There are times in life when we just need a little direction to support our ambitions. This was the case for nine youth who applied for the YWCA NextStep program. "Intentionality" was the word that summed up their motivation for joining. They were at various stages of underemployment or seeking a healthier fit for their future careers.
YWCA NextStep is a free, 12-week experiential program designed to help youth ages 16–30 set career and life goals and gain real-world experience through a group community project. Participants receive one-to-one career guidance, access to certifications, and résumé-building experience.
Cohort 9 joined YWCA NextStep with open minds but no clear objectives. They left the program inspired, motivated and ready to take on challenges they now believed they could face. Three members of the group were eager to share their NextStep journeys and speak about their community project, a mental health zine aimed at youth ages 18–30 that offers alternative coping strategies for regulating the nervous system beyond the common advice to "just breathe."
"I'm really proud of what we came up with and working with these folks was amazing too. It gave me a lot of confidence because people are a huge factor in why I was feeling stuck, so being able to interact with other people and grow really meaningful relationships and connections is really nice," explains Eden (they/them), age 27.
After their mental and physical health declined from an unfulfilling and stressful career path, Eden, like many of the participants, responded to a notification about the YWCA NextStep program through My Self Serve from the BC Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.
"I had been unemployed for about a year and I just needed to get back into a rhythm," said Taylor (she/her), age 25. "Even though it was through Zoom, interacting with people every day has been a huge help."
The youth connected online from across BC and quickly formed meaningful relationships that were evident in their support for one another.
When discussing their community project, the group was keen to express how essential each person's skills were in creating something they believe will be of great use to others in their age group*. Through their communication and support for one another, they built a project they were proud of while also strengthening their individual confidence.
"Coming from a background of homeschooling and domestic violence, I've been very much a homebody. I've not really been into meeting people, so this program was a huge next step for me in terms of helping me get onto a track of trying to find a long-term position somewhere. So, I would describe this course as helpful, a way of making connections and a starting point," shared Neva (he/they), age 18.
The Project That Helped Cohort 9 Grow
YWCA BC employment programs aim to set participants up with tools to be successful in further education and eventually, the workplace. The community project simulates a real-world work experience, taking participants through the process of developing a project from ideation to final product while working as a team.
Cohort 9 certainly did that. From conceptualizing the zine and managing the project to researching alternative therapeutic techniques and designing the final product, this group created something to be proud of.
"Our goal was to come up with coping mechanisms that were outside of just being told to breathe, because we felt that's often the first thing people tell you. We wanted to come up with quirky things that were accessible to everyone. Things that regulate your nervous system and bring you back to at least a base level," said Eden.
The group wanted the calming techniques to be accessible on the go, which is where the idea for a colour-in zine came from. These techniques include EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), forced laughter, aromatherapy, cold-water immersion and several other strategies people can use wherever they are.
"There were a few times where I didn't think we were going to get it done in time, so it was a really cool feeling when it was the final meeting, seeing this project that we've been working on for so long completed," expressed Taylor.
YWCA NextStep has encouraged these three participants to reevaluate their trajectories, with Neva hoping to pursue a career in child care or health care, Taylor excited to rejoin the workforce after further exploration and Eden taking pride in their artistic abilities, something they hadn't considered previously. What they all took away, however, was confidence in their ability to work together as a team and create a meaningful final product.
"This program creates relatability and it definitely brings different perspectives into a really good equilibrium. The focus is the community project and helping others. We all had to learn how to balance our personalities and our ideas into what we have created and we actually got it done. Looking back on how well we worked together is amazing," concluded Eden.
*Acknowledgments and division of work:
Logan and Neva were the project leaders. Logan led the research team and Neva led the design/art team.
Neva designed the complete layout of the Zine and created the initial layout and color scheme of the info-graphic. Neva also edited and put together the Zine after the information had been gathered.
Taylor designed the mascot for the info-graphic and zine and the floral design throughout the project.
Laurel designed the art for the cold-water submerge and aromatherapy sections of the info-graphic and zine.
J designed the art for music therapy, aromatherapy, and sketching for both the info-graphic and zine.
Alazia was the best at keeping us organized. She created our initial shared document and additionally contributed to the research team by tackling research on Cold Water Submerging.
Autumn took the lead on researching aromatherapy using first-hand knowledge as well as additional resources with the links included in the project.
Katie was definitely the caring glue that kept us all together. She also was in charge of researching forced laughter and she added the phone numbers and mental health resources BC residents can use in times of crisis.
Eden provided the research for EFT tapping, typed up and submitted the project's permission letter to be used on the website and put together the information and the art in the slides for the info graphic.
Images of zine provided by NextStep cohort 9
Inspired by this story? YWCA NextStep is one of several youth programs offered by YWCA BC. Make a donation today to help more youth access life-changing opportunities.