This year, Against the Current will mark a milestone: the Students Commission of Canada’s 35th anniversary as a youth voice node within Canada’s youth-serving network.
Theme: Raise or Raze – How do our systems shape youth futures? Are we co-creating environments that empower young people to thrive, while critically examining the barriers that still hold them back?
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Time: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Toronto Reference Library, Toronto
Who: Join decision makers, practitioners, youth leaders, and academics leading collaborative efforts that respond to calls for action and support from youth themselves in these turbulent times.
Registration is open; spots are filling up!
What: A Village for a Day
Youth-serving collaboration is, in part, about co-creating environments that build youth confidence and competence through structured support. For the day, we create a village environment. Expert speakers kick off each session block for the whole village; then participants move into various neighborhoods to explore together the session theme in smaller groups through faciliated conversations and diverse styles of interactive techniques.
Sneak Peak on the Agenda
Each session begins with a Kickstart topic presentation, followed by participants choosing activities from the village. Each session includes small group dialogues and highly interactive activities, including critical conversations, artistic, kinesthetic engagement techniques, culminating in a collaborative wrap-up to synthesize key learnings.
Registration/ Breakfast: 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Opening: 8:30 a.m.
Sesson 1: Intergenerational Partnerships, The Heart of the Village
35 years of shifting the culture of youth engagement, coast-to-coast-to-coast and globally
•Linda Rose-Krasnor, PhD. Professor Emeritus, Brock University, Founding Academic Director of the Centre of Excellence for Youth Engagement
•Sharif Mahdy, Chief Executive Officer, The Students Commission of Canada
•Denise Campbell, Deputy City Manager, City of Toronto
•David Forteau, Creative Director, Producer
•Brina Ludwig-Prout, Board Chair, The Students Commission of Canada
•Niko Lacroix, Influencer, Roster Cohort 2
•Abbi Poirier, Influencer, Roster Cohort 2
Session 2: System Change, Avoiding the Drift
Collaborative structures and partnerships needed for communities to move upstream, toward system changes that create environments where youth can thrive
•Tanya Halsall, PhD, Scientist, University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal, Assistant Professor, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa
•Chad Bredin, Policy Analyst, Public Health Agency of Canada
•Stephanie Wright, NextGen Men
•Youth Leaders, from programs and research projects across Canada
Session 3: Hearing Unheard Moments, Shifting Cultures
Difficult conversations and alignment of efforts needed to reach cultural tipping points, locally and nationally, towards safety and inclusion.
Heather Lawford, PhD, Professor, Bishop’s University, SSHRC TII Canada Research Chair, Youth Development, 3M National Teaching Fellow
•Roger Romero, Manager of Youth Services, Kingston Community Health Centres
•Lanny Libby-Jimenez, Social Planner, Arts, Culture and Community Services, City of Vancouver
•Madin Hoey, Prince Albert Youth Group
•Jiya Charla, Program Facilitator, Red Fox
Session 4: Celebrating Culture, The Roots of the Village
How prioritizing the needs, dreams, and interests of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit youth reshapes what intergenerational partnerships in a healthy village look like for (non)Indigenous youth.
•Jennifer Markides, Ph.D. SSHRC TII Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Youth Wellbeing and Education Associate Professor, Curriculum and Learning, Werklund School of Education & Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary
•Zoey Roy, PhD, Researcher, Spoken Word Artist, Community-based Educator
• Youth Leaders, from programs and research projects across Canada
Session 5: Spaces that Shape the Village: Families, Schools, Recreation, and Businesses
Exploring how core community environments can partner to support youth flourishing
•Lori Brooks, Director-General, Employment Skills Development Canada
•Tracy Luca-Hugar, Executive Director, Mentor Canada
•Andrea Haefele & Maleah Omari, Ophea
•Yana Berardini, PhD, Assistant Professor, Child and Youth Studies, Trent University and member of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence
•Steven Whitaker, OCT, MES, SWAN (Sports, Wellness and Achievement Network)
•Youssof Khalil, Youth Leader
Wrap Up: Raise or Raze & Closing Remarks
What today means for raising youth up for a brighter tomorrow and razing the systemic barriers in their way -- Reflections and Directions Sharif Mahdy, SCC CEO in conversation with key speakers of the day
•Heather Ramey, CYW, PhD, Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director, Department of Child and Youth Studies, Brock University
•Sharif Mahdy, Chief Executive Officer, The Students Commission of Canada, in conversation with key speakers of the day
