Classes were out at Revelstoke Secondary School but a group of about a dozen students are lingered behind. They were there to take part in a focus group on entertainment, recreation and culture for youth in Revelstoke (and enjoy some free pizza).
The focus group was the second of five looking at issues facing youth aged 15-30 in Revelstoke. Led by Mike Brown and Megan Shandro of Okanagan College, there was a free conversation on the services and programs available and what was working well and what wasn’t.
“We need stuff indoors for people who don’t ski,” said one student.
“The fact we can do tonnes of sports is good,” added another.
“I normally hang out at my house because there’s not much to do,” said someone else.
The goal of these discussions is to develop a Youth Action Plan for Revelstoke. Brown said the plan was being developed because several groups noted a gap in information about youth. Guided by the recently formed Youth Advisory Committee, Shandro and Brown are looking to create a document that will fill that gap.
The plan will add to the litany or planning documents that service providers can access when planning out programming and looking for funding.
“It will look at the assets we already have, the strengths of the community in terms of services and programming available to young people and then looking at some recommendations for future action or development,” said Shandro. “It’s a springboard that the Youth Initiative Committee can then move forward with when they would like to proceed when applying for funding for additional programming.”
The first focus group was held in early February at Okanagan College and was attended by 15 people, Shandro said.
Added Brown: “We had a nice cross-section of people who were fairly new to town and people who have been here for a long time.”
In addition to the focus groups, they’ve created a survey that was filled out by 150 high school students and 60 other people online.
They said two main issues that have been identified are employment and housing. Brown said a lot of people were working at jobs below their skill level.
“Employment would keep people for a long time,” he said. “I think the reality is there’s a lot of people that could see themselves in Revelstoke for the long term but for employment.”
It’s also an issue for high school students, especially in winter when seasonal workers flock to town.
“There’s nobody in Revelstoke in the summer but in the winter it’s brutal when all the people come,” said student James Maraun in an interview after the focus group.
Other issues brought up were substance use and the tension between new-comers to town and long-time locals.
“I did think it was interesting that people did identify that having that tension or conflict,” said Shandro. “I thought it was interesting that youth thought that was an issue.”
Part of Brown and Shandro’s challenge is creating a strategy that encompasses the varying interests of people ranging from high school students to young professionals and ski bums out to have a good time. The 15-30 age range is Service Canada’s definition of ‘youth’ and they are funding the plan.
“It hasn’t been an issue so much as reconciling as much as trying to reach out to all those groups and making sure everyone is able to provide input,” said Brown. “Because some of those groups are a bit more marginalized, it’s a challenge for us to get out there and find out their opinions.”
Brown and Shandro both fall into the category of youth and said some of the issues brought up resonate with them.
“Things around housing fully resonates with me,” said Brown. “I don’t see how I can buy a house here and I really like living here.”
The next focus group is at Sangha Bean this Thursday and will focus on health, housing and safety. The next two are tentatively schedule for Mar. 24 and Apr. 7 and will look at employment, education and training; and connectivity, citizenship and engagement.
You can learn more about the project online at stokedyouth.wordpress.com. The website is being used as a forum for discussion and a place to put notices of youth-friendly events and activities.