*This is a special edition brought to you by the youth Blog Managers & YFS staff team*
As we approach the end of 2023, we are reflecting on the immense successes the blog has seen over the last year. Earlier in the year, we added a new role to the project – our Blog Manager role – which has led to new, innovative ideas and a peer-peer model of accountability. In October, we reached our 300th post on the blog, and more recently, we’ve expanded our team with over a dozen new youth as Writers, Editors, Designers, and Publishers! Heading into 2024, we are grateful for the amazing group we have, and are looking forward to facilitating more knowledge sharing in food systems and sustainability.
So, we want to introduce you to some of our new (and not so new – we haven’t done one of these posts in over a year) blog team members:
ADVITA
My name is Advita, I am a grade 10 student high school student. I absolutely adore reading books which lead me to my passion for writing and editing. So when my friend told me about this opportunity, I jumped right on it. A chance to improve my skills while doing what I enjoy and gain volunteer hours all at the same time? Yes please, sign me up! I’m also super grateful to the entire blog team for always being so supportive and patient with me! Thank you!
CHRIS
Hello readers! My name is Chris and I am a 16-year-old from Kitchener. I have a love for various sports and a keen interest in science and math. Track and field, and soccer are my go-to activities, but I’m always up for anything sports-related! Despite my athletic pursuits, I love to read about facts and numbers, specifically in areas relating to food and the environment. Through this curiosity, I was inspired to join the Youth in Food Systems blog to expand my writing skills and learn more about publishing. Through this, I hope to break free from my fact-based comfort zone, delving into new writing styles. While I am given a lot of freedom in the topics I write about, I hope my articles can bring as much joy to you as I have in creating them!
DECLAN
I’m Declan, and I am a 10th grader in Cambridge, Ontario. I enjoy reading and art, as well as video games, and I hope to study psychology in the future. My family is full of avid gardeners, and my mother is an anthropologist who studies food cultures, so I was excited when I found out about the opportunity to volunteer with this blog. I have enjoyed working with YFS, and I have learned a lot. I look forward to continuing my work here on the blog and continuing to strengthen my writing skills.
MICHELLE
Hi guys my name is Michelle! I am a grade 11 student in Brampton. I am honoured to be a member of the blog writer team and I hope to inform readers with new information. I hope you all enjoy the blogs I create!
NIYATI
My name is Niyati and I am 16 years old. I am passionate about environment suitability and girls’ rights. I love to grow my own garden in the summer as well.
SAHAER
Hi, my name is Sahaer. I am 16 years old and in grade 11. I am a student from Cambridge. I joined Youth in Food Gardens in grade 9. I enjoy learning math, computer science and accounting at school. My favourite activity is doing creative writing and drawing in arts. I love shopping and go to the mall often. It’s a pleasure completing volunteer hours by writing and reading blogs on food systems as it has helped develop my reading, especially my writing and vocabulary skills.
SARAH
Hi there! My name is Sarah, and I’m an introvert so volunteering online is very friendly for me. I am currently a fourteen year old ninth grader living in Waterloo. I love to read novels, and I have wanted to publish my own books and become a novelist or make it my side job since first grade. I have often imagined the plot of novels and tried to write or type it down. Unfortunately I have never written a complete one. Most of them are less than three chapters, even though I figured out the plot, I didn’t reach the middle of any one of them, not to mention the ending. But I will work hard towards this dream and try to write a complete novel. My favorite subject is mathematics. Another dream of mine is to obtain a PhD and become a university professor in the field of mathematics. I think when I go to university I will choose applied mathematics as my major. I also like many things, such as painting, swimming, and I can play the violin, flute and recorder. I‘m being taught Java by my mother who is a programmer. I joined YFS last month, which is October, and I just finished writing my first blog and am really looking forward to seeing it published. I like the environment here and am happy to earn volunteer hours here.
SKY
Hi, I’m Sky! I love reading and listening to music.
My goal this year was to challenge myself, which led me here!
I’ve never blogged before, but I am very excited to write and learn all about the environment.
TVISHA
Hi, I’m Tvisha and I’m a Grade 11 student from Kitchener, Ontario! I’m a writer, designer, and publisher for the Youth in Food Systems Blog and in my free time, I love playing the piano, reading, and learning! I joined YFS because I’m passionate about the environment and I think this is a really fun way to learn and explore different topics related to it!