Be The Change: Peterborough Youth Council Accepting Applications

Youth, here is your chance to make a difference by becoming a member of the Peterborough Youth Council.

Image via PtboYouth.com

The Peterborough Youth Council is now receiving applications for their 2015-2016 Term.

The 10-member Youth Council will engage, assist and empower young people in Peterborough to take action in addressing youth issues in our community.

This opportunity will provide members with leadership skills, responsibility and a chance to contribute positively to their community. The Youth Council will also provide networking possibilities with other youth and adults in our community.

Applications are available to youth between the ages of 10 to 21, residing or attending school in the City of Peterborough. To learn more, visit Peterborough.ca, PtboYouth.com or email here.

**The application deadline is Friday, May 15th by 4:30 p.m.

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5 Amazing Reasons To Register Your Child For STRUTT's New 6 Week Program

STRUTT's next 6 Week Program starts this Saturday (April 11th) and runs until Saturday, May 16. Here are 5 great reasons to register your child for it...

1. Your child will be featured as a Model & Designer in the incredible 2015 Public Energy Wearable Arts Show—a major Fashion Show at Market Hall! This show is the most creative runway event in Peterborough!!

2. This STRUTT program has 3 amazing photo shoots taking place. Photo shoots with be with the amazing published Fashion Photographer Paisley Spence!

3. A local voice actor star will be in to teach the girls about radio and the power of your voice. How cool is that!!

4. Ever made stiletto cupcakes? Come celebrate International Cupcake Day the STRUTT way! They will be posting their marvelous cupcakes and a very cool vintage '50s inspired photo shoot to Pinterest.

5. One of North America's top stylish twins will be coming in help with their Wearable Arts Fashion Design!

To register for this program or for more info, email chrisalis@struttcentral.com.

Learn more about STRUTT's programs here.

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A Group Called Impact Forms At Crestwood Where Students Can Discuss Anything

There is an emerging group at Crestwood called Impact that has a specific purpose—to create an atmosphere where students can support one another and discuss life topics that matter to you. "It was headed up by someone who moved away from Peterborough and the students involved have graduated apparently," Impact program coordinator Amy McAuley tells PTBOCanada, adding that she has a specific plan for where she wants to take it.

"My heart for some time has been to create a program that could be a form of peer support as well as provide an environment where they can discuss their biggest questions, fears and struggles," says Amy.

Image via Crestwood Facebook page

Impact has secured a room at Crestwood where they will meet every Monday at lunch for whoever wants to talk. In an eloquent note on their Impact website directed to the anonymous student (and others like them) who wrote our viral post "A Peterborough High School Student Has Something To Say", Impact are inviting others to reach out—and perhaps start chapters at their own schools.

"My aim for this group going forward and my desire is to see it become a source of hope and a constant reminder that they are not alone," says McAuley, an early childhood educator who is most passionate about programming of this nature and would love to do this full-time. "We have been working with a student to make arrangements to start this group up again (finding a teacher who would allow us the use of his/her room) and it just happened that everything fell in place to start up the Monday before the March Break."

After hearing of the Crestwood student's tragic death and reading the anonymous student's post, McAuley tells us she was left speechless—even more so after reading the statement made regarding the need of a group/club in the post on PTBOCanada. "It has affirmed the great need I believe there is for a place of understanding and support like this, where students can just be real and feel heard as they grapple with the issues of life. I am unaware of if there are such groups at other schools but we are more than willing to assist."

"I would be happy to bring it to other schools if they would like to have a group like this for students," says Amy.

McAuley is currently running Impact with the assistance of one other person, Tristin Haines. The next Crestwood group will meet together on March 23rd during lunch in room A213 after March break. 

***You can reach out to Impact here to learn more about the organization or to inquire about starting a chapter at your school. You can also follow them on Twitter @impactgrouptbo and on Facebook here.

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PTBOCanada Featured Post: The Summer Company Program For Young Entrepreneurs

Attention aspiring young entrepreneurs, the Summer Company program is back. The Summer Company program is a youth entrepreneurship program offered by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Trade, & Employment. Peterborough Economic Development has been proudly administrating the program in the Peterborough region for over a decade.

The program provides students aged 15 to 29 with the opportunity to open and operate their own summer business. Students are provided with funding, business training, and mentorship throughout the summer.

With respect to funding, successful applicants receive up to $1,500 to start their summer businesses. They are also eligible for up to a $1,500 award upon completion of the program. The business training portion of the program is provided through a series of workshops throughout the summer. Past workshop topics include: mastering social media; marketing and sales; managing business risk; networking; and taxation. The workshops are facilitated by local business professionals who are experts in their respective fields.

Students are also assigned volunteer mentors from within the community to provide them with support and guidance as they run their summer businesses. The mentors are business owners and professionals who understand the unique stresses and challenges that accompany running a small business. Students are often matched with a mentor in a similar industry. For example, past pairings include: a fire spinner with a full-time magician; a boat cleaner with one of the top 100 boat dealers in North America; as well as a promotional videographer with a media and marketing specialist.

In addition to funding, business training, and mentorship, the Summer Company program offers students several other competitive advantages. Firstly, students participate in the annual Summer Company Program Celebration otherwise known as Media Day. Media Day is an opportunity for the students to interact with local media and dignitaries and to promote their businesses. Several media outlets, including CHEX, Peterborough This Week, and the Peterborough Examiner, are invited to cover the event. Secondly, an article on each student and his/her business is featured on the Peterborough Economic Development website. Thirdly, Summer Company students have the opportunity to connect with other program participants and alumni. The annual Summer Company Training Day brings together participants from several different regions for a day of learning and networking.

Several students have been recommended for the program thus far. For example, Christina Kylie of Stellar Pixels plans to provide website design, re-design, and update services to small businesses in the community. Christina has noticed that many business owners allow their websites to go dormant by failing to regularly update their web content and security.

Christina was initially interested in the program because she is considering entrepreneurship as a career path and she wanted to gain practical work experience. Christina’s business is well aligned with her educational objectives. She is currently attending Durham College for web design. Christina can be reached at (705) 313-5563, admin@stellarpixels.ca, or @StellarPxStudio.

Students interested in the program can apply online here.

As part of their applications, students must complete a business plan, start-up budget, and cash flow forecast. The deadline for applications is May 23rd, 2014. However, students are strongly encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible as viable business plan are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Summer Company Coordinator Carrington Hickey is more than happy to answer any questions students may have and to walk students through the application process.

For more info on the program, contact Carrington Hickey, Summer Company Coordinator, at Peterborough Economic Development:
Phone: 705.743-0777, ext. 2124
Email chickey@gpaedc.on.ca
Website: PeterboroughCanada.com
Twitter: @PtboEcDev

If your business/organization is interested in a PTBOCanada Featured Post Advertorial, email sales@ptbocanada.com!