Youth Voice Council 2025-2026.
Jack.org is committed to having youth at the front and centre of the work we do. We aim for our programming to be youth-informed, meaning that we acknowledge the lived expertise of young people across the country and actively seek those voices and experiences to embed into our work through equitable inclusion.
That’s where our Youth Voice Council comes in. Formerly known as the Network Representative program, we have historically hired 13 youth from across the country, between the ages of 18 and 25, to serve as Jack.org's youth advisors.
This year, the program will look a little different, with a greater focus on providing meaningful engagement for youth members through project-based and advising work aligned with individual skills and interests. Our Youth Voice Council, made up of 20 young people aged 18 to 25 with diverse lived experiences, will spend their term actively shaping Jack.org’s work through meaningful co-creation and authentic youth engagement across multiple areas of the organization.
The 2025 + 2026 Youth Voice Council term runs from October 2025 to June 2026.
Position: Youth Voice Council Member
Reporting to: Lead, Youth Engagement
Location: Toronto / Hybrid
Compensation: $25/hour + $250 for training
Status: Casual (up to 38 hours commitment for the term)
About You
- You are between the ages of 18 and 25 years, and are passionate about youth mental health
- You are a natural leader and are able to authentically contribute your unique voice to dynamic projects
- You have exceptional communication, organizational, and collaborative skills, and are able to work independently and in team settings
Responsibilities
Specifically, we’re looking for people to:
- Attend and participate in mandatory online onboarding sessions & training in early October (Date TBC)
- Contribute to one organizational area of Jack.org through structured project contribution and advising alongside Jack.org staff members and four fellow Youth Voice Council members.
- Authentically contribute their voice, including network and/or lived experience, to inform, consult, and shape Jack.org’s work
- Work effectively in a team of peers, focusing on respectful and empathetic collaboration and team building.
- Stay on top of communication platforms such as Slack, email, and Google Calendar to ensure efficient collaboration.
- Participate in monthly team meetings to share progress throughout the term and cultivate strong group cohesion.
- Accurately track working hours with the use and submission of provided timesheets.
Qualifications
To be eligible, you must:
- Be between the ages of 18 and 25 years by October 1, 2026;
- We welcome all youth to apply, whether you have network experience or not. Please indicate in your cover letter if you have previous involvement or not
- We are looking for youth from across Canada with diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and perspectives.
- Be willing and able to attend the onboarding and training sessions (Date TBC);
- Show demonstrated confident leadership and commitment to a cause, especially youth mental health or relevant areas
- Ability to communicate verbally and in writing by effectively articulating messages, information, and ideas to a diverse group of people, leading to shared understanding
- Ability to work independently as well as a phenomenal team player
- Be solutions-oriented
- Be fluent in English (bonus if you are French speaking too!).
What You Can Expect
- An excellent opportunity to work with an empathetic, excited, cause-focused team
- The chance to have a notable positive impact on the mental health landscape surrounding young people in Canada
- The opportunity to gain and develop tools and skills in areas that are of particular interest to you, in particular through receiving a professional development budget of $150
- Bringing forward your voice in a meaningful way, which is beneficial to both you as an advocate and the mental health space
- A time commitment of 3-5 hours per month to attend council meetings and work on projects both individually and in teams
- An earning potential of up to $1200, with an hourly compensation rate of $25/hour + $250 training compensation. Jack.org prides itself on fairly compensating youth for their valuable contributions. Youth will be responsible for tracking and submitting the time spent on projects, and must attend meetings to receive compensation for participation
- The potential to participate in various opportunities outside of Youth Council engagements where youth voice is invited (It is important to note that these opportunities change from year to year, and youth will be offered opportunities based on their skills, interests, and geographic location. We cannot promise that all youth will be eligible for opportunities throughout the term.
- The ability to network with Jack.org staff and others within the network - locally and nationally
How to apply
If this sounds like you, please submit your resume
highlighting your experiences with Jack.org, mental health promotion, advocacy, and general community leadership. Please also answer the application questions. PDF format is preferred for all documents.
We will be accepting applications until August 25th, 11:59 PM EST. Interviews will be held throughout the month of September. Please keep an eye on your junk mail!
Jack.org is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that represents a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. We encourage people who are reflective of the diverse communities we serve to apply to join our team.
Jack.org welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the hiring process. Accommodation requests can be made by contacting accessibility@jack.org.
Thanks for applying! 💙
