ACCESS to host 5th Youth Making a Difference Conference: Community Challenge
ACCESS is proud to announce its fifth annual Youth Making a Difference Conference to be held at the University of Toronto – Mississauga Campus on February 20, 2013. ACCESS is challenging the community to come together for social change – starting at the grassroots level – through local youth. Registration for schools is now open at ymad.ca/register.
The conference aims to highlight interdisciplinary skills through a case competition assessing current local and global issues, while fostering key relationships through a variety of mediums – including networking opportunities, inspiring speeches, and Community Challenges. The Community Challenge topics range in topics from Human Rights to Aboriginal issues.
ACCESS is a youth-run, non-profit organization providing education opportunities to youth in developing countries, while raising awareness and inspiring youth locally to become leaders. Though the Community Challenge, ACCESS strives to inspire youth to work towards change in their communities through a realization of their individual strengths.
“The Youth Making a Difference Conference doesn’t tell youth what to think; it asks youth how they want to confront issues affecting their local and global community. The collaborative nature of finding resolutions to the Community Challenges mimics the real world as a democratic collaborative space. The conference underlines important for youth to feel empowered in decision making in the future of their communities.”
– Damon Pfaff, Youth Making a Difference Coordinator
This daylong conference invites 200 high school students from across the Region of Peel to participate – individually, with their schools, and within in teams – to evaluate concerns and come up with real-world solutions that make a difference.
We invite community organizations to get involved through becoming a Community Change Agent: ymad.ca/ChangeAgent
Register now online at ymad.ca/register.
View or Download the full School Registration Package below.
Media Inquiries: Aminah Haghighi, Communications & Outreach Director | mina@accesscharity.ca Sponsorship Inquiries: Mark Llanes, Director of Finance | mark@accesscharity.ca Programming Inquiries: Damon Pfaff, Youth Making a Difference Coordinator | damon@accesscharity.ca
About ACCESS: Allowing Children a Chance at Education, Inc. ACCESS is a youth-run, non-profit organization that facilitates education and empathetic leadership development through initiatives that engage, inspire, and motivate youth to drive positive change, locally and globally. ACCESS envisions the empowerment of generations of leaders through education in order to inspire meaningful development in their own communities.
Ontario Trillium Foundation grant helping youth to make a difference
MISSISSAUGA, ON – ACCESS: Allowing Children a Chance at Education, Inc. is delighted to announce that they have received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation in support of local youth development programs. The funding, to be granted over two years, will build the capacity of this youth-led organization to expand local programming, including the Speak Up for Change program and the spring Youth Making a Difference Conference, so that youth will become more socially aware and engaged in the Region of Peel. Funding will also support staffing and operational expenses to further organizational growth and program delivery.
"The Ontario Trillium Foundation is helping to empower young people to become problem solvers in their own communities, said Louroz Mercader, Board Chair. "This grant will maximize the impact of our efforts, encourage innovation and inspire life-long engagements through volunteerism."
ACCESS, which celebrated its fifth anniversary in March 2011, has a dedicated team of youth and advisors ready to take action and make a positive impact.
"Receiving significant financial support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation is a huge step forward for ACCESS, particularly as a youth-run organization," stated Daniel Francavilla, who founded the organization as a high school student in 2006. "I am very excited about implementing the incredible ideas and initiatives our team has been planning."
"I am pleased that this grant will provide ACCESS with funding for an office location, staffing and an opportunity to expand their youth programming," said Linda Jeffrey, MPP for Brampton-Springdale. "Their dedication to help local students become active community members as well as assisting students in the developing world is commendable."
ACCESS looks forward to expanding its programming as the organization continues to make positive change both locally and abroad.
About ACCESS: Allowing Children a Chance at Education, Inc. ACCESS is a youth-run organization aiming to provide needy children in the developing world with school uniforms and necessary school supplies, enabling them with the opportunity to obtain an education for a successful life. ACCESS also aims to educate North American youth about related world issues, and to inspire them to make a difference globally. More information about ACCESS is available here.
Media Inquires: info@accesscharity.ca | 647-893-7504 Partnership or Sponsorship: mark@accesscharity.ca