Community Foundation Grey Bruce will launch a Vital Focus on Youth report on Friday April 12 at 10:00 am at the Harmony Centre. All are welcome to attend. The report and the launch day activities are sponsored by RBC Future Launch. This report builds on the Foundations 2016 Vital Signs® report and takes a closer look at how young people are doing in Grey Bruce. The report supports issue topics with statistical data from a wide variety of sources. Getting Around, Youth Voice, Youth Spaces, Health & Wellness, Substance Use, Economic Barriers, Identity & Belonging are all topics addressed in the report.

Following the launch, RBC Future Launch will offer a free workshop for youth at 11 am. The Your Brand Matters Workshop is a 1-hour session to help young people build awareness of their brand and learn how to use their brand effectively throughout their career. Young people will learn the essentials of what makes a great personal brand, first impression, professional presence, and elevator pitch. Registration is limited to 50 and lunch is included.

At 1 pm, all are welcome to attend a free keynote address by motivational speaker, Erin Bury. This presentation is sponsored by Grey County and the Grey County Business Enterprise Centre. Erin will talk to youth about entrepreneurship and preparedness for a changing work climate. Named one of Marketing Magazine’s “Top 30 Under 30”, Erin Bury is a marketer, former technology journalist, and start-up enthusiast.

At 2 pm, Bury will moderate a panel discussion on entrepreneurship with Patrick Famaran, Youth Social Impact Manager, at RBC; Carlene Keeshig, band Councillor for the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation; Brandon Koebel, advocate for youth and Councillor for the Town of Hanover; Drew McIver, founder of Can-Dairy Inc.; Emily Morrison, Executive Director at Launch Pad YATC; Charlee Roy, owner of NakdBasics.

At 7 pm, activities move to East Ridge Community School where guests will gather to hear a talk by Arlene Dickinson about youth in terms of a changing work culture, women in business, entrepreneurship and her own story in relation to community philanthropy. Arlene Dickinson is best known to Canadians as one of the venture capitalists on the award-winning series Dragons’ Den and her new CBC primetime series Under New Management. She is the author of two bestselling books—Persuasion, and her most recent bestselling release, All In. Tickets for the Arlene Dickinson talk are $40 for adults, $10 for youth (under 29) and can be purchased online at www.communityfoundationgreybruce.com.

source: media release, Community Foundation Grey Bruce