Ingenuity overshadows pandemic at Collingwood Youth Centre

NEWS RELEASE
COLLINGWOOD YOUTH CENTRE
*************************
The Collingwood Youth Centre, created to inspire local youth, experienced a productive and innovative winter season. While the pandemic kept the Centre itself closed for in-person activities for youth, there was a flurry of activity within existing and new programming.

Remarkably, the pandemic shutdown allowed the ingenuity and innovation of the Collingwood Youth Centre to shine. With a stock of high-demand 3D printers and connections to our local medical community, the youth and program director were able to make over 2,000 visors and backstraps. This was just one example of CYC youth contributing to community requirements in a meaningful way.

Dr. Alex Pearce and Dr. Michelle Hunter along with the Rural Doctors Association, ROMP, advised the program on the best fit for our production of supplies. The CYC PPE visors helped local medical outlets such as the Meaford Hospital. 

The Youth Centre had additional support from John Michalenko, Kim Bollozos, Kerri Parent, Greenland Engineering, Rotary Club of Collingwood and Rotary SGB and Drew Gilcrest from Park Sign Creative. A fabulous example of the community that is being created between local businesses and the Entrepreneurial endeavours of our Youth at the centre.
 
In addition to visors, the Centre distributed 300 PPE bags for local seniors in the Simcoe Muskoka area, which included sanitizer, a fabric mask, visor and gloves, and small treat.

Donated for the benefit of the community by Ray and Winifred Smith, the Centre is so well utilized by youth and local organizations, the opportunity to renovate is rare.

With the hard work of our Director, Lea Pankhurst, the Centre was renovated, freshly painted and an herb garden added for the culinary program. Once the Health Unit approves the re-opening plans, youth will be back at the Centre observing new health and safety protocols and re-igniting their social entrepreneurialism and movements for social change.

With this return to “business as unusual”, we are currently fundraising for upcoming programing. Collingwood youth need safe, creative outlets to inspire innovation and this Centre provides a platform to them. The CYC team, along with local mentors, is developing young entrepreneurs and giving youth of South Simcoe a voice for social change and tools for action.

With access to mental health support under such demand the centres continued driving to keep its programs open both virtually and when allowed, in-person for our youth.

Providing a safe and inclusive space for the youth to express themselves and create opportunities, the centres programing is designed to support youth during the critical years and help to create meaningful relationships between their peers and our local community.

Currently the Centre is supported financially by engaged community partners and government funding which is increasingly rare. With meaningful contributions from local businesses, families, community and social partners we can show youth their talents and creativity are valued and that they are the heart and the future of the southern Georgian Bay region. Share your heart in our Chain of Hearts.

The Chain of Hearts campaign will focus on raising funds for digital programming. The importance of preparing youth for the digital future has been made a priority as a result of COVID-19.  It has also opened the doors to a new level of innovation that youth are viewing as a way to change the world for the better and open up new entrepreneurial opportunities.

By supporting this Chain of Hearts campaign, your contributions will allow the Centre to proceed with its renovation of the sound room into a digital programing space. Allowing for Podcast creation space and the cooking programing to move forward virtually for this spring.

Additional funds will support this space to build the Entrepreneurial & Skills based e-learning program adjusting to the new demands of COVID-19.

Help CYC maintain the most current systems and equipment to support youth getting first-hand experience on cutting-edge technology here in Collingwood, by assisting with virtual programming our young entrepreneurs can grow their ideas and their leadership skills.

Our hope is that CYC plays a part in helping youth want to return to Collingwood to develop their ideas and set up the next wave of tech companies here in Collingwood.

To make a contribution to support the CYC click on: https://www.elephantthoughts.com/donations/. You can choose CYC from the drop-down menu.

*************************