It is important to high school students Abigail Vivian and Melody Schmidt that their voices, and the voices of all youth in the community, be heard.
That's why they joined forces as co-chairs for the Youth Advisory Committee of Council, otherwise known as YACC.
“I used to coach for Paralympic swimming, and I had to stop, so I was looking for any opportunity I could get involved with in the community,” said Vivian. “I went on the city website and looked up volunteering and it said that the youth advisory (committee) had a spot open. So, I applied and got on and I have been there ever since.”
Her first term on the committee began when she was 13 years old during her first year at Glenview Park Secondary School.
“I have been a member since I started Grade 9, so about four years,” she said. “Ya, that’s a long time. Well, a long time for me.“
Her friend and co-chair has been at it even longer.
“I have been on it since 2016, so five years,” said Schmidt. “I was the youngest member, and I am the longest sitting member. I have been through three different city sponsors so, I have been on it for a while.”
YACC isn’t the only place the duo have teamed up.
“We are also the co-prime at our high school,” said Schmidt. “We first met there and then we just ended up doing a whole bunch of various leadership stuff together. We are very similar that way. We both have this drive to be able to give back. It is interesting that we both ended up in these leadership positions together.”
The YACC is open to young people from across Cambridge between the ages of 13 and 24. It is presently 12 members strong including co-chairs Vivian and Schmidt as well as members Maanas Naik, Fatima Awan, Julia Duarte, Ozioma Offiah, Sujude Kabbar, Madeleine Braga, Jenna Haveman, Aliyan Awan, Abdullah Awan and Harry Sharma.
The committee provides youthful insight and advice to city staff and Cambridge city council on a variety of issues and there are always openings for new members and perspectives.
“A lot of people start in Grade 9 or 10 then stay until the end of high school,” said Vivian. “Once you’re in, I feel like a lot of people don’t want to leave. It is a really great atmosphere at the meetings. They’re not too stressful, not too much of a time commitment.”
The committee meets formally once a month and bi-weekly on a less formal basis.
“We talk about a lot of different things, but the majority of our work is focused on inclusivity and diversity,” said Vivian. “Because we are the youth with a younger perspective, we focus a lot on finding ways to get different youth of different groups, mainly minorities, involved.”
They have introduced two monthly awards as part of that effort.
“Every month Melody or I, whoever is chair in the meeting, presents the Youth Award to an outstanding youth in Cambridge,” said Vivian. “This month we are going to be doing a multiculturalism award. We reach out to community members and ask them to nominate people, then we write up something for them and present them with a certificate and acknowledge all the amazing work they are doing for the community.”
As the committee’s name suggests it provides a youth perspective, but their advice is not limited to youth issues.
“We really get everything,” said Schmidt. “We’ve talked about things like ageism and the environment. We provide perspective from a group that typically isn’t heard from even though all of the decisions being made right now, specifically, in regards to climate change, budgets, all of those types of things, are going to be affecting our future. So, this is a really amazing opportunity and I feel like our opinions are genuinely heard and valued by the city.”
Learning the protocols and formalities of council has prepared them for life beyond school.
“Five or 10 years from now when we are sitting in boardrooms or when we’re making pitches to city council, we will have some kind of idea how it goes,” said Schmidt. “A little peak into the real world I guess you could say, which I think is really beneficial.”
They are both in their last year of high school and making plans for the next stage in their lives.
“Yes, I am planning on university,” said Vivian. “I haven’t applied anywhere yet. However, I am looking at McGill and Dalhousie for an undergraduate in the sciences. I kind of want to be a doctor. We’ll see.”
Schmidt has no doubts about her next step.
“I’ve had it mapped out since I was in Grade 7,” she said. “My dream school is McGill. It doesn’t really matter where I get my undergrad, but I would like to get it with a major in history and minor in classic literature. Then, get my bachelor of common laws in juris doctor so that I can be a crown prosecutor or a judge. That’s my end goal.”
Both agree that their terms as co-chair and overall time with YACC has been a formative experience.
“Youth is the future and if you are involved in something positive like YAAC, it inspires you to do good in the world,” said Vivian. “It inspires you by seeing the amazing things we do together. You know that you can make people’s lives better and that you are valuable in your community. You make an impact so, I think it definitely inspires people to do what they do in their community for a lifetime.”
To learn more about opportunities with YACC, email [email protected].
