The four committees of the TYFPC provide a way for both council and community members to become more active. The committees seek to respond to opportunities and fill the gaps that exist within Toronto’s food community. Anyone is welcome to join a committee and be an active member of the TYFPC.
Education Committee
This year the education committee has a three-pronged approach to both execute programming and lay down foundations for future years, with a priority to create meaningful volunteer opportunities. We plan to unfold a successful workshop program on food policy. Last year, a workshop lesson plan was developed that outlines the contours of local, national, and international food policy in terms digestible for a young audience – particularly high-school students. Our goal, with the help of dedicated volunteer facilitators, is to deliver the workshop five times to diverse audiences. You can become part of the process now by volunteering to help test this food policy workshop among TYFPC community members, or even become a workshop facilitator!
The Education Committee plans to develop a workshop to execute next year. Have an idea? Join us to help develop a workshop on a food issues you feel passionate about. It could policy oriented or a hands-on training activity.
Advocacy Committee
The Advocacy Committee conducts research to offer a youth and food ‘lens’ on municipal-level policies and prepares policy briefs for the TYFPC blog. The committee participates in public engagement opportunities such as public deputations, meetings, or forums. The committee also engages with TYFPC community members and other advocacy groups. This is done through hosting discussion groups, participating in workings groups, and identifying and coordinating opportunities to research and/or participate in current events.
Network Committee
The role of the Network Committee is to act as the link between youth and the broader Toronto food community. This year the committee has five goals that all speak to expanding the TYFPC network:
1. Reach out to a variety of youth groups across the city with the aim of creating a diverse and dynamic TYFPC community. We have identified a need to increase the presence of the TYFPC with other youth groups in an effort to make us more accessible to the broader community.
2. Engage with a younger youth audience (high school age) and get them involved with the TYFPC to spark their interest in food policy issues
3. Create a database of groups, organizations, and contact information that will help us engage with like-minded groups across the city
4. Work with the education committee to engage youth in attending or facilitating TYFPC workshops
5. Co-host and/or participate in events with food advocacy groups across the city, including a possible event with our friends at Food Forward.
The Network Committee needs volunteers to help out in the following areas:
- Volunteers that have connections to high school age groups who they think might be willing to engage with the TYFPC and would be willing to help us make contact with these groups
- Volunteers who are connected to universities (like UofT) who can help us navigate the system of clubs and groups on campus to find like-minded groups to make contact with
- Volunteers who would be willing to help to create a database of organizations and groups across Toronto for us to engage with
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee is the only internal committee and includes the Chair, Vice-Chair, and Operations and Communications Leads. This committee organizes the council’s social events and retreat, researches and writes grant proposals, reports on council activities, manages council funds, and oversees the annual summer review process and strategic planning.