It’s Youth Week in Penticton and there are a host of events ending with a wrap-up roller skating party at the Gyro Park rink.
“Youth make up an important component of our community, and this week is just one opportunity to celebrate the value they add to Penticton,” says Jamie Lloyd-Smith, the City of Penticton’s social development specialist. “Youth are our future leaders, and we want them to feel celebrated while also having fun.”
In 2022, Penticton saw its first inaugural celebration of Youth Week with an advocacy goal of highlighting the findings emerging from the No Where to Go Report on youth homelessness in Penticton. In 2023, awareness is focused on the issue of food security for young people in Penticton.
Events start Monday with an open mic night and include sessions on renting skills, intergenerational cooking and an art workshop with the Penticton Seniors Drop-in Centre. The concluding event will be Friday, May 5 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Activate Penticton rink for a Roller Rink evening sponsored by Penticton Roller Skate. The BBQ starts at 4 p.m., helmed by the Penticton Fire Department with support from Total Restoration Penticton, and the rest of the fun begins at 5 p.m.
The full list of events is available at https://www.pentictonartscouncil.com/youth-week-2023
“This week of events could not have been possible without all the incredible partners in our community who allow us to highlight the interests, accomplishments and diversity of youth in our community,” says Melisa Edgerly, the Peer Support Supervisor at Foundry Penticton. “These are challenging times but by being inclusive and welcoming we can meet them together.”
Edgerly will be attending the May 2 Council meeting to ask the City of Penticton to officially declare May 1 to 7 as Youth Week.
The City of Penticton has also partnered with BC Transit to offer free transit to those age 18 and under during Youth Week. To ride, simply present a valid ID to the driver when boarding the bus. Ages 12 and under always ride free. For more details, visit bctransit.com.