Last Spring, Emerging Leaders offered Jaymie Deprez, a youth from Manitoba, the opportunity to attend a meeting by Parks Canada in Gatineau, QC. This meeting, attended by 20 to 25 youth from 18 to 25 years of age, had for objective to discuss their sense of connection with national parks and historic sites as well as with world heritage sites. At the end of the meeting, recommendations were made to Parks Canada and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO on how to effectively engage young adults with these heritage sites. This is Jaymie’s report.
Hello Emerging Leaders,
Twenty five Canadian youth, with a strong passion for bettering the environment and an interest in history, geography, and various other fields, gathered for a weekend of brainstorming, discussions and fun in Gatineau, Quebec on April 4th and 5th. The individuals were representing different organizations, and came together to work as a team and develop ways for Parks Canada to engage youth in National historic sites, National parks and World Heritage sites.
Parks Canada’s objectives for the weekend were to understand how youth perceive Canada’s National Parks, Historic sites, and world heritage places; to gather recommendations on how to arouse youths interest in the sites, by developing relationships with nature and understanding the history of the sites; and to develop a better understanding of the ways young adults communicate their values regarding nature and history.
Over the two days, a series of brainstorming and discussions took place. Parks Canada is concerned about reaching young adults in urban areas with diverse cultural backgrounds and how to help them develop a sense of attachment with the parks and heritage sites. Some of the ideas that were proposed were to host events in the cities to simulate the parks to young audiences who do not have the resources, time, or desire to travel outside of the city.
Providing discount cards could encourage visiting the parks or sponsoring outdoor events in the parks such as walks, runs, festivals, educational field trips would also spark interest in individuals who might not be otherwise interested. An issue that came up repeatedly over the weekend was the accessibility of the parks. Solutions were to organize travel trips to assist in trip planning, emphasize the means of public transportation, or provide a shuttle service at a subsidized rate to and from Parks Canada at specific times of the year.
To raise awareness to youth all over the country there are many different opportunities, especially with the advanced technology available. Online resources such as Facebook are easy, fast and reliable ways to promote different events because of the large audiences which it serves. Online photo and video contests, with promotion through television, radio, and posters, was an activity suggested to encourage youth to begin appreciating the parks for their natural beauty. The group agreed that the marketing aspect of Parks Canada approach to youth was in need of a make-over and a new, up-to-date marketing plan was developed. In order to reach out to youth and gain their attention, it is necessary to develop a brand which appeals to them. Parks Canada must have a funky, entertaining, and exciting brand, as opposed to a boring, bland approach. Developing an advertising campaign, through the use of television, internet, billboard, radio shows, newspapers, and in malls, would reach out to as many young people. Partnering up with educational institutions, sports teams and other extra curricular groups was a popular approach to bring in groups of young people and provide an informative and fun experience to them.
The opportunity provided to me by Emerging Leaders Committee of the Canadian CED Network and Parks Canada to travel to Gatineau, to partake in the youth conference has had a significant effect on my attitude towards and appreciation for Canada’s beautiful parks. Over the weekend, I have gained invaluable knowledge through hearing the opinions and perspectives of youth from such broad backgrounds. I am truly grateful to have been invited to represent the organization and am greatly inspired to become involved in youth groups and share my passion for the environment with others. The outcome of the weekend in Gatineau far exceeded my expectations, and I thank Emerging Leaders for providing this opportunity.
Jaymie Deprez, Stony Mountain, Manitoba
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