Every year, Right To Play invites community partners to select 1-3 youth to attend Right To Play’s annual celebratory youth leadership events. This spring, Right To Play hosted 2 Youth Leadership Symposiums where youth explored leadership skills, built confidence, practiced self-care and had fun in a week of play-based sessions!

To provide youth leaders with new opportunities to be peer role models and practice their leadership skills, Right To Play launched a new initiative at this year’s Symposiums: Youth Colour Group Leaders! Four youth who applied to the opportunity were selected to take on this special leadership role. The Youth Colour Group Leaders were responsible for making sure their groups felt safe, supported and had fun, as they led them through the week of activities.

This year’s PLAY West Youth Symposium focused on building skills, knowledge and attitudes related to mental wellness and holistic health. Sessions throughout the week were facilitated by guest presenters and Right To Play staff, including a “self-care fair”, where youth hosted stations that showcased the different ways they cope with stress and care for themselves and others.

Upon returning to their communities, 3 different groups of youth and Community Mentors have since planned a self-care fair of their own to share back their learnings and self-care practices with other youth in their communities!

At PLAY East Symposium, each youth Colour Group designed and led Youth Leadership Initiatives (YLIs) for their peers throughout the week. The Blue Colour Group chose to organize the Variety Show for their YLI at the end of the week. Youth in this group divided up roles to ensure that the Variety Show had hosts, a music technician, hype people and everything else it needed! This show also acted as the formal closing to the week of youth leadership opportunities, so it was fitting to have the youth themselves take the lead on it.

Another highlight of the week was the Sport Extravaganza hosted by the Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment Foundation (MLSEF)! Coaches and MLSEF representatives led a variety of sport drills and games to build youth participants’ skills in ball hockey, soccer and basketball. Participants loved being challenged in some of their favourite sports – and at the end of the day every participant received a medal and certificate to acknowledge their teamwork, inclusive leadership and participation in the games.