City partners with Laurier for Second Annual Community Connections Conference

BRANTFORD, ON – The City of Brantford is pleased to announce the Second Annual Community Connections Conference co-hosted by Wilfrid Laurier University – Brantford Campus’ CARE Lab. This free annual conference brings youth, youth-serving service providers, and youth-focused researchers together to connect, share experiences, and learn about topics that are important to local youth.

“The Community Connections Conference is an exciting opportunity for service providers to hear directly from youth about the issues that matter most to them,” says Amy Brandt, Community Initiatives Coordinator, City of Brantford. “If you’re over the age of 12, this conference offers the opportunity to learn, connect and collaborate with local agencies and make a meaningful change in how youth are supported in the community.”

This year’s theme “Healthy Coping in a Messy World” will incorporate small group activities with facilitated conversations on topics such as supporting youth mental health, cultivating resilience and understanding barriers to accessing supports. Service providers will have informational booths available for attendees to explore, connect and learn about locally available resources and programs. Additionally, Dr. Danielle Law, Associate Professor & Director of the Child and Adolescent Research and Education (CARE) Lab, Wilfrid Laurier University – Brantford Campus, will also provide a keynote address on the topic of “Staying Connected in a Wireless World.”

Last year’s free full-day conference brought together more than 150 participants, including students, parents, researchers, and service providers from 55 organizations across multiple sectors. During the conference youth were able to share their experiences directly with service-providers, who were able to apply feedback to create or redesign their programming to be more youth friendly.  

“We are thrilled to expand on last year’s successful conference and provide youth opportunities to express their needs and experiences directly to the people in the community who have the power to support them,” says Dr. Danielle Law Associate Professor & Director of the Child and Adolescent Research and Education (CARE) Lab, Wilfrid Laurier University – Brantford Campus. “We are likewise thrilled to offer service providers the opportunity to connect and collaborate so that we as a community can be more responsive to and supportive of the needs of youth.”

The 2024 conference will take place on Friday, October 11, 2024 at One Market Street from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided. To register visit bit.ly/WLUConnections. Spots are limited and will be processed on a first come first served basis. The registration deadline is Sunday, September 29, 2024.

For more information about the conference, please contact the CARE Lab at careevents@wlu.ca and follow the City on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Building Safer Communities

This program is funded in part by the Public Safety Canada’s Building Safer Communities grant that aims to prevent youth ages 6 to 25 from becoming involved in gun and gang violence through community-based prevention and intervention strategies and initiatives. Through collaboration with community partners and youth-serving organizations, the City of Brantford developed the Building Safer Communities: Action Plan 2024-2026 in an effort to improve outcomes for youth. To learn more, visit Brantford.ca/BSC.

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Media Contact:

Kelly Page | Communications Specialist, Communications and Community Engagement

City of Brantford | 519-759-4150 ext. 5779 | kpage@brantford.ca