Key partners in the community recently got together in the basement of ACE to discuss how to better take care of the needs of the youth. The meeting was led by students and public health outreach workers to help determine those needs and how to better meet them.
Frances Oliver from ACE was one of those speakers as she fielded questions from guests like the MLA, the SD78 Board Chair, and Fraser Health.
One of the biggest issues Oliver and her peers mentioned was a high turnover rate in staff who come to rural areas for experience but leave after a short stay. Staff retention and familiarity was one of the key issues for the students.
Oliver and peer Emma Potts sat down with The Observer after the meeting and cited trust as the biggest factor in getting to know someone.
According to the girls every time a school counsellor leaves they have to restart the process of getting to know someone.
The interactive session was one way to get the youth and the community in the same room to share ideas and invest in one another and to take a proactive stance on problem solving for youth issues by opening the door to a better future for the younger generation.
