About Youth For Change

The Ottawa Youth For Change Program encourages Ottawa area high school students to move from awareness into action by starting think globally-act locally projects.

The YFC program actively engages youth in international development issues, gives skills to start action projects and recognizes young people for creating projects that address global issues.

How does the program work?

YFC works in three phases:

1. Youth are invited to attend a conference to be inspired to move from awareness into action.
   
2. Groups of young people begin social action projects in schools/communities across the city that address one of the United Nation's Eight Millennium Development Goals. Projects are flexible; they can raise money or awareness-anything that operates on a think globally- act locally theme.
3. One group and their action project can win the Global Citizenship Award at CAYFO's annual Spirit of the Capital Youth Awards ceremony. YFC participants submit a nomination form for the action projects they have started as long as all projects meet the Youth For Change mandate: Are the projects carried out locally and have a global reach? Do they educate or relate to the UN's Development Goals? Are the projects youth run?