Youth Talk

On October 16th 2015, the student leaders from the Youth Talk Collective had the opportunity to present a project proposal at Toronto Metro City Hall for The Investment in Youth Engagement Initiative. The Youth Talk Collective is made of a youth alumni of the Regent Park Focus Media Arts Centre’s training program. The Investment in Youth Engagement Initiative, led by Toronto Public Health, was established to encourage youth engagement work on Health topics, with an emphasis on tobacco. The initiative creates various opportunities for youth to advocate for healthy lifestyles, develop leadership skills and engage in local communities. A youth panel for the Investment in Youth Engagement greeted Julia Pham and Maeshah Haque, two student leaders from the Youth Talk Team to speak on their plan to bring awareness on tobacco. The young ladies proposed to create a media project underlining tobacco prevention and awareness with a focus on radio broadcasting. In the past year, students explored the topic of tobacco through videos on hookah, shisha, smoke-free homes and more. The students expressed their interest in a compelling presentation for implementing tobacco awareness into four radio pieces, including a game show and three PSA’s. The project will concentrate on promoting healthy lifestyles while sharing key facts about tobacco. Additionally, Julia and Maeshah described their initiative in advocating for change in their community to support healthier lifestyles.