Quest Youth Committee Inspires Their Peers To Get Involved

‘It’s cool to be able to, like, put your ideas out there and make a difference,’ says youth committee member

Four members of the Quest Art School + Gallery youth committee — Ben Leeming, Taran Waite, Declin Cain and Tristan Robitaille — are shown with the committee's lead, Kelly Lapham.

The youth committee at Quest Art School + Gallery is bridging the gap between teens and the rest of the community.

“That’s kind of a tough age group to engage in community events,” says Kelly Lapham, the youth committee lead.

By involving 13- to 18-year-olds in brainstorming new projects, marketing strategies, and community events, the aim is to engage with more youth.

The committee was formed four months ago and has seven members. These teens have a say in what goes on.

Four of those members helped with activities, registration, and directions during this month’s Game On event. On March 21, the Midland Cultural Centre became a free, family-friendly party zone with a Mario Kart tournament and choices of board games to play.

The newest member of the youth committee, Taran Waite, 13, joined two weeks ago. He helped track winners in the different age groups at Saturday’s tournament.

He is excited to meet new people and says being on the committee is a way to help his community.

Tristan Robitaille, 15, was already an active volunteer at Quest, helping with camps and events. He says the committee is a way to help younger kids engage in more activities that interest them.

“We’ve talked about a program that we’re going to run called Creative Worlds,” he explains.

Lapham says the youth committee members developed an idea for a children’s exhibit in a way similar to how a curator would. At the end of the summer camp, kids ages six to 12 will receive wooden canvases to create something.

They will use a medium of their choice, and the project is to create “otherworldly kind of things, magical stuff like that, and just let their imagination run wild,” says Robitaille.

Visitors will get to vote on the artwork, and there will be prizes for the top three, says Lapham. Committee members have been involved with the idea from its inception to the finer details, like deciding dates. They will also help solicit support and donations from local businesses.

Declin Cain, 14, joined his friend, Robitaille, on the committee in November. He has enjoyed meeting new people and having more opportunities to volunteer with programs like the Game On event.

“We’re talking about a scavenger hunt,” he says about the creative marketing strategies the committee has discussed so far.

For more than a year, Ben Leeming, 18, has been involved at Quest. When Lapham told him about the youth committee, he was prepared to join.

“It’s cool to be able to put your ideas out there and make a difference,” he says.

Leeming recognizes that many young kids and even teens his age are unaware of the types of programs and events they can be involved with.

“You can make a difference and have an impact and literally inspire them to do what I’m already doing,” he explains.

For how extensively social media can raise awareness, Leeming says it’s not necessarily the best way to inform kids ages 6 to 18 about community events.

“If they knew about this, they would want to come,” he says, using the Game On event as an example.

It’s a challenge even for the youth on the committee to think of new ways to reach their peers. Leeming says the committee hasn’t solved the puzzle yet; it’s an ongoing discussion month to month.

“The youth committee has helped brainstorm ideas of what kinds of workshops they want to see,” says Lapham.

They have come up with ideas like stained glass and embroidery. There is also discussion about other ways members can be involved with the programs themselves.

“They’re going to help with the descriptions and the marketing … and helping with the flyer and posters if they want to help design that,” says Lapham.

Still in its early stages, the group meets once a month. Lapham encourages members to talk about what they want to see as it’s geared toward them.

More about information the Quest Art School + Gallery youth committee and how to apply can be found here.

Feature Courtesy of Danielle Pitman

For Midland Today