our projects
HI! We're glad you found us!
(left to right) Bob, Lanny, Ovey (now with the City's Communications Office for a while), Julianna and Steven
who are we?
We're the City of Vancouver’s Youth Outreach Team. We are youth and youth-friendly allies, who were hired by the City, to make sure youth who live, work and play in Vancouver are involved in the City - including the City's decision-making processes.Our positions are a direct result of a City of Vancouver government policy called the Civic Youth Strategy (passed by City Council in 1995). The Youth Outreach Team (YOT) is a model of youth engagement.
Click here to see what people are saying about the YOT
our mission
- To ensure that youth have a placein the city
- To ensure a strong youth voice in decision-making
- To promote youth as a resource to the City
- To strengthen the support base for youth in the city
team members
Bob J. Neubauer grew up in Toronto and later moved to Vancouver to study Political Science at UBC, where he specialized in Latin American politics, media, and the non-profit sector. During his studies, Bob travelled to Mexico in 2004 for a healthy mix of work (school) and play (Mexico!). Bob has also worked on and designed numerous community development and sustainability projects, both locally and internationally. Most recently, he was a member the Global Outreach Students Association’s (GOSA) Ecuador Summer Health project. With GOSA, Bob aided in the design and implementation of a series of health and sustainability workshops in the indigenous Quichua villages of Bolivar, Ecuador. Since graduating in 2007, Bob has worked as the BC Youth Engagement Coordinator for Taking IT Global, a Canadian non-profit that seeks to educate and inspire youth to effect positive social change locally and globally. He also likes to play board games, make music with his friends and cook. Bob works on youth leadership development and YouthPolitik.Julianna Torjek started with the team as one of its original members in 2002. This East Van girl's background in youth programming, education and development has varied over the years from community to corporate to non-profit. Equally important and varied is her need for cool new pieces of jewelry and handbags. When in need of some R(est) & R(elaxation), she can usually be found either in the pool or down under, checkin' out the sealife on a dive somewhere. Julianna works on involving youth in neighbourhood planning processes.
Lanny Jimenez is originally from Colombia. She moved here in 2000. She's gained experience as facilitator, outreach worker, youth researcher and program co-ordinator with national and local youth-driven projects, through a national youth organization called the Students Commission. Lanny started as a Youth Outreach Team member in October 2004. She works on YouthPolitik and the Centre of Excellence on Youth Engagement. In addition, she's currently attending Simon Fraser University, working on her joint major in Criminology and Psychology. Lanny likes to keep active. She loves dancing to Spanish music, exploring new cultures, and going to aerobics classes when she can spare the time.
Steven R. Dang is what they're calling a "Social Planner". This means he works with young people (and their adult allies) on various issues that are important to them in the community. He works on researching and developing policy on youth-related issues, and helps the Team devise meaningful, creative and fun ways to engage youth in the city. He also is currently working on: YouthPolitik, the Middle Years Matter initiative, youth leadership development and more. Before this gig, Steven coordinated GetOut! - a very cool City of Vancouver initiative to help get youth active in the arts, sport, culture, recreation and in their communities. Steven is avidly interested in leadership development, arts & culture and diversity issues. In his off-time, Steven swims, travels, tends to the animals & plants, acts, sings, plays the violin and procrastinates on his PhD.
