I had the privilege to attend part of a Town Youth Particiation Strategies conference this weekend in Charlottetown. The invite came from the Stratford Youth Can Do Facebook site.

Let me tell you about Stratford YCD.

On their website YCD is described as “a not-for-profit youth group open to Stratford youth between the grades of 5 and 12. YCD’s focus is to provide a safe drop-in centre for youth with plenty of volunteer activities in and around their town.

We are involved in dozens of volunteer projects including Canada Day, food drives, youth recreation programs, Stratford Days, and the Red Cross Red Shield Appeal. YCD also runs the canteen at the Stratford Business Park soccer fields.”

And all of this is true, but it is only a very small part of the bigger picture.

What the website does not say is how dedicated and enthusiastic their members are. Or how much fun they have and how YCD has helped the youth of Stratford grow into healthy, secure and contributing members of their community. What the website does not mention is that their incredible coordinator, Tanya Craig, has helped to create an organization that does so much good for our community of Stratford. That her insights and instincts have made a difference in the lives of young people.

YCD is engaged in helping to keep our community strong. They take part in everything that happens in Stratford. They have found a way to become sustainable by reaching out and developing relationships and partnerships that will last.

So what does this mean to the youth in Stratford?

It means that young people have a place to go and feel welcome no matter who they are. It means that young people will learn from each other and from leaders in their community. That they will have positive role models. It means being in a play or helping to organize a youth dance. Working alongside one another toward a goal and experiencing success and failure. It means having fun and making friends. It means healthier youth and healthier adults. It means that our young people will feel like they belong somewhere and will want to continue to contribute in the growth of their community.

Youth can do all that and more.