Youth On Board Program

The Youth-on-Board Program is an opportunity for 25 rural PEI high-school students to be part of a rural non-profit board or municipal council to inspire youth volunteerism in rural communities, learn how a board or council operates, and build the capacity of non-profit boards and municipal councils to engage with youth. 

Why Should I Apply? 

Youth accepted into the program will be provided with the opportunity to: 

• Deepen their understanding of non-profit and municipal government functionality;
• Participate in Governance training 
• Connect with a mentor from a non-profit or municipality that will provide mentorship, guidance and education on board/council functionality
• Develop resume skills and networking experiences. 

Non-profits and Municipalities matched with youth will also be provided an opportunity to build their capacity to engage with youth in their communities as potential volunteers.

The program will also provide an honorarium to participating youth and non-profits/municipalities. The amount provided will be based on the number of meetings attended by youth according to the following scale: 

Who Can Apply?

For Youth: 

Youth currently enroled in Grade 10 to 12 (as of September 2023) are eligible to apply to the program. 

Priority may be given to: 

• Youth who live in rural PEI (defined as living outside of the Charlottetown, Summerside and Stratford areas) 
• Youth able to attend in-person Board Governance Training on Tuesday October 10, 2023 (location in Eastern PEI) or Thursday October 12, 2023 (Location in Western PEI) from 5:30 – 8:30 PM. 
• Youth able to commit to attending five or more meetings with a non-profit board or municipal council between October 2023 and May 2024. 
• Youth who demonstrate an interest in learning more about non-profit and municipal governance 
• Youth who have not participated in the program in prior years.

For Non-Profits and Municipalities: 

Non-Profits and Municipalities interested in applying to host a student on their board or council must meet the following requirements: 

• Be an incorporated non-profit or be a municipality.
• Must have a mandate that benefits rural PEI or have an Island-wide reach. 
• Be able to host a student at their board meetings at least five times between October to May. 
• Be able to assign a mentor from the board that will meet with youth to help understand board meetings and answer any questions. Mentors must have a current criminal record check. 
• Have the mentor attend training on Tuesday October 10, 2023 (location in Eastern PEI) or Thursday October 12, 2023 (Location in Western PEI) from 5:30 – 8:30 PM. 
• Have Youth be able to commit to attending five or more meetings with a non-profit board or municipal council between October 2023 and May 2024. 
• Demonstrate board approval for a student to attend meetings (youth will not join any in-camera or private discussions).
• Allow Rural and Regional Development staff to attend board meetings as requested

Priority may be given to: 

• Organizations with a mandate that matches participating youth’s interest 
• Organizations able to host meetings that works with participating youth’s schedules 
• Organizations that have not participated in prior years of Youth on Board 
• Organizations that have long-term volunteer opportunities for youth after the program ends

Contact 

If you have any questions about the program, please contact the Community Development Officer in your region.