Youth Action Network (YAN) is a non-profit organization run fully by youth, for youth. We are dedicated towards motivating and empowering young people to take action on social justice and environmental issues that concern them. As a fully independent organization, YAN is committed to ensuring that youth play an integral role in their communities. To this end, YAN runs several projects aimed at educating and empowering youth and connecting them with the resources they need to take action: Youth Action Forum magazine, the Resource Action Centre, Ruckus! Anti-racism and Youth Activism Conference, and Youth Week. Our goal is to empower ourselves to move from AWARENESS to ACTION.

YAN is currently seeking a webmaster/IT intern for this summer! Our website is a major hub in our activities and usually the first point of contact between YAN and youth, organizations, community groups and schools across Canada and around the world. We are looking for someone who can contribute their knowledge and skills to help us keep our website regularly updated, and who can provide creative input as to how we can use it to its fullest potential!

While this is an unpaid internship position, we may be able to offer a modest honorarium. On completion of the intership we can provide you with a letter of reference. Start and end dates are flexible.

Main responsibilities:

* Making regular updates to the website (material provided by staff and board of directors),
* Contributing to YAN blogs and/or event listings,
* Maintaining our listservs,
* Troubleshooting any issues that arise,
* Maintain our computers, monitors, printers, accessories and internet connectivity

Are you who we’re looking for?

* You are between the ages of 15 and 25
* You are able to commit 5-10 hours per week to this position
* You have good knowledge of website design and image software (such as Photoshop)
* You’re familiar with computer and internet hardware and software

Please check out our website! www.youthactionnetwork.org

How to apply:
Email our Projects Coordinator at

With a resume and atleast 2 pieces of work in your portfolio.

YAN would like to thank all applicants for applying but only those selected for an interview will be contact. We encourage you to look out for other opportunities with YAN!

 ** WHAT IS YOUTH WEEK ALL ABOUT?! **

Running from May 1-8th, Youth Week is a festival that celebrates the diversity and exuberance of youth community engagement and creativity in Canada and abroad. Initiated by Youth Action Network in 1995, Youth Week has run for 14 years, bringing together dynamic, socially concerned young individuals and youth-led organizations for an inspiring week of events.

This year Youth Week 2010 will focus on creative activism, and will highlight creative ways in which youth are contributing to dialogues of social justice as well as their communities as a whole.

Goals of the Week ¸ CHALLENGE concerned youth to take concrete steps from awareness to action¸ BUILD a strong global network of youth working for just and sustainable communities¸ CELEBRATE the initiative and creativity of young people¸ PUBLICIZE positive examples of youth initiative and activism¸ PROMOTE critical youth participation in and access to democratic processes and media.

Core Values of the Week 1. popular education, grassroots action and real involvement in decision-making - led by youth 2. exploring peaceful, alternative approaches toward a just and sustainable world 3. respecting the diversity of identities, needs, beliefs, cultures and actions 4. appreciating and building on what has been achieved by the generations before us.

YOUTH WEEK EVENTS

SPEAKERS CORNER: GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? SAY IT HERE!

WHEN?           Sunday May 2^nd 2010

WHERE?         Dundas Square
WHEN            ?          1pm – 3 pm

COST?            FREE

What’s your dream for your community both local and abroad? If you have statement to make here’s your chance to make it. Participate in YAN’s first ever speakers corner, live from the streets of Toronto! We invite all youth to come out and meet us at the corner of Dundas Square to answer these questions: What future do you see for your community both local and abroad? How would you like to see change happen ?Take action and let your voice be heard!

BUTTON MAKING WORKSHOP WITH YOUTH LINE

WHEN?           Tuesday May 4^th, 2010

WHERE?         Youth Action Network’s Office – 176 John St Suite 307

WHEN?           6 pm – 8 pm

COST?            FREE! Refreshments to be served!

Facilitator Aniska Ali from Youth Line presents a button making workshop called ‘My Life’. During this workshop participants will be asked to create/design a button that represents something important to them. We will then take to the streets of Toronto to spread our messages!

PHOTOVOICE – ‘ I HAVE A DREAM’

WHEN?           Friday May 7^th 2010

WHERE?         Youth Action Network’s Office – 176 John St Suite 307

WHEN?           6 pm – 9 pm

COST?            FREE ! Refreshments to be served!

Photographs submitted by youth will be displayed in YAN’s office. The theme for this photo voice surrounds it self around dreams for the future. At YAN we strongly believe that youth have the power to change the future. Through this photo voice we will display pictures that capture youth’s hopes and dreams for the future.

Want to submit a picture?

** SUBMIT BY MAY 6^TH TO HAVE YOUR PHOTO DISPLAYED AT THE ‘ I HAVE A DREAM’ PHOTOVOICE **

FIRE IT UP!

WHEN?           Saturday May 8^th 2010

WHERE?         Youth Action Network’s Office – 176 John St Suite 307

WHEN?           2pm – 4pm  

COST?            FREE ! Refreshments to be served!

Looking for specific information and advice on getting your group up and going? Come and join other youth from all across the GTA for this FREE workshop where we will discuss various methods of taking action creatively!

Want to become involved? Want to participate? Contact:

Sandra Vides Martinez

at

svidesmartinez@gmail.com

RUCKUS! is a free activism & antiracism conference for high school-aged youth of Colour, their Allies and concerned youth. It is back for another exciting year promising to bring an amazing selection of engaging workshops that will get youth to think critically about themselves and the world we live in today. Register by February 8th to reserve your spot!

Become engaged, register today and take action for a better future ! 

Got something to say.. but don’t know how to say it? Say it here ! At RUCKUS! this year we put an emphasis on activism through the arts. We aim to provide a space whereby youth feel safe and able to express themselves artistically! Submissions will be placed in the Youth Gallery for all to see! We are looking for poetry, photographs, videos, etc to be displayed at the Youth Gallery.

Submissions are due by February 12 2010. If you have any questions or inquires please email Sandra Vides Martinez at svm89@yorku.ca

Empower: Youth, Arts, and HIV/AIDS Activism Launch Party!

Check out Drag Performances, Interactive Panel Discussions, Fashion,
Visual Art Exhibitions, Discussion Panels, and Sexy Safer Sex Information! Come out to
an interactive, action-packed World AIDS Day event with performances,
exhibitions and discussions by local youth activists and educators,
service providers and community organizers. This is a Queer Positive
space.

This FREE interactive symposium will launch “Empower: Youth, Arts and
Activism: An HIV/AIDS Activism Manual for Youth by Youth.” For more
information on the manual, see below.

Everyone is welcome. Snacks & Refreshments Provided. Guests will
receive a free copy of the manual upon arrival.

For questions or more information, please contact cuhi.admin@utoronto.ca

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: November, 26, 2009
Time: 6:00 - 9:00pm
Place: William Doo Auditorium*,
New College, University of Toronto.
45 Willcocks
(SW Corner of Willcocks and Spadina. Closest Subway Station: Spadina)

* Wheelchair accessible.

*** The launch will be preceded by a talk by Dr. Jessica Fields
(Sociology, City University of New York), “Under Lock and Key: Sex
Education and the Effort to Prevent and Protect”, as well as a
networking reception. These events are organized as part of the Youth
Sexual Health RIG.

Event date/time: November 26, 2009
4:00 - 5:30: Dr. Jessica Fields talk - Women and Gender Studies
Lounge, 2nd Floor Wilson Hall Residence (20 Willcocks)
5:30 - 6:00: Networking Reception
6:00-9:00: Manual Launch & Symposium - William Doo Auditorium (45 Willcocks)

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Empower: Youth, Arts, and Activism

The manual, Empower: Youth, Arts, and Activism, is designed for youth
by youth, and features a diverse range of projects put forward by
passionate, inspiring and fired-up individuals committed to social
change. Each individual, group and project is committed to challenging
social and structural issues around HIV and AIDS. From HIV positive
youth fighting stigma to peer education projects and safer sex
parties, this manual honours the work of communities creating spaces
to talk about the issues that matter most.  And? each project is
accomplished with the use of art!

Partners of Empower: Youth, Arts, and Activism:

Youth Action Network
www.youthactionnetwork.org/

Gendering Adolescent AIDS Prevention (GAAP)
www.utgaap.com

Centre for Urban Health Initiatives (CUHI)
www.cuhi.utoronto.ca

Printing of the manual has been generously supported by CATIE.

To order a FREE copy of the manual after the launch, please visit the
CATIE Ordering Centre at www.catie.com after the launch. CATIE Centre
Catalogue Number ATI-26158.

More details about online availability of the manual will be available
after the launch.

Interested? Great!

Click here for more info