THUNDER BAY- Since 1985 the Regional Multicultural Youth Council has been around the city promoting equality and inclusive behavior throughout the schools and in the community.
RMYC is a student-run organization with members from all the schools in the city.
During the school year RYMC hold weekly meetings on Saturdays at the Denis Franklin Cromarty School, and in the summer months it supports students by employing its members to run a Youth Centre near Victoriaville Mall.
Since RMYC’s creation it has been working on building and repairing relations between aboriginal and non-aboriginal youth. Each year they run a workshop in the Lakehead Board’s Youth Embracing Diversity in Education Conference (YEDE) on this topic.
Also within the schools, RMYC held an Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy Survey to discover what students felt they were discriminated on and how to fix it.
The top four problems found in the schools were drugs, discrimination based on appearance (including clothes and weight), racism and homophobia.
The number one way to fix these problems was seen as awareness.
RMYC then brought their findings to both the Catholic and Lakehead Board, as well as presented them on CBC Radio.
As well RYMC have built an organization called Girl Power which has reached all the schools, thanks to a previous president Pauline Fogarty. This focuses on any problems female youth may face throughout their school.
A male counterpart called LEG (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) was also created but has yet to branch out past Denis Franklin Cromarty School.
You can see them helping out in almost every volunteering opportunity throughout the city. Each member will graduate with much more community hours than just the mandatory 40.
Whether it’s the annual folk festival, National Aboriginal Day Celebrations, CLE or any other event you will be able to pick them out in their bright green vests.
Without the Regional Multicultural Youth Council this and many more opportunities for the youth of Thunder Bay would have been missed.
So if you’re a high school student that would like to see what they’re all about come and check them out any Saturday at 5pm at Denis Franklin Cromarty School. You can visit the RYMC on Facebookor call (807) 622-4666.
Meghan Payment
Director of Fun, RMYC