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Youth Leaders on Board
The non-profit sector in Canada is massive and plays a critical role in the day-to-day lives of Canadians. Non-profits assist in delivering services such as social assistance, as well as recreation for seniors and youth. Leading a successful non-profit organization is exciting, fulfilling, and challenging. However, opportunities to learn first-hand how these organizations operate are scarce.
The Youth Leaders on Board (YLOB) initiative addresses this by placing undergraduate students on the boards of organizations in Brantford, Brant County, and surrounding communities.
YLOB is designed to enhance students’ leadership and governance knowledge, skills and experiences and provide them with a foundation for a lifelong interest in community service. Students will learn critical, practical leadership skills such as decision-making, goal setting, and communication. In addition, students receive co-curricular credit for this experiential learning endeavour.
Typically, 8-10 organizations participate in YLOB each year and they focus on a diverse range of areas such as mental health programming, child and youth learning initiatives, and senior care. YLOB does its best to match a student’s interests with the objectives and missions of participating organizations.
Testimonials
“The YLOB program gave me a practical understanding of how non-profit boards function. This experience helped balance and compliment theory gained through the YLOB program along with lecture content. I will continue to seek out opportunities on various boards for years to come because I have learned the difference I can make in my community through the YLOB leadership opportunity!”
– Fourth-year Leadership student
“This program gives students an opportunity to understand how decisions within these organizations are made, whom they benefit, and how conflicts amongst a group of people with various backgrounds are resolved.”
– Fourth-year Criminology student
“Young adults do not get many opportunities to be exposed to the good work of community governance and the potential pitfalls that can be avoided. Youth Leaders on Board is a simple program which matches students to community agencies. The student learns community governance and the agency gets connected to young adults who are not typically represented on community boards. It is a win-win.”
– Healthcare organization
“Due to the nature of our board, having a student member has been very helpful. Her opinions and comments were very important as students are becoming the majority downtown and it is important that they have a voice.”
– Business Development Organization
Are you ready for an experience that could open you up to new opportunities and ideas? If so, the Youth Leaders on Board program could be for you.
To get started on this journey, simply do the following:
- Fill out the Youth Leaders on Board Application Form in the tab below.
- On the form, provide us with your current contact information, and make sure we know the best way to reach you.
- Describe why you'd like to be involved in YLOB, and summarize any leadership initiatives or experiences you've had in the past.
- Let us know the type of organization you'd like to be matched with from the list of available categories.
- Tell us about any previous board experience you may already have. NOTE: Previous experience is NOT a requirement for this program.
- Provide us with the name and contact information for two references.
Youth Leaders on Board Application Form
Applications for the 2024 - 2025 term are currently being accepted. Make sure to fill out the form today. Our application deadline is October 15, 2024.
What will I learn?
You will learn how organization boards function. This will include learning about the decision-making process, meeting etiquette, and the sorts of topics that organizations are typically concerned with such as budgeting, membership, service provision, and event planning.
What will my level of participation be in the meetings?
There is some variation in participation but at minimum organizations will invite you to provide insights and informed opinions on topics as they are discussed. Some organizations give the YLOB student a vote in their decision-making while others restrict voting only to full-time board members who have been elected by organization members.
What do I need to do to fulfil my co-curricular credit?
Attend board meetings and provide some brief feedback to the project coordinator about your experience via a short questionnaire.
Will participation in YLOB entail a major time commitment?
You will need to attend monthly board meetings. There will likely be 6-8 meetings. These meetings are typically 1.5 to 2 hours in length and are usually held in the evening. Occasionally, you will be sent material to review before a meeting when the board is going to make a significant decision. The organization that hosts you will supply the meeting times and dates.
What happens after I submit my application?
Once you have submitted your application, we will reach out to you and talk more with you about your interests and expectations. Next, we will try to pair you with an organization that matches your interest. Then, we will schedule a short training session for all participants that will cover board etiquette. Following that, you will start attending meetings with an organization.
For additional information please contact our YLOB program director, Dr. Shane Dixon at sdixon@wlu.ca or reach out to our coordinator Brittany Leggett at: YLOBadmin@wlu.ca
Some of the organizations who have hosted students on their board include:
- Grand Valley Educational Society
- Kids Can Fly
- Community Living Brant
- Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie
- Community Resource and Employment Service
- Brantford Symphony Orchestra