Inspired by findings from HELP data, high school students in Mission, BC are helping shape the city’s Official Community Plan through a youth-led initiative.

In the City of Mission, the voice of its young people is helping shape the future – one policy at a time.

Thanks to a $15,000 grant from the PlanH program’s Healthy Public Policy stream, Mission has taken a big step toward becoming a more youth-informed city. Led by Sharel Isabella, a Senior Policy Planner with the city, the project set out to integrate youth input into Mission’s Official Community Plan (OCP), ensuring that the policies shaping the city’s future reflect the needs and experiences of its younger residents.

The initiative emerged from revealing data shared by Fraser Health, drawn from a survey conducted by UBC’s Human Early Learning Partnership (Middle Years Development Instrument [MDI] Grade 5 and 8 report for 2023-24). The results showed that Mission youth were underperforming in several key areas compared to their peers in other municipalities. “As a planner, I felt a responsibility to do something,” said Sharel Isabella, Senior Planner – Policy with the City of Mission. “We knew we had to give youth a real platform – not just to listen, but to act on what they said.”

From Data to Action

The city applied for PlanH funding to expand its scope and deepen its youth outreach. What followed was a focused, multi-layered effort to gather feedback directly from young people – through classroom surveys, workshops and the creation of a new Youth Voice Committee.

The committee, formally struck by Council but initiated by youth themselves, played an essential role in the process. They helped review survey questions, refine policy recommendations and even participated in public hearings.

One youth committee member stood before Council to speak about the importance of youth perspectives in city planning – leaving a lasting impression.

How Young Voices are Shaping Policy

The youth surveys, completed by about 700 students, revealed a strong desire for better transportation options, improved safety, more accessible sidewalks and affordable housing. Their feedback supported policy changes in several key areas:

Land Use Planning: Highlighted the need for more affordable housing options that work for young people and young families.
Active Transportation & Transit: Reinforced the urgency for safe, reliable and affordable ways to get around.
Environmental Policies: Brought attention to the importance of creating a sustainable and future-oriented city for the next generation.

A Broader Impact

The City of Mission is now preparing a final summary document that will share the youth survey results and highlight the changes inspired by their input. This document will be shared locally – and with other municipalities – to encourage broader adoption of youth-inclusive planning practices.

For Sharel, the real success of the project isn’t just in the policies, but in the process—particularly the collaboration between City planning staff and the Fraser Health team – especially Andriana Lanji – which proved how powerful these partnerships can be.

As the city continues its OCP update and looks to the future, one thing is clear: when youth are included, the whole community benefits.

See BCHC’s past webinar with the City of Mission to learn more about their work over the years to engage youth in local decision-making. This 2024 PlanH Healthy Public Policy session features Lianne Carley, Senior Policy Strategist at Vancouver Coastal Health, who explores how local governments can support youth mental well-being through policies on neighbourhood design, transportation, mentorship, and employment. The webinar also highlights the voices of Teniola Okun from Fraser Health and Inder Herr from the City of Mission. They share how they are using strategies to create opportunities for youth to take a key role in providing feedback and insights to their local government on policies and practices related to children and youth.

*This story was originally written and published by BC Healthy Communities.