Diverse youth advisory council

The Diverse Youth Advisory Council (DYAC) is a community group that acts as advocate to promote greater understanding, inclusion and support of the diverse communities, which defines Toronto. The DYAC works to provide youth with political awareness, employment readiness and a sense of self and community. The primary goal of the DYAC is to empower youth, 14-25, with the necessary tools to succeed in a recreational and professional setting.

The Council

The Diverse Youth Advisory Council (DYAC) is a community group that acts as advocate to promote greater understanding, inclusion and support of the diverse communities, which defines Toronto. The DYAC works to provide youth with political awareness, employment readiness and a sense of self and community. The primary goal of the DYAC is to empower youth, 14-25, with the necessary tools to succeed in a recreational and professional setting.

The DYAC seeks to acknowledge youth from particular groups including women, aboriginal communities, disabled youth, multicultural communities, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered youth.

The DYAC has developed and collaborated on the following events: DEFY 2006 “Challenge Yourself”, Elimination of Racism and Discrimination, Latino Conference, Stop the Violence Walk and Toured Botswana Youth around Toronto.

The DYAC is currently working towards the development and implementation of: DEFY 2007, 2008 and 2009 (with the support of the Youth Challenge Fund and the Neighbourhood Centre); being an MC or public speaking; learning how to host a meeting; building teamwork skills; mediation skills; networking skills; recreation opportunities and special event planning.

DEFY- reDEFYne Youth recreation, DEFY Challenge Yourself, DEFY the Violence

2006

In DEFY 2006, which focused on youth empowerment, participant feedback indicated that 90% wanted to return in 2007, 60% wanted an increase of programs and services, 88% wanted more programming for diverse communities, and 85% indicated they had tried one new activity that they had never experienced before.

2007 and 2008

2007 and 2008 offered DYAC a unique set of circumstances, with ongoing internal changes in the Organization Structure, DYAC engaged in a different approach to reaching youth and offering services. Council members were encouraged to develop networking opportunities in their respective communities, from Kingston-Galloway's Block Party to the 2 Secord Awareness Barbecue. These events broadened the Council's network connections with other organizations and helped to solidify the Council as a youth friendly environment.

2009

2009 was slated to be a return to the formal council. However through the evolution and change of hands that had occurred in years prior, the council was put on hiatus till a proper solution and alternative to this new radical structure could be enacted.

The evolution of DYAC

The evolution would see the removal of a formal council structure, with a head and council members, but instead a horizontal organizational structure had come out of the trials and errors. Nobody was above the others, there were senior members, but all council members were seen to be equal. With this developed structure, the council was able to enter into 2010 with a new image.

2010

2010 DYAC partnered up with Youth in Action (YIA) to offer DEFY the Violence. DEFY the Violence was a combination of DYAC's DEFY initiatives and YIA's Silence the Violence, Anti-Violence Campaign. The event was considered as an excellent way for the Council to end it's 3 year term with Youth Challenge Fund. The event offered youth from across Toronto and the 13 priority neighbourhoods an opportunity to engage in activities such as Urban Dance, T-shirt design, Dee-Jaying, Resume writing, Flight Simulation and History of Flight. Featured groups at DEFY the Violence included the Urban Pilots Network.

The Future of DYAC

DYAC is presently on hiatus. The council is no longer accepting new members. Plans are being developed to change the organizations name to reflect the new open speech style organization it had adopted in the previous year.

References

External links

• Official web site