We’re launching the OBC Youth Council in 2024: Join us!

Are you between the ages of 14-18? Do you want to get involved with the Outward Bound Canada (OBC) community? Would you like to develop your leadership skills? Join the OBC Youth Council to meet with youth from across Canada, have your say about our initiatives, and make a difference!

At OBC, we help youth transform their lives through social, emotional and environmental outdoor learning experiences. To do this, we need to understand the challenges young people face, what they think about what’s happening in the world, and most importantly, what they want for their lives and how we can help them achieve it. What better way than to give young people the microphone to share their thoughts, dreams and wishes? 

That’s why we’re kicking off 2024 with an exciting new initiative: the OBC Youth Council – and we want you to get involved!

What is the OBC Youth Council?

The OBC Youth Council will be a welcoming space where participants can help shape our communication initiatives, program development and public facing initiatives. We envision a group where youth whose lives have been changed by OBC experiences can bring their unique perspective and help us share our message to reach more youth with life-changing experiences. It’s not just about creating a council, but cultivating a youth-led community where youth can create the change they want to see in education.

Meaningful engagement

Our Youth Council is an engagement program for OBC alumni aged 14 to 18. This is serious business, but the Council will also be a place where participants can make new friends, learn more about working in a charity, and develop their leadership and teamwork skills – and have fun in the process!

An inclusive community

We want to make outdoor experiences accessible to all youth in Canada and are striving to ensure the Council reflects the diversity we see in our courses and initiatives. That’s why we’re looking for applicants from all walks of life and would especially encourage participants from equity-deserving communities such as BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+ and newcomers to Canada.

What will the OBC Youth Council do?

The Council will meet virtually once a month to discuss and plan activities, with a summer break in July and August 2024. The first meeting will take place in late February 2024 – date and time to be determined. 

Here are some examples of possible projects:

• Help identify trends on Instagram and TikTok and suggest improvements to our social media channels;
• Evaluate our program offerings and learn about OBC initiatives;
• Consider how we can engage young people for the “Get Outside for Outward Bound” campaign in May,
• Write blog posts,
• Presentations for OBC staff as part of our Connect to Cause program,
• Recording short vlogs for social media,
• Sharing your transformative experiences at donor events or with our Board of Directors,
• And much more!

We’re all ears and curious to promote other projects that Council members suggest!

 

What’s in it for you?

By becoming one of the eight members of the inaugural OBC Youth Council, you’ll have the opportunity to gain important skills that you’ll need not only in school, but also in your future career and life, such as teamwork, public speaking and task management. By collaborating with OBC staff, donours and board members, you’ll learn the inner workings of a charity and have a voice in making change that improves the lives of youth across Canada.

You’ll also have access to the following benefits:

• Choice of high school volunteer hours or a $400 honorarium for your year-long participation
• Opportunities to develop leadership and professional skills – cool stuff you can use on your college applications!
• A platform to voice your opinions and ideas
• Letters of recommendation for job and internship applications
• Social media exposure
• Networking and relationship building
• The opportunity to make like-minded friends
• Teamwork and inclusivity
• OBC gear——————————————————————————————————————————–

Apply now to join the OBC Youth Council!

If you want to make a positive impact and are willing to commit time and energy to Youth Council activities, we’d love to hear from you!

Fill out this form to apply before February 17!

After the application deadline, OBC will review applications and schedule 15-min chats with applicants. We’ll contact all applicants to let them know the success of their application.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas on outdoor education for youth in Canada!