Call for Application for
Youth Leadership Fellows:
Youth with Disabilities Strive to
Accelerate Results (YStar) Project
Introduction
The Canadian Centre on Disability Studies Inc., operating as Eviance is seeking a five (5) person cohort for a Youth with Disabilities Strive to Accelerate Results (YStar) Fellowship. These youth fellow positions affirm and advance Eviance's commitment to promote diverse leadership in the Canadian Disability movement. Candidates must be youth with lived experience of disability interested in leadership. Successful candidates will be between 18 and 30 years old and identify as a person with disability(ies), inclusive of psychosocial disabilities/mental health. We are looking to engage youth fellows who can work an average of 10 hours per week for the period of February 2025 – November 2025 inclusive.
Who We Are
Eviance’s mission is to be a facilitator of knowledge-to-action in the global cross-disability field and to bring people and knowledge together on local, national, and global levels to incite behavioural and system level change. We enhance intersectional and reflexive action-based solutions that advance human rights and equity-focused decision making in Canada and abroad. Our vision is to realize an inclusive, equitable and accessible society that is sustainable for ALL.
Our mission is realized through the following main activities:
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Community-based projects (i.e. research, education, inclusive development, knowledge mobilization) using methods that embrace human rights, intersectionality, reflexivity, innovation, and excellence;
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Seeking strategic partnerships and collaborations with institutions, governments, organizations, businesses, and civil society;
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Dedication to the use of high-quality evidence in disability, and inclusive broader sector policies, programs and practices; and,
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Including persons with disabilities diversely located in constructive and meaningful ways in all of our activities.
What We Offer
We offer a unique focus on intersectionality, reflexivity and human rights in community-based and informed projects that involve policy, practice and research with consideration of diverse marginalized groups of people with disabilities. We understand that people with disabilities represent a complex, heterogeneous, multilayered social position that is shaped by geographic location, culture, and experiences of race/ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, class and ability. Thus, we employ methods that identify and address the issues experienced by intersecting sub-populations of people with disability diversely located. Our work recognizes that people with disabilities may hold positions of power and privilege, as well as face heightened risks of violence, poverty, exclusion, and barriers in access to basic needs and human rights.
Our knowledge of disability rights issues at the local and global level is complemented by our knowledges and experiences in community-based and informed projects inclusive but not limited to research and evaluation. We have extensive experience in disability rights monitoring, human rights training and education, applied social research and utilization focused evaluations. Our work is intended to be useful for a wide range of audiences including people with lived experiences of disability, consumer-driven and other disability organizations, other non-profit organizations, governments, funders and the general public. Our work is also guided by knowledge/evidence-informed, best practices in accessibility and knowledge mobilization.
As a consumer-driven organization operated by and for people with various disabilities, we have extensive experience in participatory and emancipatory research methodologies. Namely, we focus on collaborative processes of co-creation, co-design, and the co-production of services and supports to promote the progressive realization of human rights and inclusion of people with disabilities and other diverse groups.
Location of Work
Eviance’s Head Office is in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with virtual offices staffed throughout the country. Youth located in communities across Canada are encouraged to apply.
Position Description
Through Eviance's Youth with Disabilities Strive to Accelerate Results (YStar) project, this opportunity aims to enhance the leadership capacity of youth with lived experiences by providing meaningful opportunity through co-creation of a learning curriculum and gain leadership experience within a national disability organization (Eviance) and partner organizations. Through participation in this project, fellows will develop skills, internal capacities, and relationships to enable their own leadership potential, particularly in the areas of governance, community-based research and projects, and the cross-disability movement. In turn, participation of youth in the projects of Eviance will increase its organizational capacity, as well as its long-term sustainability by ensuring that it can successfully engage youth leaders in its ongoing work.
The Youth Leadership Fellowship will benefit from the support of Eviance staff. The supervisors will be staff from Eviance who will provide ongoing guidance to fellows on their participation in project activities. The fellowship will centre the professional development plans of fellows to support their leadership capacity, and include the related project activities and opportunities:
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professional development plans;
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reflexive journaling;
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community-based research and project tools and knowledge;
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engagement in facilitated learning modules;
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bi-weekly team meetings with Eviance staff;
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host at least one webinar;
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engage in the Eviance Fall 2024 Youth Leadership Institute;
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learn more about knowledge mobilization and practice skills on project outputs;
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collaborate on activities with the Eviance Youth Committee (EYC);
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participate in ongoing program evaluation; and,
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site placement with a partner organization.
Fellows will be supported in participating in a site placement with Eviance of a project partner to apply their community project and knowledge mobilization skills developed throughout the fellowship. Eviance staff will work to match all fellows will an organization that will best support their interests and professional development goals.
Qualifications and Skills
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Lived experience of disability.
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Knowledge of human rights and disability rights an asset.
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Willingness to engage in reflexive notetaking and journaling.
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Willingness to engage in virtual communication.
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Willingness to develop written and oral communication skills.
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Commitment to learning and implementing an intersectional approach.
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Commitment to peer learning and knowledge sharing.
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Interest in research, advocacy, community engagement and/or education is preferred.
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Ability to communicate in French and English is an asset.
Compensation
Fellows will be compensated at $25/hour for approximately 10 hours per week, for a total of 430 hours between February-November 2025.
Recruitment Process
We invite interested youth to submit their resume and letter of interest by December 16, 2024, to Eviance Communication. We encourage youth with disabilities diversely located to apply to this role. Your letter of interest should be a maximum of 750 words addressing the following:
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How can the Eviance YSTAR research and community program support your overall personal and professional goals?
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This opportunity will allow Fellows to co-design the YSTAR curriculum and activities to best meet the needs of all participants. What knowledge and skills are you looking to build and/or improve in this program?
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Explain how your experiences in research and community projects have best prepared you for this role.
Eviance staff will review applications on a rolling basis. Interviews, if required, will be conducted early January 2025 by phone and/or Zoom. All candidates will be notified of the status of their application by January 2025.
We are pleased to ensure an accessible recruitment process for applicants. Please let us know of any accommodations you may require to participate in our recruitment process.
If you have any questions about the YSTAR program or the application process, please contact Olivia Boonstra, Senior Research Officer.