YMAD wins Social Good Design Award
TORONTO – ACCESS has received a Social Good Design Award for YMAD6, the latest edition of its annual Youth Making a Difference Conference. RGD's So(cial) Good Design Awards gives voice to the important work designers are doing and can do to change the way society thinks and acts. Annually, RGD reviews projects which use communication design for social good – working with the power to incite action and make meaningful change in the way people live:
Today’s designers have an ever greater responsibility to visualize the significant issues facing our society and find new ways to incite change in the way we behave. When we approach these issues creatively, we can make a real difference in the world.
YMAD was awarded with projects that focused on solutions to societal challenges, raising awareness, and developing communications-based solutions to change behaviour.
The goal was to affect social change in Peel Region while focusing conference programming on the skills students require to bring their passion for social justice to life. YMAD6 focused on a dedicated group of students in a design charette format. It received very positive feedback from students and educators alike.
The conference was led by ACCESS' YMAD Director Damon Pfaff, with Executive Director Daniel Francavilla, Prov RGD.
ACCESS is honoured to have been recognized for YMAD, and thanks the RGD, the judges of the Social Good Design Award, and the YMAD conference team.
An exhibit of all winning projects will be on display at Toronto Pearson International Airport's Terminal 1 from November 4 to January 9. The 2014 So Good Catalogue will be available at the DesignThinkers Conference.
About ACCESS ACCESS is a youth-led, non-profit organization that educates, empowers, and inspires youth to drive positive change. ACCESS focuses on social innovation and youth social entrepreneurship, to educate, empower and inspire youth to create change locally and globally. accesscharity.ca | speakupforchange.ca
Students develop social good projects at 6th Youth Making a Difference Conference
On November 13, ACCESS hosted its 6th Youth Making a Difference Conference. The event provided a unique opportunity for high school students in the Peel Region, consistent with all components of "Educate, Empower, Inspire".
The Fall 2013 Youth Making a Difference Conference was re-designed to be fast-paced, exciting, and highly participatory, where students learned and practiced skills needed for social action.
The event featured activities, stories and instructions to help students start socially-focused projects, and was hosted by the ACCESS team at the Brampton Community Door. Students worked in smaller groups and produced tangible results.
Students were exposed to and gained experience in Organizational Development (lead by Student Leadership Development Coordinator David Ip Yam), Organizational Branding (lead by Designer Daniel Francavilla), Concept Development and Brainstorming (lead by Designer and Engineer Damon Pfaff), and Press Release and Social Media Planning (lead by Non-Profit Consultant Shaneeza Nazseer). These facilitators were on-hand to guide students through their projects.
The conference was beneficial to youth with a variety of interests and passions. Students interested in social justice, local and global activism, social entrepreneurship, and in starting their own projects found valuable resources at YMAD6. The conference incorporated creativity, design, business, strategy, and community service.
A goal was for students to experience a sense of community and collaboration in a fast-paced environment, while working towards a positive outcome.
"It was an amazing conference. My students came back pumped and inspired," was the feedback received by an educator who has attended several ACCESS events with students. "Thanks for your continued leadership and direction."
Students taking action beyond the conference
Student concepts were evaluated and winning projects have been selected from John Cabot Secondary School in Mississauga and St. Edmund Campion Secondary School in Brampton. These groups will be working with ACCESS and their schools to have their projects developed and turned into action this year.
"There is a huge benefit for students to both brainstorm and develop projects as a team and then have the ability and support to execute them," said Daniel Francavilla, ACCESS Executive Director.
"We are committed to helping these students create social change in their community, using their own skills and interests."
ACCESS will be sharing the details and stories of the student projects in the coming months.
For more photos from the conference, visit this gallery on the ACCESS Facebook Page.