A new program in the city of New Westminster, British Columbia, is inviting teens and youths to get involved in their local community.
The initiative, called New West City 101, looks to educate those aged 13 to 18 about how their city works, featuring topics like municipal government and how to get involved. The end goal of the scheme is for participants to develop their own projects to address community issues within the city.
New West City 101 takes the form of an eight-week after-school course that will run in April and May. The course will feature various activities as well as guest speakers which include city council members and community partners.
Weeks are set aside for specific topics of local concern such as transportation and sustainability, housing and development, arts and culture, and municipal economic development. In the final three weeks of the program, students will develop their own community outreach project and present it to the class.
With national and international media more dominant than ever, initiatives like New West City 101 are important to let young people know about local issues and how they can take part in them. Whether it be for charities, small businesses, or political campaigns, teens often have useful skills that they can apply such as social media, graphic design, technological savvy, poster printing, or photography.
If New West City 101 is successful, these skills could be applied to strengthening New Westminster for a long time to come.