Photo by Ben Welland.
Four Local Youth Selected to be Mentored by MPs in Ottawa
(Hamilton, ON – November 3, 2017) One hundred youth from across Canada are set to spend a day of mentoring on Parliament Hill. Proudly, four clients of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton and Burlington (BBBSHB) will be represented within this group on Tuesday November 7, 2017 to job shadow a Member of Parliament and become a more civic-minded Canadian: Noah, Liam and Pascal, all 15-years-of-age, and Witness, age 18.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada (BBBSC) and Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada are once again partnering to host the fourth annual YOUth In Office: JOB SHADOWING DAY ON PARLIAMENT HILL to give young people a one-of-a-kind hands-on experience.
Approximately 100 youth and MPs will spend the workday together as part of a joint initiative to inspire young people to become more engaged citizens by exposing them to politics and the democratic process in Canada. Activities will include a breakfast reception, tour of the Parliament, and a day-in-the-life with a local MP.
Little Brother Noah, one of BBBSHB’s selected representatives, has been matched with his Big Brother Mike for over three years. At age 15, Noah is a political enthusiast. In preparation for his upcoming Job Shadow with Karina Gould, Member of Parliament for Burlington, Noah has met with current and retired Councillors to do research and get advice on how to properly represent BBBSHB and his community on Parliament Hill.
Within the past week, Noah was also accepted as the newest and youngest member of MP Karina Gould’s Youth Council, a group representing the voice of Burlington’s youth. Noah hopes to pursue a career in Political Science, and is certainly getting his feet wet with his recent hands-on-experience.
Although Noah proves to be an exception, recent polling shows that a strong majority of Canadians believe that young people have too little influence on public policy in this country. YOUth In Office puts these young people on a path to building that influence.
“At Big Brothers Big Sisters we believe every Canadian youth should have the opportunity to reach their full potential, as individuals and as citizens,” said Peter Coleridge, President and CEO of BBBSC. “Events like YOUth In Office are, in essence, mentoring opportunities, which build confidence in young people and result in positive outcomes in mental health, employment, inclusion and civic engagement later in life.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters is committed to improving educational and career outcomes for all youth. Before spending the day with MPs, participants take part in a preparation day that will include a meet and greet, media training, networking, and skill-building.
For more information, visit www.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca/youth-in-office or follow the #YouthInOffice hashtag.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada
For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been changing the lives of Canada’s youth by developing and implementing a wide range of group, in-school and one-on-one mentoring programs. Big Brothers Big Sisters provides quality mentoring services for more than 40,000 youth, engaging over 21,000 mentors in 108 agencies that serve youth in over 1,100 communities across the country.
Research demonstrates that Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs yield positive results in mental health, employment and civic engagement, with every dollar of investment in BBBS programming returning between $18 and $23 to society through higher taxes, increased spending from higher incomes, volunteerism, and charitable donations. For more information, visit www.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton and Burlington
For 96 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton and Burlington (BBBSHB) has been making a positive difference in the lives of local youth by developing and implementing a wide range of mentoring programs. BBBSHB volunteer mentors teach by example the importance of giving back, of staying in school, and of respecting family, peers and community. Proudly, over 1,200 local youth were served last year.
Media Contact
Natalie Michlewicz
Manager of Communications
Natalie.Michlewicz@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca
905.525.3860 x310