In the summer of 2021, the Town of Halton Hills hosted Leadership Programs in both Georgetown and Acton. In July, the Halton Youth Initiative had the privilege to speak with the Georgetown leadership students and later in August, we will present at the Acton program to discuss the importance of volunteerism, how it connects to leadership and building connections in the Halton Hills community. 

Jennifer Ancona is the Recreation Coordinator - Youth at the Town of Halton Hills and we asked her a few questions:

In your words, describe the importance of youth leadership in building positive communities

Jennifer - Youth bring a wide range of experiences, ideas, and passion and I think building leadership skills, opportunities and knowledge for youth can be impactful to any community. Providing opportunities for youth to grow, try new things and explore benefits not only the individual youth but the community through their efforts and results.  I believe that engaging youth in positive experiences and highlighting their amazing work contributes to building positive images of youth in the community and shifting those communities to look at youth as partners and leaders.

Describe how young people in Halton Hills can find leadership opportunities
Jennifer - At the Halton Hills Youth Centres, we try to promote and educate youth on opportunities available to them in the community. In addition, haltonhills.ca/volunteer includes all of our internal opportunities that would be available to youth. Examples of these opportunities include volunteering in summer camps, recreation programs, the trail Stewart program, Hillsview Active Living Centre opportunities and more.
 

Any comments you have about the presentation in particular
Jennifer - I enjoyed the personal stories and how some of those experiences have impacted your life and the directions you have taken in your career and the community. You made volunteering and getting involved more relatable and obtainable to those who maybe do not know where to start. It was a fantastic presentation. 

To learn more about the programs and opportunities at the Town of Halton Hills, please see our blog post , visit their website: or find them on Instagram @_hhyouth