Social Six, by Pillar Nonprofit Network, is reimagining what it means to do ‘Youth Engagement,’ and we call on you to do the same. The Emerging Leaders series highlights youth voices as crucial partners in addressing issues and making decisions that affect them personally or that they believe to be important. Young leaders, Bayan and Zahra are here to share their Social Six journeys and social enterprise, teensGILO (Teens Get Involved London, Ontario).
Our story
Bayan Saidam
Although I started teensGILO at the start of my senior year, it was an idea that lurked in the back of my mind since Grade 10. I remember being really involved in programs around my city such as Junior Achievement and library volunteering. I became the go-to person whenever a friend needed a new volunteering site or extracurricular. Getting involved in my community from a young age boosted my confidence and self-worth, and I recognize how important that is for all youth to experience.
One day in September, I remember talking to my dad about senior year and he asked me, “Bayan, have you applied to the Loran scholarship yet?” I thought to myself, scholarships? Those are probably due in February. To my surprise, the Loran scholarship turned out to be due mid-October and I had no clue. It was then that I asked myself, “How many opportunities are out there that young people miss because they didn’t know?” Using the connections and research skills I already had, I set on a mission to bridge the gap between opportunities and young people by creating posts on a platform that most youth have access to: Instagram.
Slowly but surely, I had many peers come up to me in the following weeks telling me how much they needed a page like TeensGILO to keep them informed. With over 300 clicks and counting, teensGILO continues to engage youth in the London community in order to develop passion, leadership, and character for the betterment of their lives, and our future.
Zahra Nadeem
I believe it was early November. I was going through my feed when I came across teensGILO. I was quite surprised at the number of jobs, scholarships and extracurricular opportunities that were offered in my very own city. I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, this is an extremely valuable page.” I contacted the account and a couple of days later, Bayan and I hopped on a call. Lo and behold, I’d actually worked with Bayan at a youth camp last summer.
We’ve worked together for around four months now and it’s been incredible, everything from the connections we were able to make, the skills you pick up, and what we have planned for the future. Not to mention, Bayan’s a pretty awesome team member!
Our Social Six experience
Zahra Nadeem
During my involvement with Social Six, I had the opportunity to hear from a politician who spoke of her struggles and the discrimination she faced as a female leader. I’d always expected politicians to receive negative comments, but the remarks said to her were beyond shocking. Her story of resilience and hard work was empowering and I felt incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn and ask questions from someone in that role.
There’s truly so much to gain from Social Six and the takeaway is unique to each individual. Not to mention, each Social Six event is different and who wouldn’t want the opportunity to learn from changemakers everywhere!
Bayan Saidam
Empowering is exactly how I would describe a Social Six workshop. I absolutely loved how Social Six had a panel of young leaders talking about their initiatives and experiences because it reminds me and youth in general that age can’t stop us from achieving great things. In the Social Technology workshop, I remember hearing from the founder of Auteur Magazine, who was just a freshman in high school at the time. I immediately made a post to promote their initiative and became optimistic about our own project too.
Another aspect I liked about the workshop was the case study at the end where each group had a few minutes to use social technology as a solution to a global issue. Put on the spot, I was amazed at how easily we were able to collaborate, put a stunning presentation together, and think of real solutions in under 10 minutes. I wondered what other issues we can tackle through the lenses of new learnings that take place in Social Six, and it truly increased my confidence in myself and others.
How organizations can help
Oftentimes youth-led organizations lack the networks that established organizations have. With the added struggle of COVID-19, young people are even finding it hard to network with their peers. It is in times like this that organizations can step in and lend a helping hand. Whether that’s through sharing resources, mentorship, or connecting youth with other organizations, we need your help to empower young people in our community. Some examples include:
- Start an initiative in your community 101 guide
- Spotlight a youth-led organization on your socials
- Sponsor a project
- Partner with a youth-led organization
TeensGILO
We’ve started to expand teensGILO and have hopes to host events and have a teensGILO in cities across Ontario. However, we need your help! Anything from a shoutout to sponsorship can help us reach teens everywhere. Send us your youth opportunities and we can promote them!
To contact us directly, please send an Instagram message to @teens.gilo or email us at teensgilo33@gmail.com.