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Youth outreach to youth

Last June, before classes ended for the summer, volunteers with the Coquitlam Youth Council stood in high school lobbies, handed out flyers and talked to students with the aim to bolster membership for the 2010/'11 year.

Last June, before classes ended for the summer, volunteers with the Coquitlam Youth Council stood in high school lobbies, handed out flyers and talked to students with the aim to bolster membership for the 2010/'11 year.

Their outreach worked, with three dozen more young people joining the group that encourages Coquitlam teens to get involved, take part in monthly meetings and show leadership to organize activities outside of school.

"We were really pleased with the way things turned out and the number of people who signed up to help us," reflected Sasha Maleki, 17, a Grade 12 IB student at Port Moody secondary who has been with CYC for three years.

The campaign also hiked numbers for CYC's biggest annual event. The third Coquitlam Amazing Race, held May 6 at Town Centre Park and is modeled after the television show, drew a record 292 middle and secondary students.

It wasn't the only CYC-sponsored activity, though. During Youth Week, May 1 to 7, CYC took part in the Tri-City REACH awards to honour outstanding young local volunteers; held barbecues and movie nights; played snooker with seniors at Glen Pine Pavilion; and organized youth centre programs.

The co-ordination of so many activities "really taught us how to work together as a team," said Maleki, who gave an annual wrap-up at the city's recreation committee last month. "You have to learn to cope when you're short-staffed and under pressure. That's where your leadership skills come in."

Already, great things are planned for next season: another membership drive is underway, more intergenerational games and swim nights are on the books and the Amazing Race will be even more amazing, Maleki said.

Started in 2005, CYC is split into two zones: east and west, with the former having the most members. Supervised by city recreation leaders Cindy Lathrop (east) and Chill Lee (west), the councils meet once a month at Poirier and Pinetree community centres to plan events, offer feedback to city staff, talk about topical issues and raise awareness of city-wide youth programs.

"It's an opportunity to make a difference in your community," said Maleki, who is also co-chair for this year's School District 43 Student Leadership Council, plays for the Coquitlam Lions water polo team and is a swim coach with the city. "It's not like any small events in your school. We do things on a much bigger scale, with high levels of city involvement."

Steven Meng, also 17 and a Grade 12 IB student at PMSS, signed up with CYC last year "because I really wanted to learn more about youth activism in our community and try to get people involved to participate in events."

Meng knows the effects of poor volunteerism. He lived in Toronto and China where, he claims, "the bigger the city, the less the participation. They just don't give back."

He is keen to share his expertise: Besides CYC, Meng is also on the BC Youth Parliament and holds the Port Moody-Coquitlam seat, and he is a member of its subsidiary, the Lower Mainland East Youth Parliament, where - for the last session - he was the shadow cabinet minister for communications.

The deadline for CYC applications is Sept. 15. To apply for CYC East (Pinetree), email clathrop@coquitlam.ca; for CYC West (Poirier), email cyinlee@coquitlam.ca.

jwarren@tricitynews.com