This report was published by Taking It Global.

HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT:

This report presents findings from TakingITGlobal’s 2004 Rural Youth Opinions survey of members from rural Ontario. The survey consisted of thirteen questions regarding youths’ views on the status of their rural communities and what can be done to strengthen them. Rural youth opinions on the subject differed from those few non-rural respondents, reflecting the difference between perceptions of rural life and the actual status of rural Ontario. Even within the rural responses, those who identified themselves as rural youths expressed somewhat different (and often more positive) views about rural life than those who had lived in a rural community for some time but had not self-identified.

The second portion of the report presents the conclusions and recommendations delivered by Jennifer Corriero in her presentation at The Ontario Rural Council’s annual conference on 18 October 2004. This section outlines ten different ways to engage youth in rural communities, from recognizing youth as stakeholders, valuable sources of input and action, and role models, to connecting with national programs and celebrating diversity. The appendices present the compiled survey data and a brief overview of how youth see themselves influencing the future, taking from TakingITGlobal’s Role of Youth research.