priority for requests to use the web site will be given to those applicants whose requests are consistent with the existing goals and work of HRYAC.
• HRYAC will select topics and issues for the interactive web site and to the extent possible, base their choice on need, impact, appropriateness and capacity.
• Requests to use the HRYAC's web site should be made in writing to the HRYAC. All requests will be considered at the next scheduled HRYAC meeting.
• Applicants are responsible for data collection and analysis.
• HRYAC must be informed of any changes to the information provided by the applicant at the time of request.
• HRYAC has the right to refuse HRYAC web site access if the applicant does not meet the suggested project guidelines for meaningful youth participation.