Those behind a new digital resource offering a wealth of information for North Shore youth hope it goes a long way in unlocking the mystery of accessing services for young people.
The North Shore Youth Services Directory is a tri-municipal initiative, led by the City of North Vancouver with the support of the District of North Vancouver and the District of West Vancouver.
"We've had that directory for years but it's always been a paper version. Of course the issue with a paper version is the second that it's printed is the second it goes out of date," says project lead Juliana Buitenhuis, community development worker for the City of North Vancouver.
Every time the directory was printed, countless changes and updates were required, the result of youth workers and local services changing or moving, a constant challenge.
Those involved in maintaining the directory also came to realize that not only was the information always changing, but how youth access information is too.
"We know that kids are accessing information on their phones. Most kids have a smartphone or access to a tablet or a computer and would rather be using that than carrying around a booklet," says Buitenhuis.
After putting their suspicions to the test via focus groups with young people, they decided it was time to present the youth services directory in a digital format and in September 2015 launched a mobile site, nsyouth.ca.
"We didn't want to limit access to the directory by making kids have to download an app so that's why we went with a mobile site. We looked at what other municipalities were doing and from what we can see we're one of the first in Canada to be doing a site that's actually built for phones and tablets," says Buitenhuis.
The North Shore Youth Services Directory is a one-stop website that youth can visit to find out information on a range of topics, including upcoming local events, finding someone to talk to about an issue at home or school, making friends or transitioning to the job market, as well as where to seek support for mental health issues.
"It reminds you of all the fabulous services that we have on the North Shore. We're quite lucky in that there's a lot of options for families and for young people that are needing to access services," says Buitenhuis.
The site is regularly and continually updated as needed and there are a number of different search options available, allowing kids to enter filters like age, where they live or what services they're after.
"It can be less overwhelming than just having this huge guide in front of you and trying to find the right page," says Buitenhuis.
The digital platform allows users to link to maps, as well as instantly phone the services they're looking for.
"It really removes some of the barriers for young people," she says, adding that the online directory is not just of interest to youth, it's also a helpful resource for parents, youth workers and health professionals looking to connect a young person with supportive services.
Since Nov. 1, 2015, they've experienced more than 1,000 visits to nsyouth.ca and more than 4,000 page views, which they're hoping will continue to increase.
"All the input we've had is really positive. It's kind of cool to be the municipality leading in this initiative and understanding that it's changing, the way that kids find information and access data," she says.
They've already fielded some calls and are hoping other municipalities will connect with them so they can offer tips on how they too can launch a similar resource.
"We're excited to share the framework with other municipalities if this is something they want to take on as well because it's just such a great value to the community," says Buitenhuis.
For people still interested in a hard copy version, they've designed and printed pocket cards (a trifold the size of business cards), that list primary services that young people might be interested in.
"We just did an initial printing of 500 copies and those were gone in a matter of 10 days so we're about to do another run of 3,000," says Buitenhuis.
The city took the lead on the project in light of its new Child, Youth + Family Friendly Strategy - CNV4ME, intended to place families at the heart of all city decisions.
"One of the recommendations was to ensure easy access to resources on the North Shore and part of that was having them all listed in one place," says Buitenhuis.
Those involved in the North Shore Youth Services Directory are interested in user feedback and happy to answer any questions on the site. Email [email protected].
