My name is Alisha A. and I am a grade 10 student in Oakville. I joined the NOYDC because I am passionate about making an impact in my community and it seemed like a wonderful opportunity to meet new people. Having a youth voice in a community is something I believe to be of the utmost importance because it will help to shape the community for the future. I hope that as a part of the council I can help to create more opportunities for youth to get engaged and active within the community.

Hi! My name is Angela G. and I am a grade 9 student in Oakville. I enjoy spending time with friends, playing soccer and volunteering. I joined the NOYDC this past year to venture out and get to see what parts of the community I haven’t experienced yet and how I can help. Being on the council has given me experiences I couldn’t find anywhere else. I’ve learned how to cooperate and communicate effectively with adult allies, how to take notes and how to share my opinions to benefit the conversation because everyone has a voice that needs to be heard!  I look forward to volunteering more and further helping the community.

Armen S. is Branch Supervisor at White Oaks Library, a bustling multigenerational library with a large student population. He’s inspired by the leadership shown by Youth Council members and looks forward to seeing the North Oakville Youth Development Council bring to life many more youth-led ideas.

My name is Ashley. I am a girl guide, a soccer player, and a dedicated student. I joined this council because I wanted to contribute to making my community a better place, but I didn’t realize that I would learn how to take notes at a meeting, organize an event, and make new friends. I hope moving forward every person in our community feels part of it!

My name is Caroline and I love kickboxing, mountain biking, cooking, volunteering, camping and working with children. I recently joined the council because I think it is so important that youth voices are heard and that youth should play a predominant role in shaping our communities. Youth have power in their voices and have opinions worth being heard. I can’t wait to learn from my peers and adult allies, and see the change that we are able to create.

My name is Daniela and I enjoy listening to music, soccer, field hockey, cross country, and volunteering. I have been on the council for over 3 years. I joined because I believed this was an opportunity to represent youth and be a voice in my community. Over the years, the council has achieved so much and has accomplished our goals. I am so proud to be on the NOYDC and making change. Youth involvement is so important because we are the future generation and a vital tool in making a caring neighbourhood. 

I’m Fatima Z., a grade 9 student in North Oakville. I am an avid learner, and love trying new things and experiences. I hope one day to work in the field of medicine, and travel the world to help people in need. I joined the council because I saw a great opportunity to get my voice heard and become more involved in my neighbourhood.  I hoped to meet new people and gain confidence, as well as have a positive impact on my community. I’m so proud of the numerous events our council has organized and led, such as skating and game nights, YouthTalks: Hear Us Out, and many more. Youth voice is important in our neighbourhood because it provides a new perspective and different opinions, but also because we are the adults of tomorrow. I’ve learned so much on the council, from how to organize events, to why youth are so valuable to North Oakville. In the future, I hope that we can continue to create more awesome events and opportunities for our community, and connect youth to the resources they need to thrive.

I am Hargun and I love public speaking, reading and writing. I joined the council because I wanted to meet new people and contribute more to my community. The NYODC has provided me with countless opportunities for self-development that have allowed me to grow. I adore going to our monthly meetings as we aim to create a better neighbourhood for youth by hosting events and developing projects. A community includes a plurality of voices and youth represent the demographic that promotes progressive change. Their opinions are extremely important and the NYODC makes sure that the youth of Oakville feel welcome :)

Hey, my name’s Lucy and I have been on the North Oakville Youth Development Council (NOYDC) for 2 years. During that time, I have been involved with many community events and learned many leadership skills as well as gained confidence while sharing ideas. By being a council member I have gained many skills. Working as a team, I have learned to listen to other people's ideas and also share my thoughts and ideas. As well, I know more about community concerns and the importance of building a strong, welcoming and helpful community.

My name is Melanie L., and I am an eleventh-grade student with a passion for science, music and my community. A few years ago, I joined the North Oakville Youth Development Council hoping to improve my leadership and communication skills and to get more involved in my community. After being a part of this council for a while now, I can say that I have achieved all of these goals through communicating with fellow council members and adult allies, talking with members of the community at our events and event planning and contributing to events. Youth voice and involvement in the community are very important, and I am so proud to be a member of the NOYDC, helping to promote youth voice and providing youth with opportunities to get involved. Within the next couple of years, I can’t wait to see how much more our community will grow, as well as how much our council will grow too!

I am Michelle K. and I am the Executive Director of the Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre.  I like to garden and read and I also am involved with a local heritage organization.  I like hearing from youth when they share their perspective. It provides insight so that I can improve programs at Oak Park NC. I also like supporting youth.  I am proud that the council is truly youth lead and that they have had a chance to change things in our community for the better.  It is important to have youth provide input to frame programs for youth and to ensure they have a sense of belonging & feel valued.  I have learned a lot about social media I didn’t know before! And have gained some insight into what is important to youth.  I hope the council continues to have opportunities for youth to share their voices in our community.

I am a Registered Social Worker working for the Town of Oakville as a Community Development Specialist. As an Adult Ally, I want to ensure that we accurately develop our community resources to increase participation and access for all community members.  I also provide counselling services through my private practice Positive Thought. My career as a Counsellor, Anger Management Facilitator, Youth Worker, and Community Development Specialist equips me with a combination of program development, youth empowerment and advocacy. Throughout the course of my experience, I have facilitated over 1000 workshops in community engagement, intercultural understanding, leadership, employment and mental health.  I am proficient at conducting environmental scans, research analysis, community consultations and outreach.

I'm Nicole, a grade 11 student who's been on the council since it started! I love travelling, experiencing new things, and always pushing the limits. I joined this council hoping for a leadership opportunity, but I ended up making new friends, learning new things, and helping my community too. I am proud to be on a member of NOYDC because having youth voices in the community is a lot more important than people realize, so I know that the work we do on the council is valuable. I'm very excited to see where this council will take me, and my community.

Hi! I’m Siobhan and I’m the Project Coordinator for the HYI Project.   I’m also an adult ally on the North Oakville Youth Development Council.   Over the past two and half years that I’ve been working with youth and adult allies in North Oakville, I’ve seen youth voices blossom and grow, and adult connecting and working with youth.  I’m really happy to see similar youth councils taking place now in other communities in Halton as a result of our HYI project.  As this initiative continues, I’m hoping to see even more youth thrive by getting involved in their community!

Hi There, my name is Teresa R. and have been employed with the YMCA of Oakville for 30 years.  During this time I have been fortunate to experience various aspects of the organization and currently managing community initiatives enabling me to closely work with community members and community partners such as Our Kids Network.  Since the inception of the North Oakville Youth Council, I have been an adult ally to this group of young talented individuals who never cease to impress me with their foresight.  I look forward to each council member's ability to connect, formulate ideas and impact their community.

Hi, my name is Thushani and I'm a Grade 8 student in Oakville. I'm a swimmer, book lover, and history enthusiast. I joined this council in February 2019, and I have had so much since then. The NOYDC has taught me many skills, such as how to plan an event, how to get more involved in my community, and how to communicate my ideas to a large group. I love how we are the youth that have a voice on what happens where we live, and that we are able to create goals and accomplish them. I'm excited to see how the council grows, and to be a part of all the exciting things to come :D

My name is Victoria, I’m currently in grade eleven and I joined the NOYDC when it first started back in June of 2017. I enjoy playing the guitar, swimming and listening to music. I joined the council because I believe that it will not only benefit myself by giving me better leadership and communication skills, but I would also help out my community where I have lived for my whole life. I thought it would be a good idea to pay back by helping many people in the community grow closer bonds with our events and spread awareness about how we can help youth in this community thrive. I’m really happy to see the impact that we have made and the impact we will continue to make in the lives of others.