Lansdowne Children's Centre, Wilfrid Laurier University partner through Youth Leaders on Board program

Wilfrid Laurier University student Ry Lavigne is the youngest board member at Lansdowne Children’s Centre.

“I have never been a part of a student council board or something similar, so I was very intrigued by the opportunity to become involved,”

she said.

Wilfrid Laurier University student Ry Lavigne participated in the Youth Leaders on Board program with Lansdowne Children's Centre.

Ry got the opportunity through Laurier’s Youth Leaders on Board (YLOB) program, which has been running for more than a decade; she is the first student to join Lansdowne’s board through the program.

Through YLOB, Laurier Brantford students serve as non-voting members, getting a firsthand look at the decision making, goal setting, risk management, financial accountability, collaboration, and communication that is necessary for any board.

Rosemary A. McGowan, faculty lead for YLOB at Laurier, noted that the program is mutually beneficial, because “In turn, organizations benefit from the youth perspective that the YLOB participants bring.”

The program receives ongoing funding through the Stephen Smith and Dorothy Woltz Foundation.

While students usually serve on a board for one year, that isn’t a limitation within the program.

“Some students have participated on the same board for multiple years and have gone on to become employees of those organizations,”

Rosemary noted.

Ry said once she knew she’d been accepted into the program, she looked for opportunities in the community that would serve children, as “this is the primary field that I wanted to venture in.”

She’s worked for the YMCA Beyond the Bell Program, the Boys and Girls Club, Laurier Tour Guide Ambassadors, the Sun Life Centre for Healthy Communities and the STEM Camp, and has volunteered with numerous organizations, including Margot’s Place, PEGASUS – Afghan Mental Health and Psychoeducation in Canada, and the YMCA Staff Ambassadors.

Ry is going into her third year studying Social Work this autumn, working towards a minor in Youth and Children’s Studies and a minor in Global Crime and Justice.

She was grateful to ultimately land at Lansdowne, as the agency “has a wonderful reputation, as it helps so many children each and every day to be able to accomplish new goals, and work towards success.”

Ry said at her first board meeting, she “definitely learned firsthand that everyone is there to support everyone else,” adding that board member Vicky Smith met with her for lunch to give her additional coaching and ensure that she was up to speed as to what was going on.

“It is truly a wonderful program, and I cannot be more happy to get into the thick of it!”

Ry said, adding how thankful she was for the support she’d received from individuals with both Lansdowne and Laurier.

“I love being active in and around Brantford, but I never knew what the possibilities and opportunities were and how close they are to my reach,” she said.

Lansdowne board member and Governance Committee chair Rick Rozak expressed appreciation for the YLOB program.

In Ry’s case, “I see the interface between the Social Work program and Lansdowne Children Centre as a natural learning opportunity,” he said.

With Ry and any future students who come to Lansdowne through the program, Rick said, “Hopefully each party will have learned just a little bit of something they didn’t know before.”

For more information about the program, visit Laurier’s Youth Leaders on Board webpage or contact Rosemary at rmcgowan@wlu.ca.