http://Staci.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/634391
But the presentation that seemed to generate the most discussion and interest was one given by Ilona Staples on Art Against Consumerism. The presentation walked us through the origins of consumerism, what sustains it, how media plays a role and how artists are attacking consumerism through creative use of any and all mediums.

The presentation, thoughtful,engaging and comprehensive, gave us all something to consider in terms of the evolution of consumerism our own role in the propagation of consumerist culture.

The presentation is definitely one worth taking a look. Here is the link:

http://simplelifenow.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/artagainstconsum.pdf

]]> Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EDT http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/634391 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/549941 My name is Ioana Albulet and I am a student in the Community Worker program at George Brown College. I have the wonderful chance of doing my placement at ICA Canada with the YFL Program.

So far it’s been an amazing experience working with Staci. She is so passionate and a great mentor!!! Seeing her working so hard with and for youth inspires me. Youth have the energy and most important the desire to be involved in their communities but often times they do not have the opportunity to use their creativity. YFL is trying to offer this opportunity and I think it’s great.

A few words about me… I came to Canada three years ago from Romania. That was the turning point of my life. It wasn’t always a positive experience but it helped me discover who I was and what were my strengths. I also learned how important it is to have others to lean on when in need. That’s why I chose this path.
I want to be the support one needs at times in order to be able to help themselves and others.

Being able to be part of the YFL Team helped me develop some of my skills and I was impressed to meet so many people willing to help me not only because that’s their job but also because they believe in what they’re doing, they believe in youth.

Thank you YFL and Staci!!!
]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:27:00 EST http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/549941 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/487337
I've made the move to the big city of Toronto, one I never thought I'd make, but here I am. I'm as surprised as anyone that I actually and truly love it! True, I've been out of the city more than I've been in it since moving here, but it's most definitely growing on me.

My job as Director of the Youth as Facilitative Leaders program at ICA Canada is chaotic and presents a challenge with every new day, but I love it just the same. I can't wait to get back to actual contact with young people,,,it's been a lot of desk time lately and I'm itching to get back out there and mix it up.

We're running this amazing project called Young Community Leaders in North Bay and Sudbury right now and it's so wonderful to see it come together. We're bringing youth together to find out what the community needs and then giving them the support and tools they need to make those things happen. Beautiful.

In personal news, I'm getting outta dodge this weekend...hittin' the road and enjoying a day at the Farmer's Market in St. Jacob's - tame, I know, but believe me, nothing gets to this girl's heart like locally grown produce and ethically sourced, happy meat. So, me, my man and our cloth bags are in for a treat!


]]> Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:56:00 EDT http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/487337 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/368181
As I sat there on the stage beaming from ear to ear, I just couldn't believe how brilliant, well thought-out and entirely plausible each of the proposals were. I mean, these youth came up with ideas that make so much sense I can't understand why the community isn't already doing the things they suggested.

The proposals addressed 3 separate community issues: Waste Management, Bilingualism and Nutrition in Schools. All 3 were published in the Timmins Daily Press as a special insert and I encourage everyone to try and get your hands on a copy and see for yourselves how incredible they are.

I am so happy to have organized such a great day...the proposals, the debate, the interaction with their local government - it really was a stellar opportunity and not just for the youth, but for all of us to pull our heads out of the sand and realize the potential, the benefit, the capabilities of young people in our communities.

Give them their voice, their moment, their power...they deserve it, they'll embrace it and you won't regret it. ]]> Thu, 08 May 2008 14:10:00 EDT http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/368181 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/362633
April has been a fantastically busy month...so much so I will likely post twice, just to keep my blogs at a reasonable reading length.

For this entry, I want to talk a little bit about our Earth Day efforts and how thrilled I am at the number of youth we were able to get on board for the fight this month.

Towards the start of the month, I was able to organize a Climate Change: Youth Guide to Action Workshop with all 3 Katimavik groups in our area. 28 participants were on hand for this 3-hour event and, not only did we go through the workshop, but they have all planned environmental activities in their host communities that will take place for Katimavik's 30th Anniversay on May 24th! Events will include litterless BBQs, bake sales to support tree planting, purses made from reused materials that will be sold to support environmental causes, recyclables parade all with the goal of bringing awareness to the issue and contributing to the fight. Nice work Katimavik - you warm my heart!

We also held a public workshop here in Timmins on Earth Day itself and included a viewing of "The 11th Hour"...this documentary just came out on DVD and I thought it might provide some inspiration or at least a discussion departure for our workshop. Some amazing ideas came out of this workshop as well including starting a community garden, testing cheaper solar power methods with mirrors, community chalking and art to raise awareness and an increase in public transportation availability to 24 hrs a day in Timmins. It was our best turnout yet at around 30 youth and it was remarkable to see a group of young people get right down to business on a Tuesday night to try and make their world a better place...never ceases to inspire and ignite...

In my next entry I'll talk about the Youth Forum that was held in our community as well as the other TIG appearances for the month of April...]]> Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:22:00 EDT http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/362633 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/349461
In terms of TIG, March was a great month for us. We held our first Open Forum on March 6th. The topic was Women's Rights: A Global Perspective and I was really impressed with the discussion that came out of that event. Nothing inspires and reassures you more than hearing the amazing ideas and unique perspectives of the youth around you. Brilliant.

We also held our Change That Clicks March Break Program. A 5-day intensive at the Timmins Public Library that focused on safe and positive use of the Internet. We had 9 participants, all aged 9-11 years old and they were an impressive, not to mention enthusiastic, group of young people. It was good fun hangin' with that bunch for 5 days - a really great way to connect with the younger crusaders in the community. It was an amazing program, tiring and time-consuming, but totally and thoroughly worth it.

The Youth Forum I'm organizing is going well - schools are working hard on their proposals and I'm continuing to develop our partnership with the Timmins Daily Press to ensure the whole community can learn more about what we're trying to accomplish with it. It's really exciting to see the ideas and research coming together for the different groups - they're working on solutions they can really be proud of.

Katimavik is still going strong in the community as well - I spent the last 2 days at a Rotation Camp for the first trimester participants who are moving on to their new communities today. The new groups arrive today as well to begin their 2 1/2 month Northern Ontario adventure. I can't wait to meet them all and start working with them on the weekend.

I was sad to see my partner, Hugh, go back to Toronto on the weekend - he must get back to teaching his wee ones - but I have lots and lots of work to keep me busy until we meet again.

My nephews continue to be a source of wonder, awe and exhaustion for me...all good things, I think. Words of wisdom from my life with 4 wee nephews? "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium", "Horton Hears a Who", "Enchanted" and"Bee Movie" are all a really good time...treat yourself to goofy snacks and silly flicks once in awhile - it'll do the child inside some good.]]> Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:57:00 EDT http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/349461 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/341175
So, we gave another TIG public workshop a try, and the number of people who showed up was....disappointing to say the least. But, you win some you lose some. At least we were out there giving it a shot.

The subject was a School for Attawapiskat...a First Nations community near Timmins that has been denied funding for a new school. We used the Guide to Action with a focus on awareness activities with Attawapiskat as the focus. The bright spot of the day was the presence of our MP Charlie Angus and MPP Gilles Bisson as well as a few Aboriginal guests and loads of media. Even with the lack of participating youth, it was a great opportunity to introduce our local politicians to the project and what we're up to in the community. And, our efforts to engage the youth of Timmins go on... Open Forum this Thursday 4pm-6pm at The Joker Youth Club.

The Youth Forum I'm working on is coming along...2 high schools have begun their preparations and the other 3 will be getting underway post-March Break (let's hope) That event is coming up quickly, end of April, so I'm furiously trying to get everyone working on their school's proposals as fast as possible.

And finally, I've begun my role as Project Support Officer for the local Katimavik cluster as of this week. I'll be running workshops with the groups, helping out with their essential activities, chillin' in their communities and general support for the Project Leaders and Coordinator. Not that I needed yet another job, but, the projects seem to be really complimentary and they're all programs I strongly believe in, not to mention the fact that I'm such a fan of youth engagement and opportunity to grow through this kind of involvement, so I'm a busy girl, but I like it that way.

]]> Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:57:00 EST http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/341175 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/335101
The TIG project here in Timmins is a busy one and it keeps me quite busy. Our recent Climate Change Youth Guide to Action workshop was a lot of fun and I look forward to the next one. In the coming weeks we've got a Right to be Heard Workshop with Katimavik on the 20th, a Guide to Action Workshop with a focus on the Attawapiskat school issue on March 1st, an Open Forum in support of International Women's Day the week of March 4th and a March Break Program for Change That Clicks happening for 9-11 yr. olds as well.

In other me news, planning and organizing for the Youth Forum with the local government is coming along. All 5 high schools in the city have committed to the event and I have some meetings with participants from each of the schools happening before the end of the month. This forum is interesting in that the entire day will be lead by the ideas of the students, giving each other a chance to present debate each others proposals and a clear connection to the local government and how we can put their ideas into action. Very cool stuff. We also have the local paper here as a partner, they'll be publishing the proposals of each school.

I've also signed on the become the Project Support Officer for the local Katimavik cluster beginning in March. It's an amazing program, one I believe very strongly in after my year as a Project Leader in NB and I'm excited to be involved with the groups in this region. I think there's a lot of room there for partnerships cohesion in terms of TIG and Katimavik. Youth empowerment are the ultimate goals of both organizations and I think they compliment each other quite well.

On a personal note, I'm looking forward to more time spent with my nephews in the coming weeks, I've missed seeing them through all of this work intensity, maybe a little Rock Band at my sister's house this weekend (yeah, that's right, I love Rock Band) and my main squeeze Hugh and I will actually be in the same area code for 2 whole weeks in March, which also has me a little more giddy than usual these days. Must make time for a little more fun in all of the crusading - I just started all of this, I don't want to burn out quite yet!

A happy Family Day weekend to all.]]> Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:18:00 EST http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/335101 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/333507
On Friday night we put up a table in a youth club here in town, the only one, called The Joker. Even though we went a little earlier in the evening to provide an opportunity for youth to speak with us before the dance party got into full swing, few people ventured over to see what we were all about. Phil did manage to speak with 10 youth who signed up for our mailing list, so in the end, we were able to connect with a small sub-section of the crowd there that night, and hey, at least they all the saw the TIG name.

Saturday was much the same. We had a table set up in mall, but were actually given a really low traffic area, so had few youth approach even though we were there almost 9 hours. I did have a few parents come and speak to me about our Change That Clicks March Break program however, so I suppose if we get a few kids registered out of that, it will all have been worth it. Plus, again, the name was out there at least.

Sunday was much more successful. We had 19 youth show up for our first public workshop, The Climate Change Guide to Action. We managed to get onto the CTV news once again and even though there wasn't much of a context for what of my interview was aired, the name of TakingITGlobal was still mentioned throughout the piece. The ideas generated by those who attended were really great. My only disappointment was that we hadn't managed to find a projector, so we couldn't include anything really visually stimulating, but, it really was a great afternoon nonetheless and I think we'll repeat this workshop a few more times before the end of the project year.

So, out of our crazy-busy weekend, our name reached a lot of people in a variety of ways, we signed up 40 youth who wanted to know more about TIG the CLC project and gained a few people who I'm sure we'll become regulars at our events. We motivated and inspired a handful to become climate change crusaders cross individual high school barriers to fight the good fight together. We're tired, but happy with what we accomplished here in Timmins this weekend and onwards we go...]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:30:00 EST http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/333507 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/328021
Our team completed its first workshop yesterday, the Guide to Action Workshop, with the Young Leaders On Board through Volunteer Timmins. There were about 12 youth in attendance who were a little shy at first, but by the end of the afternoon had generated some really great discussion ideas. Phil, Lynne and myself presented the workshop together and I must say, that our first effort as a team was a great success.

We've got some exciting plans in the works going forward. We're hoping to have an opening event, more of a social occasion, to help welcome us to the city. We'll be doing the Right to be Heard Workshop with the local Katimavik group in February as well as a few booths at the local shopping mall and cinema. We're also working on making the Change That Clicks! series a March Break event at the public library here, which I find really exciting.

My other job right now is organizing a youth forum on behalf of our local government here and the press for that event has been great so far. It's really helped me establish myself as the face of youth action around town. I'm planning on including the Right to be Heard workshop as part of my pre-event work with the groups involved in the forum at each of the local high schools.

Phil Lynne are hard at work on our press releases to try and get more publicity for our efforts and hopefully the contacts I've made through my other project will support and help publicize what we're doing.

To sum up, we've got a great team here in Timmins. We're having a lot of fun and are feeding off of each other's energy and ideas. The next few months will be busy, but hopefully rewarding and successful too!]]> Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:34:00 EST http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/328021 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/318497
My name is Staci and I'm the TIG Youth Engagment Coordinator for Timmins, Ontario, Canada. I'm thrilled to be a part of this amazing organization and can't wait to hit the streets and spread the word.

It's a bizarre path that got me here...I started with a degree in English French, then a Master's in French Lit I wasn't quite sure what to do with. Three years working at a Bank and a relationship that was going nowhere taught me there had to be more to life than that, than me. So I left Halifax, Nova Scotia where I'd been for 4 years and moved to New Brunswick to work as a Project Leader for Katimavik. Living with 11 youth for 9 months, youth who were giving of themselves to volunteer for not-for-profits, gave me the bug to work with this amazing, inspiring age group further, in other capacities, and voila. After a month in Russia caring for orphan babies I found TIG, moved back to my hometown for the next six months where I'll try to get the local youth on board.

I look forward to sharing this adventure with you...I hope you'll come along for the ride.]]> Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:06:00 EST http://Staci.tigblog.org/post/318497 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667