To help you decide whether the LEVEL Youth Policy Program is right for you, find answers to our most frequently asked questions. If you have more questions, please do not hesitate to email us at ypp@vancouverfoundation.ca.
Be sure to also read:
Attendance
1. I am interested in the program; however, I cannot attend all of the training modules. Should I still apply?
Yes, you may still apply. However, we do prioritize applicants who can commit to attending all program modules.
See the 2027 program schedule.
2. How much travel is required to participate in YPP?
We have one in-person module located in Victoria, and another in Vancouver. All other modules are held online.
Ensuring geographical representation is a priority for LEVEL. As such, we are committed to supporting participants who live outside of Metro Vancouver by covering expenses to ensure your full engagement, such as travel, meals, and accommodation for in-person modules held in both Victoria and Vancouver.
While these modules provide valuable opportunities for peer bonding, they may require some adjustment for certain individuals. Kindly consider your comfort level with commuting to and from these locations when deciding whether to participate.
3. If I’m not comfortable meeting in person, is there an option to participate virtually?
We do not offer any modules in a hybrid format. We ask that all participants attend modules in the intended format.
Curriculum
4. Will there be a final test or an essay?
There is no final test!
Instead, you will individually work on a policy ask that supports your learning objectives as a final project. Each participant receives a $1,500 stipend to support them in developing a policy ask.
We provide design, editing, high-quality printing and other support to produce a final project report that participants can be proud of. You will also be matched with a writing coach and a mentor for guidance and support.
Costs
5. Is there a cost to participate in YPP?
No. YPP is a fully funded program for participants, and this includes for training materials like the program workbook.
We do ask for your commitment of time, energy, and focus to attend all training modules and actively participating with your peers, faculty, mentors, and Elders.
6. What other costs do you cover, such as travel, accommodation, and meals?
LEVEL provides refreshments and meals during in-person modules, and makes efforts to accommodate everyone’s dietary restrictions.
We also support participants with the cost of travel:
- Participants who live outside Metro Vancouver: LEVEL covers travel, accommodation, and meals during in-person modules and gatherings.
- Participants who live within Metro Vancouver: LEVEL offers transit tickets to cover travel costs.
7. Is there an honorarium for participating in the LEVEL Youth Policy Program?
We do not provide an honorarium for participation. Instead, we provide a stipend of $1,500 to support you in completing your policy asks.
Supporting your participation
8. I am currently studying or working. Can you provide a letter to my instructors or employer to support my request for time off to attend YPP?
Yes, we can provide successful applicants with a letter of confirmation, which outlines the purpose of the program and the unique leadership opportunity it presents. We hope this letter is helpful when you request time off.
You will be responsible for making your own arrangements to make up for missed assignments, exams, or days of work as required by your school or employer.
9. Does this program offer post-secondary credits?
No. LEVEL Youth Policy Program is not an accredited post-secondary institution, so we cannot provide credits.
10. Can you provide childcare, elder, and dependent adult caregiving support?
Yes. When we hold in-person gatherings, we do our best to accommodate childcare and caregiving needs for participants who have young children, Elders, or other adult dependents in your care.
11. Do you provide multilingual support and translations?
No. Fluency in spoken English and at least basic proficiency in reading and writing English is a requirement to be part of this program as the program will be delivered in English.
While we value language diversity and see this as an asset, the program currently does not have the capacity to provide multilingual translations or interpretation for each module or to translate the policy asks.
If you speak multiple languages, we encourage you to incorporate them into your policy ask.
12. Do you provide technology supports?
If you face barriers related to internet or computer access, we will explore ways with you to support program needs and ensure ongoing access to training and learning materials.
Cultural safety and supports
13. Do you require proof of immigration status or Indigenous status?
No, proof of status is not required. You just need to self-identify as Indigenous or as a racialized immigrant or refugee young person, and currently residing in B.C.
14. How is Indigenous knowledge woven into the development of the program and how will it manifest throughout the program?
LEVEL Youth Policy Program will work from and within Indigenous people’s worldviews, which can vary from person to person or nation to nation. Work to embed Indigenous knowledge has gone into developing this training and we continuously focus and centre on that fact.
The program will primarily take place in “Vancouver” or hosted online on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, and seek to follow local protocols.
The curriculum encourages participants to reflect on what it means to do policy and advocacy work on unceded Indigenous territories and to weave these learnings as you develop your policy asks.
Faculty include Indigenous and diverse leaders, speakers, and trainers who help ground the policy conversations by introducing participants to concepts of Indigenous governance.
15. How does YPP prioritize Indigenous participants and their safety?
We acknowledge and value that Indigenous identity, culture, history, and lands are globalized. This shared indigeneity and history of harm and struggle strengthens the spirit of solidarity, collective responsibility, and liberation.
The LEVEL Youth Policy Program prioritizes applications from Indigenous youth from the hxʷəθkwəyəm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səlílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.
16. How do you handle instances of Indigenous identity fraud?
We recognize that Indigenous identity fraud is an increasingly emerging issue, and a dire impact of colonization. When applications rely on self-identification only, it can invite identity fraud in the following ways:
- Complete dishonesty (no Indigenous ancestor)
- Claiming identity based on distant archival ancestors
- The person involved has no ongoing extended familial connection to an Indigenous community, and no reason not to be connected (Sixties Scoop, foster care, crime, etc.)
Indigenous identity fraud causes harm to Indigenous people and communities.
We are committed to providing cultural safety for the Indigenous Peoples and communities we work with. Therefore, we encourage candidates to reflect and self-identify honestly, as this helps us ensure that these opportunities are accessible to those for whom they are intended.
17. Which identities does YPP prioritize?
The strength of the LEVEL Youth Policy Program is the diversity of the participants who bring unique and intersecting identities and experiences. In addition to Indigenous applicants, YPP also prioritizes candidates who identify as being Black or of African descent, and immigrant and refugee youth who came to Canada through the WUSC Refugee Program, or the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
18. How does YPP provide an environment for participants to thrive?
We strive to listen to and accommodate participants’ needs. Previous cohorts have shared the importance of providing culturally safe support throughout the YPP journey to establish a brave and safe learning environment that promotes bold and courageous conversations within the YPP community.
In pursuit of this objective, we are firmly committed to offering culturally sensitive, trauma-informed, and trauma-responsive support throughout the program.
We cover the cost for participants to access Elders and trauma-informed therapists while they are in the program, including a practitioner you may already be working with. Additionally, you can always lean on our dedicated, supportive team of staff and faculty throughout your YPP journey.