By Jacob
The SCC conference was a wonderful experience for me. When we arrived on the premises of the Cedar Glen Outdoor Center, we were welcomed with open arms by hundreds of youth from across the country. At first, I was skeptical. I wondered how we could possibly manage to hear opinions and stories form so many youth while giving them each the time and attention they deserve? I was shocked by how well the SCC staff managed to do just that. We were divided into separate “Theme Teams” each addressing a different social issue we held dear. For three days the Theme Teams attentively discussed the issue at hand and more importantly, how to address it. I was a part of the “Under Pressure” theme team, addressing substance abuse. I was amazed at how well we were able to express our individual perspectives, while still working as a team to deliver our recommendations. The conference wasn’t all work though. We found time to joke around and make friends with youth from all kinds of backgrounds. The conference also hosted fun activities that kept us entertained and brought us together. There was a talent show, a dance, breakout workshops and guest speakers. I felt that this conference was an excellent opportunity to make connections. I made an effort to network with people I felt I could learn from and possibly collaborate with. I was not disappointed. I made valuable connections from all across Canada. I met indigenous elders, music creatives, youth organizers, representatives from all things I hold dear. Meeting these people was truly inspiring. They were so learned and wise and expressed their belief in me. It definitely pushed to me to keep working and moving in the right direction. Through Be and Become I have been collaborating with local youth to produce music and help them along their creative journey. I met many musicians and people involved in the music industry. I am eager to be able to collaborate with them and grow and expand our operations. The culmination of the conference is a showcase of youth representatives delivering their recommendations. I spoke alongside other members from my group delivering our recommendations addressing substance abuse in Canada. It is one thing to recognize these issues and their root cause, but it is completely different challenge to come up with recommendations you can stand behind. The SCC conference definitely gave us that challenge. It was a one-of-a-kind experience, and I am beyond grateful to have lived it. I learned so much about teamwork, the value of collaboration and just how much I can accomplish as an individual and we can accomplish as a collective with the proper goals and focus.
By Nikola
The canada we want conference was a great experience, we had many group discussions about current national issues. My group topic was the housing crisis. At the end of the weekend we presented our solutions in downtown toronto in front of hundreds of people. Amongst all the hard work this conference was alot of fun and i met a lot of amazing people along the way.
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