Plan recreational and leisure activities for youth

Providing a variety of recreational activities for young people is an important way to keep them engaged in their community, learning new skills and developing their interests. There are many ways you can engage youth in your neighbourhood, by involving them in neighbourhood projects or encouraging them to plan their own.

 The United Way offers Youth Action grants for young people to turn their ideas into action. Grants of up to $2500 are awarded to groups of 13-19 year olds for hands-on projects they feel will make our community a better place to live. 

http://www.youthactionjeunesse.ca/index.php 

For existing activities, there are many options available throughout the city.

The City of Ottawa’s Youth Zone has information about arts, culture sports and other recreational activities for youth, and links to the many organizations who provide programming across the city. 

http://www.city.ottawa.on.ca/residents/yzj/index_en.html 

You can also find information about volunteer opportunities for youth, youth entrepreneurship, summer jobs and many other subjects related to young people. 

The City of Ottawa’s Parks and Recreation also offers many programs throughout the year:

 http://www.city.ottawa.on.ca/residents/parks_recreation/index_en.html

 The Activity Guide is available online at:

http://www.city.ottawa.on.ca/residents/parks_recreation/programs/guide/index_en.html

Other resources for youth activities

Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa:

http://www.ysb.on.ca/

 YMCA-YWCA National Capital Region

http://www.ymcaywca.ca/Youth/ 

Boys and Girls Clubs of Ottawa:

http://www.bgcottawa.org/