The Prince Albert Community Building Youth Futures project operates out of the Bernice Sayese Centre. From from front-left counterclockwise: Project coordinator Alex Powalinsky, practicum student Lindsay Smith, practicum student Toni Budd, youth representative Talon Halsall, assistant coordinator Nicole Matheis. (Submitted/CBYF Prince Albert)

By Alison Sandstrom

Prioritizing young voices

New project hopes to boost voices of P.A. youth

Feb 17, 2021 | 12:16 PM

A new five-year project aims to elevate the voices of young people in Prince Albert and revitalize the city in the process.

Community Building Youth Futures (CBYF) is a federally funded project being rolled out in 13 communities across Canada, including Prince Albert. The goal is to identify education and employment barriers for people aged 14-30 and work to overcome them. In Prince Albert, it’s being run out of the Bernice Sayese Centre with support from the West Flat Citizens Group, Prince Albert Urban Indigenous Coalition, Community Networking Coalition and Tamarack Institute.

“By bringing this project here we’re giving youth space to assert their voices and for the community to receive those gifts from our youth,” Alex Powalinsky, project coordinator for Prince Albert CBYF, told paNOW. “I see it as an opportunity for Prince Albert to completely revitalize itself and to focus ourselves around our youth because that’s the future of our community.”

CBYF Prince Albert is hosting virtual beading circles. (Submitted/CBYF Prince Albert)

The creation of safe spaces for young people to hang out, socialize and build connections was among several priorities identified during a recent planning meeting.

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“So what we’re doing now is continuing to gather youth input into what exactly makes the space safe,” said Powalinksy. “And then we want to be able to share that with the community. Our goal is to create a variety of safe spaces throughout the community.”

Young people want the project to include more support for those aging out of care, a greater sense of belonging within the community, and the improvement of Prince Albert’s image, according to youth consulted in the area.

Prince Albert CBYF celebrated their soft opening online on Feb. 12. Although they’re still in the initial consultative phases of the project, they are rolling out some online offerings like a mental health first aid course and virtual beading circles. Details are on the initiative’s Facebook page and website, along with a survey youth can fill out to help guide the project’s work.

Beading kits are available for pickup. (Submitted/CBYF Prince Albert)

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom