The Sooke Youth Council is holding a Planning Day meeting on Saturday, Oct. 13 at Edward Milne community school from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event is designed to gather local youth, from the ages of 13 to 21, to help plan a 12-month calendar outlining events, goals and plans for the council.
“Anyone in that age range is able to come out to the Planning Day,” said Ebony Logins, Sooke Youth Council co-ordinator, adding there is no pressure for participants to join the council.
“If they want to have a say in the community, it’s a perfect opportunity to do that, and the members of the youth council can act on those wishes specific from the youth who come,” she said.
“The goal of the whole day is to get to know peers in that age group and there will be lots of team building and fun activities throughout the morning and then in the afternoon we’re going to be doing a ‘world cafe style’ planning session.”
Logins said the ‘world cafe style’ planning sessions will entail five different tables, each with a host and topic for discussion.
Participants will cycle through each of the tables, where they will present their ideas and build on existing ideas left by people who were at the table previously.
“It’s essentially building upon ideas as they go around the room,” Logins said.
The topics will be discussed on Planning Day, and subjects most relevant to Sooke’s youth will be selected.
The Sooke Youth Council was formed in 2008. Some of their latest achievements include an event called Medicine for Maysa, where $3,000 was raised to help Maysa, an infant with cystic fibrosis, and her family.
They were also involved with the Sooke Rotary Club’s Adopt-a-Highway project, where a portion of Hwy. 14, from Sooke River Bridge to Cooper Cove was “adopted.”
“It’s been four years but I think still our main reason for existence is to really get the word out there that youth are capable of doing really cool things,” Logins said. “That they are excited and willing to make changes in the community and make it better for everyone.”
Youth interested in participating in Planning Day can contact the Sooke Youth Council at: sookeyouth@gmail.com