Youth Leadership Update - Part 2

Phelps Youth Leadership Committee Presents Year-Long Work to Town Council

Have you read Part 1 of our Youth Leadership Update - Make sure to check it out here!

Over the past year, the Phelps Youth Leadership Committee (YLC) has been engaged in a wide-ranging project aimed at amplifying youth voice in local decision-making through their initiative Our Town, Our Voices. What began as a training opportunity has developed into a full cycle of research, youth engagement, leadership, and direct presentation to municipal council.

The project first launched in the spring of 2025, when 2024-2025 YLC members participated in training sessions with Youth 4 Youth (Y4Y) and Éducaloi. These workshops introduced participants to municipal government, civic engagement, and the role citizens can play in shaping local policy and community priorities.

Building on this foundation, the YLC moved into a research phase, designing and distributing a Youth Needs Survey to better understand the experiences of young people in Stanstead. The survey received 42 responses from local youth and provided valuable insight into both strengths and challenges within the community. Over the following months, YLC members analyzed the results, identified key themes, and prepared a formal presentation for Stanstead Town Council.

While this research was underway, the committee was also actively involved in youth programming and event planning throughout the community. Their work included organizing several successful initiatives such as the 3rd Annual Winter Dance, a new Sports Night, a Summer Bash, as well as additional smaller activities and ongoing planning efforts at Phelps. Together, these initiatives highlighted the YLC’s commitment not only to consultation and advocacy, but also to creating meaningful and engaging experiences for local youth.

This week, the YLC brought their work directly to the Stanstead town council. The presentation opened in an unexpected but engaging way, with a Kahoot! trivia game designed to introduce councillors to the committee and key survey findings. Council members were invited into friendly competition with questions such as “How many cumulative years of leadership committee experience does the group represent?”, and “What percentage of youth reported feeling they have strong future opportunities in Stanstead?”. The activity provided a light but informative overview before transitioning into a more detailed presentation of the data and recommendations.

The central focus of the presentation was the YLC’s belief in the need for a long-term youth needs identified by youth. Committee members emphasized that such a plan would help ensure youth voices are consistently considered in municipal planning and decision-making.

During the question period, the tone of the meeting shifted naturally toward collaboration. Mayor Jody Stone and members of the YLC engaged in early brainstorming around ways to increase youth participation at the municipal level and strengthen ongoing connections between young people and local government.

By the end of the meeting, what had emerged was less a final presentation and more the beginning of an ongoing conversation. The YLC’s work demonstrated not only that youth are willing to participate in shaping their community, but that they are already doing so through research, leadership, and action. Rather than standing at the margins of municipal decision-making, the Youth Leadership Committee continues to show that young people in Stanstead are ready to be active partners in building the town’s future. We look forward to watching as this spark of a conversation grows into a catalyst for meaningful change.