The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of New Brunswick.

Rapport également disponible en français sous le titre Agitez les bateau - des jeunes ordinaires, des actions remarquables.

Contents may not be reproduced for commercial purposes, but any other reproduction, with acknowledgments, is encouraged. Please credit the source as follows:

Rock the Boat - Ordinary Youth, Awesome Actions.

Produced for the New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth.

For more information, contact:New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth130-77 Westmorland StreetP.O. Box 6000Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 5H1E-mail: nbacy-ccjnb@gnb.caWeb: www.youthinfo.ca

© NEW BRUNSWICK ADVISORY COUNCIL ON YOUTH (2006)ISBN: 1-55396-644-9

CNB 3645

Ordinary Youth, Awesome Actions 3

Table of Contents

Message from the Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Council recommendations based on responses from the Big Splash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Rock the Boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Rock the Boat - Provincial Tour Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Dialogue Design and Forum Interaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Main Themes from the Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Big Splash Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

How the provincial forum worked - The Big Splash. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Discussion topics for The Big Splash. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

What has been accomplished? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

The Big Splash Provincial Forum - Some Final Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Next Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Rock the Boat4

Ordinary Youth, Awesome Actions 1

Message from the Chair

Dear friends,

Have you ever seen something that needed to be done or something you wanted to change, but you were not sure how to get started? You are not alone, and together we can do something about it.

I am the Chair of the New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth (NBACY/Council). The council is a group of young New Brunswickers aged 15 to 24 that advise the government and public about youth issues in New Brunswick. I am proud to have been involved with a recent effort by the council to get young New Brunswickers thinking about leadership and making changes in their communities.

In 2004, the council started talking to youth in communities throughout New Brunswick about what could be done concerning the lack of youth involvement in the democratic process. What we knew already and heard loud and clear was that young people want to be more fully engaged with adults in making decisions that affect them. They also told us they want regular opportunities to have their voices heard. With that in mind, the council launched its Rock the Boat: Ordinary Youth, Awesome Actions campaign and the Big Splash Provincial Youth Forum in 2005. These were both efforts to help get youth talking about taking action in their communities.

The Rock the Boat campaign and The Big Splash are part of an ongoing process to inspire young people to get involved in their communities and make a difference. The New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth will continue this dialogue process with youth to help them take a more active role in their communities and follow up on the projects and initiatives they wish to undertake. The following report outlines the council’s experiences as it went about its work in this regard, and will seek to provide some insight into engaging youth in their communities.

I invite you to help the council continue to “Rock the Boat” in the province of New Brunswick by attending future community forums and by contacting the council to share your thoughts about this report. We want to hear your ideas and to share what you learn in your New Brunswick communities.

To find out more about the council, The Big Splash or the Rock the Boat campaign, visit the New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth website at: http://www.youthinfo.ca or call the council at 1-888-830-5588.

Cheers,

Ryan Sullivan

Chair

Rock the Boat2

Introduction

Rock the Boat is about being young in New Brunswick. It’s about getting involved, being active and shaking things up. Challenging assumptions and making one’s voice heard. It’s talking about ways youth can and do get involved each and every day to make their schools, communities and province better places to live, learn and play. Rock the Boat is about youth recognizing and promoting healthy lifestyle choices, community involvement, civic engagement, capacity building, and leadership development while taking action to make a difference in New Brunswick. Welcome aboard!

The New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth is pleased to present its observations from its 2005 Rock the Boat: Ordinary Youth, Awesome Actions campaign and its Big Splash provincial forum.

The information contained in this document comes directly from young people living in the province of New Brunswick. Youth in

this province have indicated a strong desire to become involved in their communities. The discussions the council had with them provided a youth perspective on changes that will help encourage increased participation and interest among youth in our communities. The New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth looks forward to continuing its efforts to help involve young people in taking action in their communities, and invites you to share your thoughts on the topic.

Ordinary Youth, Awesome Actions 3

Recommendations

Upon the conclusion of the Rock the Boat project, specific recommendations were developed based on the discussions and comments received from youth in New Brunswick:

Youth Engagement

Community leaders should engage youth in a meaningful way to involve them in the decision-making process, especially when their decisions affect young people. The creation of municipal youth councils or regular forums for youth are both ways that this can be achieved.

Ageism

Measures should be taken to combat ageism and stereotypical views that may be held towards youth in New Brunswick. A community that is perceived by youth as being welcoming creates an environment where they are more likely to become engaged and involved.

Safe Communities

Communities should ensure the safety of all their residents, including youth, at public venues such as malls, sporting arenas, and other areas. Youth are just as likely as adults to be victims, if not more so. Action is being taken on this issue in many areas of the province, and youth should be a part of the discussion.

Environmental Awareness and Protection

Community leaders should engage youth when addressing environmental issues, including recycling awareness, energy efficiency and littering concerns. Youth can be very strong partners in this area. Environmental committees in municipalities and other levels of government should seek regular input and involvement from youth in their deliberations.

Collaboration Among Rural Communities

Rural communities should work in concert to explore ways of co-facilitating events and activities for youth to get involved in. Limited population and budgets need not limit what can be done. They can be looked at as opportunities to seek ways to co-operate with other rural communities. Many funding agencies look for community partnerships with worthwhile sponsorship opportunities.

Rock the Boat4

Executive Summary

IntroductionThe New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth (NBACY) launched its Rock the Boat: Ordinary Youth, Awesome Actions campaign in January 2005.

This campaign included a series of 18 community youth forums and a provincial conference called The Big Splash. This report is part of the council’s followup work on this process and highlights information gathered throughout the forums.

The focus of Rock the Boat and the Big Splash was on ways that ordinary youth can and do get involved to make their schools, communities and province better places to live. Rock the Boat is about recognizing community involvement, civic engagement, capacity building, and leadership development among youth in New Brunswick.

Recognizing the importance of highlighting these involvements and generating discussion on the topic, the New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth consulted the young people of the province on the issue of youth engagement and leadership. The council’s intention was to find ways to increase the level of involvement among young New Brunswickers and to help them to take action in their communities.

At each community youth forum, participants were asked the following questions to aid the discussion and guide the focus of the forum:

1. What is important to you in your community?

2. What should your community do?

3. How can you rock the boat?

Responses to the questions were fairly consistent from one community to another. Participants said activities, economic development in their community and new infrastructure are most important to them in their communities. Others said culture and equality, ageism and safety are most important.

As a response to the second question, many participants felt that their community should be instilling a sense of pride in young people, collaboration and support to create and renovate infrastructure.

Ordinary Youth, Awesome Actions 5

• In response to the third question, many participants said they could identify resources in their community and share the information with others to organize activities and support local events. These would be the best ways that they could rock the boat.

Bringing it all together: As a followup to the community forums, all participants were invited to apply to attend The Big Splash provincial conference from April 29 to May 1 at St. Thomas University in Fredericton. It was hoped that participants at The Big Splash would be empowered and given the tools and skills they needed to “Rock the Boat” as they engage issues and take on leadership roles within their communities following the conference.

Big Splash participants had the opportunity to choose from workshops covering four topic areas: volunteerism, project development, communications, and engaging and influencing others. Complementing the workshops was a series of project showcases from across New Brunswick. These included a presentation from a group setting up a youth advisory committee; a multicultural promotional group; an organization working on an anti-violence awareness project; and a group of young people who were travelling to an international environmental leadership competition to showcase their efforts to save an endangered tree species in New Brunswick. The conference also featured motivational speakers and a question-and-answer session with Premier Bernard Lord.

On the final day of the conference, participants brainstormed on their issues and project ideas that they wanted to work on and develop in their community. Those with similar interests came together to share ideas and solutions. Finally the participants committed themselves to taking various actions and making plans for their ideas to

become reality by setting a goal for the next week and year following the conference.

The following are a sample of the projects that the participants expressed their intention of working on:

- The Well-Wishing Company – support for youth who are suffering from illness

- Sports and recreation – ultimate Frisbee

- Groupe de soutien (support group)

- More opportunities to learn a new lan-guage in school

- Youth coffee house for Bathurst

- Organize an environmental cleanup day to be held once a week/month

- Organizing more community functions for young people

- 40 youth-driven developmental assets – healthy youth

- Community activities

Rock the Boat6

Council recommendations based on responses from the Big SplashRecommendations are categorized under the themes that emerged during the Big Splash Provincial Forum held in May at St. Thomas University in Fredericton.

Youth Engagement

Community leaders should engage young people in a meaningful way to involve them in the decision-making process, especially in matters in which the decisions affect them. The creation of municipal youth councils or regular forums for young people are both ways that this can be achieved.

Ageism

Measures should be taken to combat age-ism and stereotypical views that may be held towards young people in New Brunswick. A community that is perceived by young peo-ple as being welcoming creates an environ-ment where they are more likely to become engaged and involved.

Safe Communities

Communities should ensure the safety of all their residents, including youth, at public venues such as malls, sporting arenas and other areas. Youth are just as likely as adults to be victims, if not more so. Action is being taken on this issue in many areas of the province, and youth should be a part of the discussion.

Environmental Awareness and Protection

Community leaders should engage youth when addressing environmental issues, including recycling awareness, energy efficiency and littering concerns. Youth can be very strong partners in this area. Environmental committees in municipalities and other levels of government should seek regular input and involvement from youth in their deliberations.

Collaboration Among Rural Communities

Rural communities should work in concert to explore ways of co-facilitating events and activities for youth to get involved in. Limited population and budgets need not limit what can be done. They can be looked at as opportunities to find ways to co-operate with other rural communities. Many funding agencies look for community partnerships with worthwhile sponsorship opportunities.

Ordinary Youth, Awesome Actions 7

Rock the Boat

Rock The Boat - Provincial Tour OverviewHow the community youth forums worked - the consultation process: The NBACY held a series of 18 community forums with youth throughout the province from January through the end of March 2005. The discussions that took place highlighted the extraordinary contributions that youth have been making, and identified what is important to them in their communities, and how they can effect positive change. This consultation process allowed for a wide regional and linguistic representation. It involved almost 300 youth and permitted an opportunity to connect with as many youth as possible who might find transportation difficult to secure.

Community youth forum locations:

- Bathurst - Oromocto- Bouctouche - Sackville- Chipman - Saint John- Dalhousie - Shediac- Edmundston - Shippagan- Fredericton - St. Stephen- Miramichi - Sussex- Moncton - Woodstock- Nackawic - Doaktown

Pre-discussion Participant Survey:

Participants were surveyed prior to the group discussions to get them thinking about some of the topics that would be brought up in the forums. Questions that were asked included:

1. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

2. What things do you wish you could change in your community?

3. Are you doing something about it? If so, what?

4. What do you do in your spare time?

Question 1: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Most young people (40 per cent) said they would be working in a career in 10 years and 24 per cent indicated they planned on graduating high school and pursuing post-secondary studies. Some planned on settling down with a family (11 per cent). Around seven per cent said they would like to travel or move away from home. The remainder of respondents were not certain on an answer (18 per cent).

Question 2: What things do you wish you could change in your community?

Most young people (34 per cent) told us they wish to see change in issues surrounding the amount of activities in their communities, especially those for youth. This includes civic engagement and a desire and expectation for increased youth involvement in the community. Concern with education, the environment, economic issues, laws and political issues were of concern to 16 per cent of the respondents. New Brunswick’s youth are also concerned about strengthening multiculturalism, respect for others, and open-mindedness within the community (20 per cent) as well as the importance of addressing health and safety concerns. Around 30 per cent of respondents were not sure.

Question 3A: Are you doing something about it?

Most young people we talked to chose not to respond to this question. This could be for a

Rock the Boat8

number of reasons, chief among them that they might not feel sufficiently empowered to make significant changes in their communities. Twenty-three per cent said they are actively engaged in doing something to make changes in their communities. The high percentage of youth who either responded “no” or “choose not to answer” begs the question: “What can we do to ensure that young people in the province of New Brunswick feel like they have opportunities to take action and make changes?” Support in this area needs to come from civic leaders, youth (and non-youth) organizations, schools and, most importantly, parents. Every one of these stakeholders is urged to commit seriously to the potential benefit of involving youth in a meaningful way as a part of the policy-making process. They need to foster more open and welcoming committees that include youth as partners. With this will grow a greater capacity among the province’s youth so they will feel empowered to face the challenges and take advantage of

opportunities that they discover. To help this, the council has committed to continuing the “Rock The Boat” process all year as part of its ongoing work. The council has been active in supporting the idea of youth advisory committees in several municipalities around New Brunswick. The council also intends to develop a tool that municipalities and organizations in New Brunswick can use to help guide them in the process of involving youth.

Question 3B: If so, what?

More than half of the young people who responded to Question 3 said they were doing something about their concerns in their committees (54 per cent). They are active in making changes with issues and many of these youth are involved with more than one activity. Activities range from working with committees and organizations, getting directly involved in engaging and influencing young people around them and supporting initiatives, as well as becoming informed and making personal changes in their own lives.

Question 4: What do you do in your spare time?

The most popular activity for spare time was being involved with sports and clubs at the school, in the community, or at home (26 per cent). Other popular means of spending time were (in descending order): Spending time with family and friends (23 per cent), being involved music, art or theatre (18 per cent), reading, writing or doing homework (14 per cent), working or volunteering (nine per cent), computer and video games (eight per cent), watching movies and television or going shopping (seven per cent), relaxing or travelling (five per cent). Of the responses received, just more than three per cent said they have no spare time. Some of the respondents chose to give multiple answers to this question.

Ordinary Youth, Awesome Actions 9

Dialogue Design and Forum InteractionIcebreakers:

Each community forum began with an icebreaker to establish a comfort level for participants. Following the icebreaker exercise, the participants reviewed the agenda and established a set of guidelines that will be used to govern their discussions.

Group discussions:

The council engaged youth in small group discussions on the topics of community involvement, capacity building and leadership development. This division maintained the desired atmosphere and provided each individual participant ample opportunity to contribute to the discussion. A facilitator guided each group, while another individual transcribed their discussion onto a flip chart. To ensure the integrity of the notes taken, comments were not summarized. This personal contact at the community level produced a mutually beneficial experience for the council, as well as for the youth who participated. Participants from all walks of life took part in these community forums. Discussion focused on three general questions:

• What is important to you in your community?

• What should your community do?

• How can you “Rock the Boat”?

Main themes from the forumsRock the Boat Community Forum Analysis - August 2005

Question 1: What is important to you in your community?

Out of the total number of youth who responded to this question, most answers given fell into the following six categories, with frequency in descending order: economic development and infrastructure (134); health and safety (74); culture and equality (48); ageism, relationships and role models (47); education (46); and community centres and relationships (22).

Question 2: What should your community do?

The top six categories for answers to this question given by the young people were, with frequency in descending order: promote community pride, collaborate, support and renovate infrastructure (144); promote activities and include youth in local decisions (120); provide more private and public funding opportunities (51); provide accessible education and mentorship opportunities (46); combat stereotypes (19); and the environment (16).

Question 3: How can you “Rock the Boat”?

The replies for this question were varied and fell mainly into these top six categories, with frequency in descending order: identify resourses, organize activities and support local events (126); get youth to work together (97); meet with community officials (44); volunteer (20); identify employment opportunities (11); and combat stereotypes about youth (3).

Rock the Boat10

The Big Splash Overview

How the provincial forum worked - The Big Splash:Bringing it all together: As a followup to the community forums, the participants were invited to apply to attend The Big Splash provincial conference from April 29 through May 1 at St. Thomas University in Fredericton. This conference brought together almost 100 youth from across the province to discuss the findings from the local community forums, which we used to determine the shape of the conference. Participants at The Big Splash were empowered and given the tools and skills they need to “Rock the Boat” as they engage issues and take on leadership roles within their communities following the conference.

The Big Splash featured focus groups, great speakers and interactive group presentations that highlighted what was learned and how the momentum gained through this process can be maintained. There was also lots of fun!

Discussion topics for The Big Splash:1. The HOW of getting involved in your community: What things work?

What is the best way to share information to let others know about what is going on in your community? How can youth increase their knowledge and involvement in the issues of the day? What is happening in different areas of the province, and in other areas of the world (past, present and future trends)? What ideas do you have to effect change in your community?

2. The HOW of relating to others - youth, community leaders, politicians: How can communicating and getting involved and informed at election time (and in between) affect your situation? Can more youth involvement make a difference in New Brunswick? What messages do you want directed at you to help inform you? How do you see adults relating to you? What could they do that would help get you more involved?

3. The HOW of involvement in your community in New Brunswick: This includes how and where you can get involved; perceptions of youth, methods of making your voice heard and gaining access to decision-makers who can make things happen; what level of government or agency can you approach with ideas, etc.

Presentation of findings and voting on priorities: To conclude the discussions, a spokesperson was chosen to present ideas to the other two large focus groups. Following the presentations, all participants were given the opportunity to vote on the ideas that they feel are most important.

Consensus building: The afternoon discussion was designed to build consensus on the morning’s deliberations. Participants were asked to:

• Identify possible solutions.

• Determine whose responsibility is it to address these solutions.

• Identify one personal commitment that they will undertake.

Ordinary Youth, Awesome Actions 11

What has been accomplished?Expected outcomes and followup:

Participants at The Big Splash conference discussed, addressed and showcased their issues and solutions, demonstrating extraordinary commitment to positive change, youth volunteerism and involvement throughout the province. These discussions would be summarized and would form the basis for further discussion and the presentation of findings at the end of The Big Splash.

Report on findings: The council will share its findings with youth and a wide range of partners and will prepare a report with recommendations based on information gathered throughout the process. Participants in this process will return to their communities inspired and armed with the necessary information and tools to Rock the Boat, while being supported and kept up to date on happenings in other communities through the Council’s network.

Networking: The council will network with conference participants and others who wish to continue working on issues in their communities, and will continue to help New Brunswick young people “Rock the Boat” in future community forums, conferences and other events on an annual basis.

How you can get involved: Participants will be encouraged to contact the council toll-free at 1-888-830-5588 or by visiting www.youthinfo.ca. Throughout this process, participants will be invited to tell the council and others what is happening (or not happening) at their schools or in the communities where they live. Information will be posted on the site about the council’s activities, including the Rock the Boat tour schedule and The Big Splash provincial conference details as they become available.

The Big Splash Provincial Forum – Some Final ThoughtsThe Big Splash is where we swam in the deep end of the pool.

In the spring of 2005, almost 100 youth took advantage of an opportunity to make a difference. Young people from across New Brunswick came to St. Thomas University in Fredericton for the weekend to attend The Big Splash. Hosted by The New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth, The Big Splash was the ultimate networking opportunity for youth looking to make a difference in their communities in New Brunswick. The Big Splash provided an opportunity for youth to learn, meet new people and have lots of fun. Participants gained solid skills that they and their friends can use to become movers and shakers in their schools and communities

Young people from all over New Brunswick came to the Big Splash to learn new skills and to get inspired to make a difference in their communities, and they had the chance to have fun and meet new friends.

Participants at The Big Splash took part in a series of hands-on workshops, activities and group discussions. The conference also offered motivational speakers and project presentations, which highlighted the extraordinary contributions that youth are making right now throughout New Brunswick, and demonstrated how they initiated change in their various communities.

On the final day of the conference, participants had the opportunity to identify what was important to them in their communities, and how they can effect positive change. Participants identified two commitments that were important to them, including one during the week following the conference and one over the course of the next year.

Rock the Boat12

Some discussed creating more organized after school activities, such as tournaments and events, or establishing a coffee shop run for and by youth. Others wanted to see more programs in their schools to help them learn new cultures and languages, such as Chinese. Many participants also discussed the importance of a healthy environment. They were inspired to create a group that would involve the community to clean up litter and debris, and promote environmental responsibility. These are just a sample of some of the great initiatives and projects that the participants are eagerly going to undertake.

I have talked to youth throughout the world, and I can say without exception that none of us likes having all our decisions made for us, and feeling like we have no say in what happens in our communities. Young people, individually and collectively, can become empowered to take action today that will make a difference, and benefit their communities tomorrow. Rock the Boat and The Big Splash were two efforts intended to help make this happen. Just think about what becomes possible when youth get the tools they need to take on projects that they feel passionate about, and are able to network with others for support and to keep them informed about what they are doing. There is strength in numbers, and the actions of youth can inspire other people in New Brunswick and beyond to take action as well.

The Big Splash was not just another conference where youth showed up, met a few people, had a good time, did a little work and forgot about it come Monday morning. Sure, there was fun; there was an awesome lineup of exciting stuff to do. There were also great opportunities to learn and network through activities, workshops and speakers. Some real work was done at this event, and everyone that attended was challenged to

commit to taking specific actions in their communities. The New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth and participants in the Rock the Boat Campaign and Big Splash have been following up with each other on these commitments, and have hopes that many of them can be realized.

The most important thing that happened, though, is that participants got engaged in the process and felt empowered to make a difference. That kind of action can become habitual. If we all realize that we have the power to change things and continue to work together, great things can happen.

People who came to The Big Splash learned through a series of hands-on workshops and activities, and from great discussions with each other. This highlighted the extraordinary contributions that youth are making right now, all over the province of New Brunswick. Youth that attended identified what is important to them in their communities, and looked at ways that they and their friends can effect positive change. We have barely scratched the surface of what is possible in this province.

Participants at The Big Splash heard from some amazing individuals, and gained tools they can use to take action on their own projects in their communities. A number of key speakers demonstrated how they initiated change in their communities, and shared insights with participants about how great things can be accomplished anytime, anywhere. They had the opportunity to meet and talk with some very interesting and accomplished people, who took action and made things happen. Inspiration was everywhere.

Big Splash alumni are now connected to an ever-growing provincial network of movers and shakers that they can continue to work with for years to come. The New

Ordinary Youth, Awesome Actions 13

Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth is very excited about the potential for this network – participants will be able to keep in touch with what is happening in their province no matter what they do or where they go. Losing touch is losing opportunity. We cannot afford to let this happen.

The council is very pleased with the participation in the Rock the Boat campaign and Big Splash event, and delighted to see the enthusiasm and passion of New Brunswick youth. We’re confident that throughout New Brunswick, the participants from The Big Splash will be empowered and inspired to bring about change in their communities, knowing that the smallest efforts can have the greatest impact.

Welcome aboard!

Ryan SullivanChair

Next Steps

The New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth’s “Rock the Boat – Healthy YOUth, Healthy NB” campaign will include a new series of community forums and another “Big Splash” provincial conference. The theme of the 2006 conference will be about health and wellness in the province of New Brunswick, and will cover questions about:

• Levels of wellness in New Brunswick communities;

• What ought to be done (by parents, government, schools and community groups) to improve the level of wellness in New Brunswick’s communities; and

• How New Brunswick’s youth can take action and “Rock the Boat.”

The council will share its findings with youth and a wide range of partners and will submit a report with recommendations based on information gathered throughout the process. Participants in this process will return to their communities with something to accomplish, and will be supported and kept connected and up to date on happenings in other communities.

Rock the Boat14

Acknowledgements

The New Brunswick Advisory Council on youth gratefully acknowledges the contributions of all those who helped to make The Big Splash a huge success. The Council would like to thank the following speakers, presenters and volunteers for all of their hard work:

The Honourable Bernard Lord, Premier; Elder Richard Paul, Kingsclear First Nation; Mr. Jody Carr, MLA, Mr. Kelly Lamrock, MLA and Mr. Martin Latullipe, for acting as speakers during the conference.

Ms. Stacey Coy and Mr. Tom Hanley, Red Cross, “Volunteerism”; Ms. Anne Reynolds, DIIR, “The Etiquette of Networking”; Mr. Jack Carr, Officer, Communications and Research, Office of Government Members, LEG, “Communication”; Mike Hiland, Michael Arsenault, David Raye, Anthony Enman, Cayleih Robertson, Youth Opinion Matters, Charlotte County, “Engaging and Influencing Others”, for workshop presentations.

Angela Vardy, Social Worker; Jessica Deluney, STU Student; Cynthia Jenkins, STU Student; Erin Maston, Social Work Student, National Crime Prevention Strategy; Tim Vail, Office of the Premier; Jean Middleton, Girl Guides, for volunteering during the weekend.

Ryan Sullivan, Chair; Lucie Levesque, Vice-Chair; Paricher Irani, Secretary; Ryan Donaghy, Treasurer; Debra Hitchman, Executive Member; Ashley Babin; Sarah-Jane Smith; Carrie Culligan; Tanya Ingraham; Jocelyn Ball, New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth members.

Sarah MacDonald, Wendy and Todd Chadwick, Miramichi Youth Council; AWARE - Anti violence project; The Wee Ones – Miramichi, for showcasing their projects.

“Everyone Else”; “August Day”; “John Morrison’s Band”, for participating in the ‘Battle of the Bands’

Alicia Little, Research and Planning Assistant (Co-op); Jennifer Pitre, Research and Planning Assistant (Co-op); Erik Matchett, Policy and Planning Coordinator; Miguel LeBlanc, Community Coordinator; Greg Gruben, Social Work Student; Natalie Cormier, Research and Planning Officer; Ivan Corbett, Executive Director, New Brunswick Advsiory Council on Youth Staff.

George Daley, Bathurst High School; Richard Blacquier, Woodstock High School; Anne Thomson, Falls Brooks Centre; Ed Werthman, Communications New Brunswick; Ralph Simpson, CISV Environmental Group; Mr. Mike Ketchum, Vice Principal, Fredericton High School; Ms. Judy Piers-Kavanaugh, Oromocto High School; Mr. Brent Bond, Fundy High School; Zandra Kierstead, PRUDE; Rosemarie Stewart, Chipman Youth Center; Scott Crawford, Saint John Teen Resource Centre; Jacque Verge, École Clément Cormier; Bonnie Campbell, YMCA; Ross Calder, Nackawic High School; Edward Hitchman, Miratech; École Ste.-Anne; Luc Michaud, Polyvalente École Louis J. Robichaud; Heidi Soggie, Atlantic Baptist University; Bill Clorne, Mount Allison University; Don Walker, St. Stephen High School; Vikki Landry, L’Université de Moncton, Edmundston campus; Marc Muscroft, Sussex Regional High School; Nancy Roussel, Suzanne Arsenault - Jour J; Debra Doherty, PLEISNB; Elizabeth Crawford-Thurder - Duke of Edinburgh’s Award; Shauna Scott, Building Bridges; Marc Henrie, FJFNB; Yvon LeBlanc, Rural Secretariat; Steven Boyce, Volunteer Sector Initiative, for providing community contacts.