Do You Mind

YouthCO and the Community- Based Research Centre (CBRC) are teaming up to deliver our second annual mental health initiative for queer & trans youth living in BC called 'Do You Mind?'

If you are between the ages of 19-29 and are interested in building and refining your leadership in community health, we hope you will join us as we unpack the social and interpersonal challenges that queer & trans youth face together when it comes to our mental health.  

We will gather with other youth leaders for a four-day youth leadership retreat, where we will receive training in mental health, project planning, and community organizing. 

Following the retreat, we will have the opportunity to apply the skills we have learned in piloting a new mental health initiative of our own design in our communities!  

All meals and accommodation for the retreat are included. In addition, youth will receive a $200 honorarium for their time and participation in the retreat weekend and for their work on the community initiative.  

During the retreat we will be staying at Tsa Kwa Luten on Quadra Island, owned and operated by the We Wai Kai nation. Each participant will have their own room and washroom. If you would like to learn more about the location click to visit their webpage.

COVID-19 Measures: All participants will have access to accommodation and food that reflects provincial standards for physical distancing.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Meet the Leadership Retreat Facilitators:

Emily (she/they)

Emily grew up as an uninvited guest on Chewathil territories of Austrian, English, and Anglo-Indian heritage. Emily enjoys talking about feelings and learning community care practices. Emily has a deep affinity for the powerful survival strategies practiced in rural communities and is excited by opportunities to imagine transformative relationships of care.

Stevie (they/them)

Stevie Thompson is a mixed-race, Queer, and Non-binary human. They are Cree from the Michel First Nation and of mixed settler ancestry from Scotland, Norway, and Russia. They grew up on traditional, stolen, Katzie territory in ‘Pitt Meadows’ and now live on the traditional, stolen territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) Nations in ‘Burnaby’. They are passionate about anti-oppression, decolonization, harm reduction, holistic wellbeing, and and education. Stevie is at their happiest when surrounded by loved ones, floating in natural bodies of water, tending to their plants, or cuddling with dogs.