Vaughan's youth to be heard at the U.N.

First initiative is to find out how teens and technology can better co-exist

It didn't take long for Vaughan's newly created Youth Cabinet to make a big splash. Thanks to the drive and determination of a core group of volunteers, the voices of Vaughan's youth will be added to a cross-country checkup as part of a United Nations World Summit on Information Society.
The report, which will place Vaughan shoulder to shoulder with larger urban centres like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, was the brainchild of a former Maple resident who has been instrumental in connecting kids and computers around the world.
In 1999, Jennifer Corriero co-founded TakingITGlobal - a non-profit dot-com that has connected, supported and inspired more than 89,000 people in 200 countries across the globe. She's helping to organize the consultation in early August, asking area teens how technology has and will impact their lives. Once the results are compiled with the other Canadian cities, Corriero will travel to New York in October to present the findings at the United Nation's headquarters.
As a past member of Canada's delegation to the World Summit on the Information Society, Corriero has traveled to Sweden, Malaysia, the Czech Republic and France presenting her ideas as to how the youth and technology can work to improve society. Her global experience has provided invaluable insight as Vaughan's politically active youth seek to lobby for greater involvement in municipal affairs.
"She's brought a very unique perspective to Vaughan's Youth Cabinet. When you're operating in isolation, you don't really know what else is going on in the world. Jennifer's travels has helped get the gears moving in our heads and showed how we can do more," said Nick Pasquino, 22, who has also played a leading role in bringing youth-orientated initiatives to the forefront in Vaughan.
For the 25-year-old Corriero, now back at York University pursuing her Masters in the faculty of Environmental Studies, involvement in local politics and the trailblazing path that would follow began almost by fluke.
"I was running late for class one day and my principal stopped me just outside of class and asked if I would be interested in joining the Youth Advisory Council - I had no previous experience on student council but figured this might be a good way to harness my energies," said Corriero. "Initially it was about finding my own voice but now it's about creating platforms for other kids."
Working with other like-minded students not only provided an outlet for Corriero's altruistic ambitions, but also an opportunity to network with new individuals who could help her grow an online community.
"It's a very dynamic group that has been together from the beginning. But we're growing and constantly expanding further to involve more people," said Corriero, who now finds herself in a mentoring role for younger members of Vaughan's Youth Cabinet. The group is in the process of creating a new website and recruiting new members to the positions they are quickly growing too old for.
During her initial years in the cabinet, Corriero met with Vittoria La Neve and convinced her to work with TakingITglobal. After a couple of weeks of computer boot camp, La Neve was on her way to expanding Corriero's vision by creating a global gallery for young artists. It began with 15 submissions four years ago and has grown to include more than 600 pieces of art, poetry, sculpture, photographs, music and digital artwork. For their efforts, both Corriero and La Neve would receive numerous awards including the Wired Women's 'Young Woman of the Year.'
"A lot of people ask me 'do you do it because it looks good on your resume?' The truth is I got involved because I've always enjoyed working with people interested in making a positive difference," said La Neve who admits that in the beginning technology was more of a taboo than a practical tool in her life.
"Before (computer camp) I really had no idea what email was or the how the Internet worked. But by the end of my first week I had already designed my first web page. It's ironic that two years later I won an award for helping get women more involved with technology."
The consultation process both are now a part of is the second phase in United Nations survey of how technology is shaping and being shaped by young people. While they are far ahead of the curve in getting Vaughan's youth to plug-in, they realize that when it comes to surfing cyberspace, not every teenager gets to participate on a level playing field.
"There's just such a difference in infrastructure when you visit developing countries. For some people access to the Internet at a cyber café for a couple of minute's costs as much as their daily wage. It's these types of barriers that the world's youth can work together and hopefully one day eliminate," said Corriero.
The Vaughan Youth Cabinet will host Vaughan's consultation on Wednesday, August 3 between 5 and. 7 p.m. at the Vellore School and Township Hall, 9541 Weston Road.

Publication Date: 2005-07-10
Story Location: http://www.tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=5363