The #Frayme2024 Learning Institute, themed Driving Expertise into Action, took place on February 21-22, 2024, in Ottawa. Foundry had 19 attendees, who presented and participated in workshops and discussed with other delegates. Read below to learn more about the trip and conference experience of Bridget, Preet and Victoria, three members of Foundry’s Provincial Youth Advisory Council (PYAC)!
Event Learnings and Reflections
Please introduce yourself and tell us about your role with Foundry.
Bridget: My name is Bridget and I have been one of Foundry’s Youth Advisors since 2020! As part of Foundry, I have helped with various projects, from content creation to grant-writing processes. Foundry has played a huge role in my life, as I have met so many like-minded individuals passionate about making mental health services more accessible to youth.
Preet: My name is Preet and for nearly three years now, I have had the pleasure of serving as a member of the Provincial Youth Advisory Committee. I am extremely grateful for every single opportunity Foundry provides for young people like me to actively shape its operations and initiatives.
Victoria: My name is Victoria and I have been accessing Foundry services for a year. I joined the PYAC in the fall of 2023, and since then, I have been part of many interesting projects and attended many inspiring meetings.
What interested you about the opportunity to attend #Frayme2024?
Bridget: I previously attended Frayme when it was online due to the pandemic. I felt it was very interesting and wanted to have a more immersive conference experience when I discovered they were holding it in person again. The main thing that drew me to the conference was the opportunity to meet new individuals who were pioneering efforts and research in youth mental health. I was very interested in getting the chance to share my personal experience as a youth, while simultaneously learning about other people’s unique backgrounds and perspectives.
Preet: My journey with Foundry was first marked with attending Frayme in 2022 through a virtual platform. Exactly two years later, the thrill of finally joining the Foundry team to Ottawa, Ontario for Frayme 2024 was indescribable.
I vividly remember the excitement when the opportunity was first presented to the YAC. My enthusiasm was truly driven by the prospect of connecting with like-minding individuals from across the country who shared the same dedication to youth mental health as I did. This was an opportunity to digest learnings from people of diverse backgrounds and bring these findings back into my own community.
Victoria: When I heard about the opportunity to attend Frayme 2024, I was really excited. I love sharing my experience at Foundry. When I first came to Canada, Foundry became my safe space. Counselling at Foundry and the Foundry Work and Education program helped me overcome many challenges. I believe Foundry is a great initiative to support young people like me. So, I do not hesitate to share how much Foundry has changed my life. Attending Frayme was one of many chances to share the positive impact of Foundry on my life. In addition, a trip to Ottawa for the conference sounded like an adventure, so I signed up.
What is your key takeaway from the conference or highlight of the trip?
Bridget: Attending the conference allowed me the opportunity to attend many different workshops that each touched upon a unique topic related to youth mental health. My key takeaway from the overall conference is that each person has a story that is worth telling. By having opportunities like Frayme for people to connect and learn about each other, these stories have a chance to shine and incite great change in our communities.
Preet: First and foremost was the invaluable learning from diverse perspectives and insights shared with attendees. Each workshop throughout both conference days provided an interactive and engaging platform. Moreover, I also had the opportunity to forge new connections within Foundry which was an incredibly rewarding aspect. Exploring the city with staff from Foundry Central Office and Foundry Abbotsford was definitely a highlight of my experience.
Additionally, taking part in Foundry’s YAC Link-Up presentation stood out as a memorable moment during the conference. Having a platform to express my thoughts and share my personal stories about Link-Up was truly empowering.
Victoria: One of the highlights of the conference was presenting about LinkUp. It was my first-time public speaking in English, but I enjoyed it very much as my co-presenters from Foundry and the PYAC were all very nice to me and supportive. Sharing with the audience my great experience with Foundry made me feel a sense of purpose and made me feel heard. I felt like I am making an impact by delivering my feedback to the public.
Just as was discussed during the panel discussion, it is crucial to listen to communities, to clients and to people who are accessing services. Youth have so much to say, and it often feels like nobody listens to our voices, sometimes we have to try so hard to be heard. Every youth has their own experience and challenges, and if we share, we can eliminate stigma and learn so much from each other.
How does this opportunity contribute to your personal growth?
Bridget: Youth mental health has been a subject I hold close to my heart. As someone who has traversed the mental wellness path, it is very important for me to continually learn about how I can support others’ and my own wellbeing. Having the chance to attend Frayme allows me to open my perspectives and gain more insights into how nuanced youth mental health can be, which is why encouraging dialogue is crucial. As I begin pursuing my MD degree in the fall, prioritizing youth mental health will be at the forefront of my learning and conduct. My learnings at Frayme have better equipped me to understand how to best support others through their mental health journey.
Preet: This opportunity contributed significantly to both my personal and professional growth. Being a part of Frayme 2024 let me explore different perspectives on youth mental health in a way that was interesting and sometimes even surprising. This conference challenged me to think differently and encouraged me to become more open-minded. I’ve also had the chance to connect with people across the country, which broadened my understanding of the world and deepened my empathy for others. Moreover, being in presentations and workshop has boosted my confidence and communications skills, which I know will benefit me in all areas of my life. Overall, this was a fun and exciting experience that has help me grow in all sorts of ways!
Victoria: The trip not only helped me connect better with the Foundry team and feel supported, but it also helped me mentally on a personal level. I felt like the trip was a big reset and I got a lot of inspiration and motivation from it. A lot of networking was happening at Frayme, which was so valuable for me. I met so many great people and discussed things that I am passionate about, like mental health, peer support and youth engagement.
I am deeply grateful I had the opportunity to attend Frayme. Thank you, Foundry team, for being amazing and supportive. I loved having chats with everyone. I am truly honored to be part of such a great organization that makes a real change in society!
What did you learn that made you feel validated, more curious or challenged the way you previously thought about something?
Bridget: One thing I learned that sparked my curiosity was wanting to learn more about peer support workers and their essential role in supporting youth through their mental health journeys. I also got the amazing opportunity to connect with various peer support workers at Frayme and learn more about their roles! When I sought out support in my own life, I often felt uncomfortable confiding in someone who I felt did not exactly resonate with my experiences. Learning about peer support workers and their responsibilities piqued my interest because to me, they have the unique position of bridging connections between youth and health systems.
Preet: One of the themes I heard throughout Frayme 2024 was, How do we ensure equitable voices and representation within design and delivery? This deeply resonated with me and challenged my prior perceptions. Specifically, how various factors like background, culture, and religion shape an individual’s access to and utilization of support.
I found myself observing and participating in conversations that highlighted the influence of western ideologies in mental health institutions. These are often at the expense of those whose needs do not conform to specific criteria. This challenged me to reconsider my own perspective on mental health and the importance of adopting a more inclusive approach. Overall, the event left me feeling validated from hearing speakers and participants who are truly trying to make changes to the system.
How will you bring back the knowledge you learned to Foundry and or your community?
Bridget: Having the chance to attend Frayme as a Foundry Youth Advisor will be a memory I will never forget. I feel very fortunate to share my story and listen to others’ as well. Understanding this, I hope to apply my newly learned knowledge in my role as a Youth Advisor as I help with Foundry projects and initiatives and offer my perspectives. I also hope to increasingly advocate for youth mental health in my communities!
Preet: Bringing my learnings from Frayme 2024 back into my community and Foundry is a crucial step into translating this new knowledge into tangible and actionable change. Within Foundry, I hope to continue advocating and amplifying youth voices through the various projects and opportunities the Youth Advisory Committee provides. My focus extends to addressing barriers to equitable mental health support.
Attending Frayme 2024 has taught me that impactful change isn’t always grand, smaller scale efforts matter too. Thus, I hope to continue learning by being informed of emerging research, diverse mental health approaches, and integrating this into my advocacy for tangible improvements.
Victoria: I loved attending Frayme. I had a lot of fun and learned a lot of things. When I came home, I couldn’t stop talking to my friends about such a great trip. I wish we had more opportunities to connect with youth from across Canada and share our experiences in accessing services and how it impacts our lives and communities. I think change comes to us when we share and truly connect, which I aim to continue do in my home communities.
Gratitude
The Frayme 2024 Learning Institute was held on the un-ceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation. Foundry thanks the peoples of the Anishabe Algonquin Nation for their past, present and future stewardship of the land in what is now known as Ottawa, which our representatives had the pleasure to visit.
Foundry can make these experiences possible for youth thanks to funding from our funders and donors. Attending this conference was made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada.