GUELPH – The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) is partnering with 13 different communities and community organizations from across Ontario, including three in northern Wellington, with two of its latest projects.
The ROI says after a rigorous evaluation process by ROI staff and selection committees, the communities were selected for its Municipal Internship: Youth Engagement Strategies initiative and Community Demonstration Project.
A northern Wellington collaborative initiative between Wellington North, Mapleton and Minto was one of the 10 partners selected for the Municipal Internship grant.
“We are excited to be approved for this grant” stated Dale Small, economic development officer for the Wellington North, the lead applicant for the partnership.
“This grant will enable us to hire an intern who will work with our youth that are not pursuing post-secondary education. We hope to be able to better understand the interests, skills, needs and goals of this group of youth, who have much to offer and contribute to our community.” ROI project lead, Ryan Deska stated, “The work plans we reviewed from all 35 communities who submitted expressions of interest have been quite impressive.
“Communities are looking at youth engagement from a number of different angles, from workforce development, to inclusivity, to health and well-being. It’s encouraging to see this kind of energy focused on better engaging youth in the future of their rural communities.”
Each partner has developed its own unique approach to youth engagement, tailored to address needs in the local community. The interns will be tasked with implementing local work plans. ROI will be working alongside the partner communities to provide a collaborative environment for interns, including an in-person orientation session and an online platform for knowledge sharing.
Final reports from this project will be shared publicly following its completion, outlining practices and lessons learned.
