How do young people define wellness? What do they want to see for their own wellbeing and that of their communities? How can those of us working in community provide stronger support?
Centering Youth Voices: Visions of Personal & Community Wellness, hosted by New Leaf Foundation on May 18, 2022, was a powerful conversation led by young leaders sharing their vision of wellness.
With thanks to Community Healing Project, Peacebuilders Canada, Pathways to Education, RexPride, Rexdale Community Health Centre, NeighbourhoodLink North York, LayUp, and McCall MacBain Foundation for their support and participation.
A special thank you to Verly Ndongmi, Lamisa Ahmed, and Imanayy for their support as Youth Consultants.
Moderator & Panelists
Travonne Edwards
Moderator
Travonne Edwards is a third-year PhD of Social Work Candidate in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work program at the University of Toronto. He currently holds an advanced diploma in Child and Youth Care (CYC) from Sheridan College, and a Bachelor and Master of Arts in CYC from Ryerson University. Travonne is an experienced critical youth worker with a demonstrated history of working in various social services related settings including child welfare and protection, education and supportive housing for youth experiencing homelessness. His program of research aims to understand how state systems operate and how Black communities experiences them to one day improve their realities and outcomes.
Shahaddah Jack
Spoken Word Performer & Panelist
She/Her
Born and raised in Tkaronto with a diverse cultural background that grounds her in her poetry and life is Shahaddah Jack, a 18-year-old bilingual spoken word poet, performer, emcee, human rights activist, arts facilitator, and student of life. In her writing, Shahaddah takes a poetic stance on human rights and social justice. Her poetry speaks to the lived black experience, the intersectionality of womanhood, and the adversity of adolescence. Since she was 12 years old, Shahaddah has performed on many stages including Hot Docs Ted Rogers Theatre, Tiff Bell Lightbox, Meridian Hall, Toronto Centre for the Arts, and many more. As an Artist Mentor, Shahaddah has facilitated poetry, human rights, and artist mentoring workshops in collaboration with organizations like BGC, Scadding Court, Guelph University, JAYU, and many others. As her passion for poetry and knowledge of it continues to grow, she plans to help others actualize change with their art as well.
Imanayy
Panelist
She/Her
My name is Iman but I like to go by Imanayy. I’m 23 years old, born and raised in Jane and Finch. I don’t let stereotypes or labels define who I am. I’m passionate about life, protecting my energy, spreading positivity, and helping others with mental illness. I can talk about what I like to do but that list is long so let’s keep it short: traveling, painting, car rides, and eating. Wellness to me means: being okay with not being okay, to always self-care even if that makes you selfish with yourself, being brutally honest with yourself, and accepting the things you have no control over.
Jonathan Samuels
Panelist
He/Him
Jonathan is a Canadian Jamaican writer with a ton of ambition and a lot of love. He sought to implement change in his community by working with groups that are marginalized in Toronto. He has devoted time to being a supports person in the 2SLGBTQ+ Community and an agent for increase in Black youth community engagements, through work done in the Rexdale community. He has a multitude of interests including writing, which is also one of his passions. To him, ‘wellness is an all encompassing sphere that takes place when you start to prioritize yourself. It takes time and that why I like to consider it a life long practice’.
Lamisa Ahmed
Panelist
She/Her
My name is Lamisa and I currently am finishing up my first year of university studying Neuroscience at the University of Toronto! Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine and can’t wait to give back to underprivileged communities through STEM in the future. I have also been living in Regent Park for over 15 years now and have started a grassroots organization last year with my best friend called DearFutureMe! As a youth myself, I value giving back to younger youth in my community, specifically in Toronto Community Housing as they transition between middle school and high school. I am so excited and grateful to have the opportunity to share my experiences as well as connect with other youth in the city!
Tramar Anderson
Panelist
He/Him
Tray (Tramar) is a creative who enjoys self-exploration. Spoken-word, Skateboarding, and binaural beats brain entrainment are his fundamentals in keeping his mental health in check. He also finds joy in traveling, studying, and immersing in new cultures as he also embraces his Afro Caribbean roots, being a second-generation Jamaican.
Kwasi Adu-Poku
CONTRIBUTOR & CHAT MODERATOR
He/Him
Kwasi is a small business owner and masters policy student at Toronto Metropolitan University from Jane and Finch. He launched The Reach Series in 2020 based on his varsity basketball and mental health challenges and uses this platform to provide workshops, speaking services, and resources around personal development. He is passionate about leadership, community engagement, and academics, which is reflected in his 20+ awards and $70,000 in scholarship funding. He also has experience as a writer and podcast host. In his spare time he enjoys video games, reading, watching anime and biking.