How can we put them on the right path?
This is an other issue that was raised by the Elementary Teachers Federation. They asked specifically, if you are elected trustee, how do you envision working with city councilors and other interested stakeholders to support at risk youth in your area?
My Response
This is indeed an excellent question as it assumes that collaboration is the key to addressing the issue. I am intrinsically a team player and communication facilitator. In my previous role as the President of the Britannia Village Community Association, I was able to very effectively draw together a diverse group of stakeholders to build support for a number of issues - flood proofing, in particular. The flood proofing initiative drew together the community (which was initially divided on the matter), provincial and municipal politicians, City staff, and legislative bodies such as the local conservation authority.
Together, we were able to agree that the work was necessary, to find the funding model to support it and to produce an agreeable and effective solution to the problem. From that experience I learned, that it is necessary to give voice to all concerned in the issue; in the present context, I would encourage the use of focus groups to explore the issue with adequate depth and breadth to provide the foundation for understanding the issue. That understanding would then serve as the jump off point for solution building.
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