Youth Leadership in Action: Shawnessy Youth Council Hosts Community Movie Night

After launching the Shawnessy Youth Council in September 2024, participants met bi-weekly from January to May 2025 to plan their first major project — a community movie night. With guidance from facilitators, the Youth Council members took the lead on every decision, from choosing the date, time, and location to selecting the movie, promoting the event, and managing logistics on the day.

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Empowering youth to design and lead this event reflected several Planet Youth domains in action. The planning process fostered peer connections and strengthened leadership and teamwork skills, while the event itself provided a positive leisure and recreation opportunity for both youth and families. It also created a welcoming community environment where residents could come together, connect, and enjoy a free, family-friendly evening.

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70 people attended the movie night, including 20 Youth Council members who helped set up the event space, check in attendees, hand out snacks, and clean up afterward. Their enthusiasm and commitment highlighted the power of youth-led initiatives in building community pride and belonging — a true reflection of community spirit.

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