Spark the Change Youth Leadership Camp – 2015

Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre and Sexual Assault Services Association received a 2015 RCF Leadership Grant to host Spark the Change, a weekend retreat for rural high school students from 14 schools across Nova Scotia.

The goal of this project was to engage youth in workshops, leadership training, and interactive sessions around relationship violence, healthy communities, and supporting youth activism.

Project facilitator Erin Wynn said retreat participants took what they learned back to their communities so others could benefit and be inspired to ‘spark the change’ in their schools and districts. “The youth themselves also feel more confident in the work they are doing to prevent violence amongst their peers, and have gained leadership training and a more developed analysis around community violence.”

Spark the Change is a success because of the overwhelmingly positive response from participants. They reported an increased sense of duty to their communities, a more impassioned stance on gender inequality, and a broader understanding of challenges facing Nova Scotia youth.