Region’s Children and Youth Planning Table launches third Youth Impact Survey
Waterloo Region – Building on the hundreds of responses and over 60 recommended actions from past surveys on child and youth well-being, the Children and Youth Planning Table (CYPT) of Waterloo Region is set to launch their third, region-wide Youth Impact Survey.
CYPT is a community-wide partnership of service providers, researchers, planning bodies, and funders who serve children, youth, and families, that works to improve the well-being of children and youth in the region, and importantly, move the needle on child and youth well-being. A large part of meaningfully serving children and youth is to ensure that they are given a platform to express their needs, concerns and ideas in their own words.
To ensure that efforts made are meaningfully serving the needs of the community’s children, CYPT will launch its third iteration of the Youth Impact Survey today, Monday, May 1st. This survey is the community’s opportunity to hear directly from young people about their own well-being, resulting in action-oriented research and data that can be broadly leveraged by community organizations working with youth.
“Waterloo Region is growing at a rapid pace, and it is critical that we take the time to reflect on those for whom we are building this community,” explained Karen Redman, Chair of the Region of Waterloo. “Ensuring and improving child and youth wellbeing not only means a healthier, safer and more inclusive community for us all, but it also builds the foundation for a thriving economy.”
Based on the Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-being, a framework developed by UNICEF Canada to better understand how children and youth are doing across the country, the Youth Impact Survey will be open throughout the month of May to any and all children and youth aged 9 to 18 years old that live in Waterloo Region.
Data collected and analyzed over the course of the past two surveys done in Waterloo Region, including 63 recommended actions, can be found in CYPT’s Data in Action Report.
Youth Testimonials
“What I like best about the Youth Impact Survey is that it checks in with youth really asking those questions that others forget to ask. It really makes you feel appreciated and like there's someone who cares.”
- Youth Respondent from Youth Impact Survey 2021
“I like that this survey focuses on understanding and bettering the lives of children and youth. I admire that many of the questions talk about the struggles people around my age face, as I think it helps put things more in perspective.”
- Youth Respondent from Youth Impact Survey 2021
“When I realized that [adults] are willing to hear our voice instead of push us aside; [that you] want to take in what we’re saying, really appreciate it and acknowledge it, I feel hopeful.”
- Youth in Waterloo Region
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