Links to some useful websites

Links to help in planning your own projects

» Project planning & programming toolkits for youth and their allies
» Reporting back & documenting your project
» Media toolkits for young people: how to be a reporter & talk to the media
» Folks who might give $$$ to your project
» Information on youth health & recreation

Links to things to do

» Lists of things for youth to do in Vancouver
» Other places to GetOut! and GetInvolved!

Project planning & programming toolkits for youth & their allies

The GetOut! Guide to Project Planning - GetOut! Ideas Factory
» Download the Guide here ( pdf, 445kb)
This is a quick, easy but comprehensive list of questions to guide the planning of your project: the WHAT? WHY? WHO? and HOW?'s of project planning and an order to ask them in. Answering these questions will help make sure that your project runs smoothly and responsibly... and that you're ready for those quick grant application deadlines.

14 Points to successfully involving youth in decision making - At the Table
www.atthetable.org/resources.asp
A great website to help youth allies and youth ensure that youth are welcome at their decision-making tables. Resources include how to explain why involving youth is important, identifying organizational barriers, recruiting youth, training, and how to make youth participation meaningful.

“Basics on Youth Participation” - McCreary Centre Society
www.mcs.bc.ca/yaction.htm
A brief introduction to the principles for successful youth participation, why it is important, degrees of participation and roles for non-youth in the process with additional resources and guides in particular for youth participation in youth health.

Community Project Planning & Evaluation Guide - Canadian Rural Partnership, Rural Youth Dialogue, Government of Canada
www.rural.gc.ca/dialogue/youth/03/guide_e.phtml#projectbasics
This is a really good online guide (in English and French) that you can use online or print off to read later. You can also use it to look about certain topics like how to: identify issues or projects, be innovative, establish project goals, do a "SWOT" (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats) analysis of your project idea, map your assets, plan your next steps, involve other people and evaluate what you've done.

Involve Youth: A guide to involving youth in decision-making - City of Toronto
www.toronto.ca/involveyouth
This is a great guide on how to involve youth in the decision-making of an organization. They also made a film version!

Making the case for youth participation - At the Table
www.atthetable.org/resource.asp?ID=15
Research and links to research on the impacts of youth involvement in the decision-making of their communities on youth, organizations and communities.

One Stop Youth Participation Shop - BC Ministry of Children & Families
www.mcs.bc.ca/yps
This is an interesting site - fun and colourful... although sometimes tricky to find things. There are loads of information here on everything from information about local, provincial & national youth councils; how to hire & train youth employees; things to think about when involving youth; and roles for adults.

Project Plan-It! online project planning toolkit for youth - Youth Service America
http://www.ysa.org/planit
This is an online toolkit that guides you through project planning, writing a funding proposal, writing a press release, etc. It allows you to work online and print out what you've done. You do have to sign in though by entering your name and a valid email address. The other info that they ask for seems optional.

Youth as Decision-Makers in Recreation - Laidlaw Foundation
www.laidlawfdn.org/page_1133.cfm
Strategies for youth engagement in governance and decision-making in recreation. This guide outlines why and how youth should be involved in recreation decision-making and programming. It also provides some key advice, strategies, principles and structures for engaging young people in meaningful ways within youth recreation organizations.

Youth on Board
www.youthonboard.org
Youth on Board is an American organization that aims to "helps young people and adults think differently about each other so that they can work together to change society." It publishes some useful books that you can buy, such as "15 Points: Successfully Involving Youth in Decision Making", "Youth on Board: Why and How to Involve Young People in Organizational Decision-Making" and "Your Guide to Youth Board Involvement and the Law."

Youth Organizational Development Manuals - Environmental Youth Alliance
www.eya.ca/index.php?id=71
A comprehensive and accessible manual for youth and youth allies to developing a youth-driven organization - with such topics as fundraising, developing policies, working with the media and internet training.

Together with Youth - Parks and Recreation Ontario
216.13.76.142/PROntario/together.htm
A practical action-oriented guide to help you plan effective recreation services with youth in your community. Also find here “Together with Youth: Be a Champion” - a summary of highlights for decision-makers.

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Reporting back & documenting your project
(for organizers, programmers & participants)

The GetOut! Ideas Factory Reflective Practice Guide - GetOut! Ideas Factory
» Download the Guide here ( pdf, 445kb)
This is our 4 page, step-by-step guide introduces the why, what and how of reflective practice and participatory evaluation. The guide presents a variety of ways youth and youth allies can collect, contribute and share their ideas and stories with the world—as well as how the GetOut! Ideas Factory can help.

Evaluation Toolkit for Building Youth Capacity - Youth Engagement Programme, Laidlaw Foundation
www.laidlawfdn.org/cms/file/children/youth-eval-toolkit2.pdf
These are some ready-made forms, surveys and planning tools that you can download and adapt for your project. Things like: a 1. Registration and Consent Form for Follow-up, 2. Participant Tracking Form, 3. Follow-up interview for participants who stopped coming, 4. Youth Participant Questionnaire, 5. Adult Leader Questionnaire, 6. Program Diary, and a 7. Self-Evaluation Checklist.

Conducting a Participatory Evaluation - USAID
www.usaid.gov/pubs/usaid_eval/pdf_docs/pnabs539.pdf
This is a similar 4 page handbook to the GetOut! Ideas Factory guide published by this American aid agency - similar topics as above.

Participatory Feedback in Professional Practice - Cornell University
people.cornell.edu/pages/alr26/parEval.html
This is an electronic gateway to some of the best of the many online resources on the subject of action research and participatory evaluation. “Whether you simply want to include more stakeholders in an assessment process, or you seek to create a just, democratic and sustainable world, useful materials await a click away.”

Participatory Evaluation Handbook - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
www.undp.org/eo/documents/who.htm
The online handbook provides an overview of the history, development and reasons behind participatory action research & participatory evaluation. It also provides a how-to framework for doing participatory evaluation and a training module.

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Media toolkits for young people:
how to be a reporter & talk to the media

Media Toolkit for Youth
www.media-awareness.ca/english/special_initiatives/toolkit/index.cfm
This is an excellent online toolkit from the Media Awareness Network. Go to one of the “Accessing the Media” pages and find really helpful tip sheets on all sorts of topics—such as: “Getting a youth perspective into the news”, “Making a communications plan", "How to hold a media event”, “Writing a news release”, “Pitching a story idea”, “Writing a letter to the editor”, “Writing a news story”, etc.

InPoint - Pacific Cinematheque
www.inpoint.org
An online course and series of resources for educators, youth, and others who are interested in youth-produced digital filmmaking. On the site, you'll find information about every phase of production, from fundraising through genres, technical considerations, and distribution. Each section contains: “how to” information for anyone interested in creating their own video; downloadable worksheets and descriptions for teachers and filmmakers; and sample video clips.

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Folks who might give $$$ to your project

PLEASE NOTE: GetOut! is not accepting grant applications until further notice. We're in the midst of some changes. Please stay tuned and the meantime check out these places...

Coast Capital Savings Foundation
www.coastcapitalsavings.com/About_Coast_Capital_Savings/Helping_Communities/Community_Funding/Coast_Capital_Savings_Foundation
Application deadlines (four times each year): end of March, June, September and December.
The Coast Capital Savings Foundation is dedicated to supporting initiatives, programs and partnerships that build or enhance leadership skills for youth. The stated vision of the Coast Capital Savings Foundation is "to Create Waves of Opportunity with Youth" and to help "grow strong, confident and healthy young Canadians" by: Connecting people, Fostering quality of life, Creating opportunities and Encouraging participation and citizenship. Contact Deborah Tucker at 604-517-7581 or Glenda Hill at 250-483-8776.

VanCity Community Foundation Grants
www.vancity.com/MyMoney/AboutUs/WhoWeAre/Subsidiaries/VancityCommunityFoundation/FundingLendingGuidelines
Application deadlines (four times each year) mid-January, mid-April, mid-August and mid-October.
Need to partner or be hosted by an eligible organization that is a registered charity that have their base activities and benefits in BC communities served by Vancity in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley and Victoria. The VanCity Community Foundation is looking especially for projects/programmes that can fall in the area of community economic development, projects & programmes that do things like: Build Community Capacity, Foster Community Change and Enhance Community Well-Being. They have funded arts & sport projects for youth in the past, especially if their is a mentorship, job skills/training or educational component. VanCity also has other kinds of grants (such as neighbourhood celebration grants, etc.). They invite people to call them at 604-877-7647 to talk about whether one of their granting programmes might be a good fit.

Vancouver Coastal Health "Capable Kids" Grants
Application deadline was February 28, 2007 for this year - but check in with them to see about possible upcoming grants.
"Capable Kids" is the programme under which Vancouver Coastal Health delivers addiction and mental health services for young people living in Vancouver. Funding provided by this grant program is awarded to projects aimed at preventing, delaying, or reducing the use of alcohol or other drugs by youth between the ages of 12-24. There needs to be a clear demonstration of youth involvement and engagement, and they encourage youth to apply. Contact Irene Jackson at Irene.Jaakson@vch.ca or 604-714-6263.

Vancouver Foundation Youth Philanthropy Council Grants

www.vancouverfoundation.bc.ca/GrantInformation/YouthPhilanthropyCouncil.shtml
Application deadlines (twice a year): end of March and beginning of October.
Vancouver Foundation's Youth Philanthropy Council supports youth-oriented programs in Vancouver through grants and volunteerism. The programme is designed by youth, and grant recipients are selected by youth. The programme is very youth-friendly (and the website is soon to be more youth-friendly too). In the meantime, for more information about the application process and how to apply, contact Mark Gifford at mark@vancouverfoundation.bc.ca or 604-688-2204.

Vancouver Park Board Neighbourhood Matching Fund

www.vancouver.ca/parks/arts/nmf
Application deadlines (twice a year): March 31st and October 31st.
The Neighbourhood Matching Fund is a program providing support for projects involving people in a way that promotes the development of community and builds neighbourhood connections. It provides funds to groups who want to improve and develop Vancouver parks and facilities on park land (like community centres, ice rinks, etc.). Donations of time, money and/or materials, equal to the amount requested from the Neighbourhood Matching Fund must be provided by the community. This is known as the "match". Examples of projects are: greening a street-end; building a community fence; working with a ceramic artist to build creative benches; developing natural or historical interpretation; starting a banner program; and building an information kiosk, etc. For further information and/or details please call jil or Megan at 604.257.8495 or 604.257.8496.

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Information on youth health & recreation

GetOut! youth health & recreation reports - GetOut! Ideas Factory
www.heygetout.ca/tools+resources+networks/resources.htm
Check out some of our reports on such things as the Impacts & lessons learned from GetOut! the pilot year; Initiating & sustaining participation; What makes a place cool?; Risk, resilience & a role for recreation; and Going holistic on health.

Aboriginal Youth F.I.R.S.T. Survey Report - UNYA
www.unya.bc.ca/pspubvid_sars.htm
Results of the Urban Native Youth Association survey to identify the sport & recreation needs of East Vancouver Aboriginal youth. Results include level & type of current activities; motivations for participating; preferred activity times; days & areas of the city; factors that encourage & discourage participation & volunteering; and desired training & volunteer opportunities.

Healthy Canadians - Government of Canada
www.hc-sc.gc.ca
Healthy Canadians is a website about Government of Canada health-related promotional campaigns. There are health and healthy eating guides and information about ParticipACTION for youth.

Youth Engagement and Health Outcomes - Centre for Excellence for Youth Engagement
www.tgmag.ca/centres/litrev2.htm
An excellent summary, synthesis and critical evaluation of quantitative research that shows a direct link between youth engagement and health. The literature review breaks downs into showing the links between youth engagement and various health factors: alcohol use, smoking, socio-emotional difficulties, school dropout, violent behaviour, physical activity, drug use, risk behaviours, sexual activity and young parenthood, school achievement, anti-social behaviour and crime, and commitment to others.

Youth Development Assets - The Search Institute
www.search-institute.org
The work of the Search Institute, in Minneapolis, Minnesota advances the shift in adolescent development research by supplying concrete descriptions of the assets needed for positive adolescent development. Based on research on child and adolescent development, risk prevention, and resilience, the Search Institute has identified a framework of 40 developmental assets that can be enlisted in programming.

McCreary Centre Society
www.mcs.bc.ca
Online community-based research addressing current youth health issues in British Columbia. McCreary hosts the Adolescent Health Survey (AHS) - the most extensive study to date of the physical and emotional health of BC youth. Reports are available on health issues for diverse youth communities, as well as toolkits for involving youth in youth health.

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Lists of things for youth to do in Vancouver

GetOut!'s list of things to do
www.heygetout.ca/thingstodo
Check out our list of things to do in Vancouver in the arts, sports, culture, recreation and other community activities. This is a good place to find out about upcoming ways to get involved in GetOut! too.

Free Vancouver
www.freevancouver.ca/calendar.php?mode=cal
Here's a month-by-month calendar of tons of stuff that are free to do in Vancouver. It doesn't list everything, but it's pretty good. And, you can add your own upcoming free events to the listings as well.

Vancouver Youth Events Calendar
www.vancouveryouth.ca
The City of Vancouver Youth Outreach Team keeps a calendar of cool things in town for youth. They have youth job listings as well. Check it out.

CUED-UP! youth film & video opportunities and events - Pacific Cinematheque
http://education.cinematheque.bc.ca/cued_up_newsletter.htm
Cued-Up! is an online newsletter that lists cool film & video projects, programmes, festivals, workshops and other events for young people in Vancouver and BC. It also lets you know about places to screen the films you make, film contests and deadlines to submit your films to film festivals.

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Other places to GetOut! and GetInvolved!

CITIZENShift - National Film Board
citizen.nfb.ca/onf/info
“Free Range media for the 21st century” - CitizenShift is an interactive web magazine for emerging Canadian filmmakers, individuals and communities who are interested in discussing and debating through written, audio and visual media. CitizenShift encourages young people across Canada to contribute to this space where filmmakers and citizens can share knowledge, be entertained and most importantly engage in important social issues.

Do Something! - celebrities & youth unite in action
www.dosomething.org
Founded by Andrew Shue from the TV show Melrose Place and his friend Micheal Sanchez, this is a fun, interactive site for young people to learn how to and get involved in changing the world. You can find everything from what celebrities are doing to taking on daily & monthly challenges proposed by other youth. Features include how to apply for awards, "fundraising for anything", and how to start up a magazine. Canadian youth are also taking part in this movement.

Volunteer with Kidstart
www.kidstart.ca
If you're still a kid at heart... then why not spend time with one! If you've got a positive attitude, a good sense of humour and are out-going, spontaneous and 19 or older, you've got what it takes to be a KidStart volunteer! KidStart Volunteer Mentors support kids through two of the most generous gifts citizens can give-time and friendship. They engage kids in positive activity that is fun and supports healthy development. The first step to becoming a KidStart Volunteer is to attend an information session. Sessions run frequently at our office locations. Please call 604.375.KIDS about available dates and to register at the location nearest you!

TakingITGlobal Canada
www.takingitglobal.ca/home.html
This is the Canadian chapter of a global movement of young people networking and sharing their ideas and stories about how to change their communities and the world in positive ways. There are over 8,500 members in Canada and 75,000 young people involved worldwide. This is a web-based platform for ideas and expression, a resource of opportunities, and a network of inspirational young people and their projects. You can submit articles and exhibit artwork in their Global Gallery.

terminus1525
www.terminus1525.ca/splash.html
“An open space for emerging creators”... terminus1525 provides space on the web and on the street for young Canadian artists. It has virtual studios, galleries, discussion forums and online workshops (on diverse subjects such as art, grant writing and creative writing) - all meant to connect diverse Canadians culturally, linguistically and geographically.

Youth Action Forum Magazine - Youth Action Network
www.youthactionnetwork.org/forum
Forum’s mandate is to be a space for youth to voice their opinions and to challenge its writers & readers to be informed, to research, and to act on issues of local & international concern. The magazine is published 3 times a year, by and for youth, and is distributed to individuals, schools, libraries and organizations across Canada. Past themes have included: The Green Revolution, Youth Politicians, Spirituality and the Media. Forum invites youth across Canada to submit articles, rants, poetry and/or artwork on special issue topics. Editors offer help in developing your story ideas.

Youth Action Network
www.youthactionnetwork.org
The Youth Action Network is based in Toronto but helps youth all over Canada become more informed and actively involved in making a just and sustainable society. Their website provides information and resources to promote youth action. The various tools include: a forum magazine, library database on regional and international information, media literacy manual, youth action manual and anti-oppression tool kit.

Youth Down South - Sunset Community Centre & South Vancouver communities
www.youthdownsouth.com
This youth-driven website celebrates youth achievement in South Vancouver. It hosts online blogs on topics that matter to youth in South Vancouver and provides information on places and ways for young people to GetOut! and Get Involved! in South Vancouver.

youthink
www.youthink.ca
Youthink is a magazine for high-school students written by high-school students. Students from a participating school (see http://www.youthink.ca/youthink.html) can submit articles, poems, artwork, comic strips, cartoons, shout-outs, classifieds and jokes for publication. Students can also apply to become a regular writer or come to their office for work experience. Youthink also offers workshops on writing, digital photography and running a student newspaper.

ZeD - CBC
zed.cbc.ca
ZeD is a launch pad for independent creative expression that uses TV and the Web to seek out and broadcast the best new short films, videos, animation, visual art, performance and music in Canada and around the world. ZeD.cbc.ca is where more than 40,000 members meet, collaborate, and upload their work. Every single work is screened by ZeD staff... who choose work to feature on their TV broadcast!

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Featured Stories &

Things To Do

Links to some useful websites