Promoting Participation By Electing Youth: The London Youth Advisory Council

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) works and partners with organizations around the world to share best practices and expertise. The London Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) of Ontario, Canada is comprised of young people who are elected to their positions by the general public. Each council member represents a ward, or region, of the city of London, Ontario. Individual council members play a constructive role in the decision-making processes that influence their communities, such as transportation, the environment and poverty. This is not simply a youth program, rather it is an innovative way to ensure that young people in Ontario have a voice in the way they are governed.

For this episode of Dialogues on Democracy, IFES Youth Advisor Augusta Featherston spoke with Ward 4 Councilor Nicole Worozbyt and Adam Fearnall, Council Director of LYAC about the impact it has had and how some of these lessons can be expanded to new programs.