IHDCYH welcomes new Youth Advisory Council members and recognizes the impact of our council members over the past year!
CIHR-IHDCYH is pleased to welcome Nova, Neo and Chimdy to our Youth Advisory Council (YAC)! Each year, on International Youth Day, we celebrate the transition of outgoing members to our YAC alumni network and welcome new voices to the council, ensuring broad representation from diverse youth across Canada.
Over the past year, IHDCYH’s YAC members have played a vital role in advancing youth engagement and leadership across research, policy and knowledge mobilization efforts at the Institute and beyond.
Council members represented IHDCYH and brought the youth voice to events including the November 2024 UNICEF National Day of the Child summit in Ottawa, contributed their perspectives and council updates to IHDCYH Institute Advisory Board meetings in Vancouver and Toronto, and co-moderated a panel discussion on Advancing Health Equity through Learning Health Systems at the Holland Bloorview Research Institute. Members participated in peer review activities for funding competitions including IHDCYH Talks and Healthy Youth Initiative Team Grants.
YAC members discussed research-related strategy for antimicrobial resistance with the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity, and engaged in identifying gaps and opportunities in the delivery of IHDCYH’s Strategic Plan. Bringing a youth voice to broader engagement with national policymakers, members gave input on the Government of Canada’s second State of Youth Report (pending release), the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) report How to Prevent and Reduce Substance Use Harms for Youth: What Youth Say Works, and Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Towards a National Framework for Environmental Learning – What We Heard Report. The Council also engaged with the Young Diplomats of Canada to discuss UN Sustainable Development Goals and impacts on youth health ahead of the 2025 United Nations High-Level Political Forum.
The YAC Instagram (@cihr_youth) presence continued to expand, with members creating content to highlight health promotion days and share accessible, plain-language information and resources with a growing network.
Congratulations to all council members for your incredible impact over the last year! Thank you to our council members who have completed their terms and are joining our YAC alumni network – it has been wonderful to collaborate with you, Ahastan, Maxine, and Nifemi!
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