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We’re Here New Years New Norms event.

Photo courtesy Kasie Kwo

Youth Leadership Program makes a positive impact

By Minnie Lo

Published 12:27 PDT, Fri July 21, 2023

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Located at 5900 Minoru Blvd is the City Centre Community Centre, which offers a wide range of services to the community. Among its offerings are fitness centers, seniors’ activities, youth activities, volunteering opportunities, community art displays, and facility rentals. Today, we are featuring the City Centre Community Centre's Youth Leadership program, which consists of six groups: Footprints, C-Change, BETA-U, Fearless, We're Here, and Intergen. These non-profit, student-run groups aim to positively impact the community by organizing public events while empowering youth. The program is managed by Kasie Kwok, the Youth Development Coordinator at City Centre Community Centre. Currently, there are 111 student volunteers involved in these six groups.

Footprints is an arts, culture, and music club dedicated to bringing creative ideas to life. With 31 members, they have successfully hosted four events in Richmond. One of their most popular events, "Winter Carnival," aimed to bring holiday fun to the community. It attracted 40 child registrants who had the opportunity to make friends, play games, engage in crafts, and enjoy the holiday season.

C-Change is a social justice and social change club that provides a platform for youth to explore social concerns and design projects to address them. They currently have 16 members and have hosted three events in Richmond. One notable event, "Lock In," encouraged youth to participate in activities promoting wellness across five areas of life. Around 20 youths attended and improved their physical, emotional, mental, and intellectual wellness through activities such as spike ball, jeopardy, and arts.

BETA-U is a business and entrepreneurship club that empowers youth to transform their business ideas into real-life ventures. With 22 members, they have organized four events in Richmond. Their event "C4 Expo" provided an opportunity for youth to sell handmade items like crafts, tote bags, pottery pieces, and jewelry. The aim was to help participants gain business skills while making a meaningful contribution to the community.

Fearless is a women's empowerment club that focuses on empowering women to take on leadership opportunities. With 14 members, they have successfully hosted four events in Richmond. Their events revolve around promoting awareness of an inclusive and diverse society for women, transgender individuals, and non-binary folks in the community.

We're Here is a club dedicated to promoting diversity, inclusion, and acceptance within Richmond's community through arts and events. They currently have 12 members and have organized three events in Richmond. One of their events, "Pride to the Top," was a "survivor"-style challenge aimed at spreading awareness about pride. Approximately 25 participants took part, and the winner received a gift card of their choosing.

Intergen is a club focused on fostering intergenerational connections and promoting positive aging. With 16 members, they have hosted four events in Richmond. Their seminars, such as "Healthy Aging Advocates," teach people how to develop a positive attitude towards aging. They also provide opportunities for youth to connect with older adults through activities like drama game nights and art nights.

“City Centre’s Youth Leadership Teams provides an opportunity for youth to explore their passions and interests that are aligned with their team’s values,” says Kasie Kwok, the Youth Development Coordinator of the City Centre Community Centre. “It allows youth to meet new friends, develop confidence, discover passions and build interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. Youth work alongside one another to plan events and activities that give back to the community.”

To learn more about the City Center Community Center Youth Leadership group, visit,
citycentrecc.ca/youth-leadership