Engaging beyond the Summit

A Guide to hosting your own dialogue

Plan and organize

• Decide on the type of discussion you would like to host:
  • Small Group Discussion (Groups of under 15 participants)
  • Large Group Discussion (Ideal for 15+ participants)
• Step 1: “The Invite” – How to get people to participate in your conversation
  • Explain that you want to host an informal discussion on youth issues and ideas to give feedback to the Government on issues that could inform the development of the State of Youth Report and the evolution of the Canada Service Corps.
  • Select a meeting place with the participants (e.g., school cafeteria, café, library, your house).
  • For larger groups, consider using meeting event websites to support your registration/recruitment. These include Facebook events, posters with registration link and Eventbrite. You can also use doodle polling with groups that you know to identify the best date for the event.
  • Sample invitation

During the discussion

Option 1: Small group discussion

• Step 2: “Where Do We Start?” – Select a Discussion Topic
  • Select one or more of the five topics below to focus the conversation. In choosing a topic, consider how these topics may have affected you and your group’s lives, and/or how they link to community service.
    • Suggested Conversation Topics
      • Leadership, social impact and democratic participation
      • Employment, innovation, skills, and learning
      • Health and wellness
      • Gender Equality
      • Environment and Climate Change
• Step 3: “The Conversation” – Let’s Start Talking!
  • Now that you have selected a topic, or several, and have people ready to participate, it is time to host your conversation! Make sure you or someone else in the group takes notes so you can share your findings.
  • Introductions
    • Begin with a round of introductions so that all participants feel comfortable sharing their ideas and experiences. Remind everyone of the purpose of the conversation and why you are there.
  • Discussion Guidelines
    • This conversation is intended to provide the opportunity for participants to share their own ideas and experiences. A diversity of ideas being shared will only enrich the discussion so it is important to encourage everyone to participate. There are no wrong answers!
  • During your discussion:
    • As a group, come up with one sentence that defines the issue(s) you’ve chosen.
    • After discussing these issue(s), as a group, list the insights and outcomes you have collectively generated.
    • As the host, you will be facilitating the discussion. Below are some suggestions to support the flow of the conversation and make sure that meaningful dialogue takes place.
      • Why is this topic important to you?
      • What specific issues fall under this topic?
      • How does this issue affect you or your peers? Why and how?
      • What is important to you or your peers in this area?
      • Is the issue at hand different for youth in different communities (defined broadly) or for youth of different ages?
    • Examples of prompting questions to help identify solutions and actions:
      • How does this theme relate to the lives of youth in Canada?
      • How does this theme relate to service in your community? How can it relate to the evolution of the Canada Service Corps?

Option 2: Large group discussion

• Step 2: “The Game Plan” – Preparing to host your large group conversation
  • Once you have invited and confirmed how many participants will be attending your conversation, make a list and gather all relevant materials you may need, such as:
    • Flip chart paper to write notes
    • Writing utensils (pens, different coloured markers, pencils)
    • Printed copies of the breakout facilitator/note-taking tool (to be returned to you at the end)
• Step 3: “The Conversation” – Let’s start talking
  • All the participants have arrived and you are ready to get underway!
  • Introductions
    • Begin with a round of introductions so that all participants feel comfortable sharing their ideas and experiences (you may want to start with the icebreaker activity). Remind everyone of the purpose of the conversation and why you are there.
  • Discussion Guidelines
    • This conversation is intended to provide the opportunity for participants to share their own ideas and experiences on the topic. A diversity of ideas being shared will only enrich the discussion. There are no wrong answers!
  • Select your discussion topic(s)
    • Part 1: Introduce the Suggested Conversation Topic(s):
      • “We are here today to discuss topics/issues that affect youth in Canada, which will be used to provide input into the Government of Canada’s State of Youth Report. Five themes have been identified by youth across the country. This conversation is about all you and your daily experiences. Consider how these themes may have affected your lives, and/or how they link to community service.”
        • Suggested Conversation Topics
          • Leadership, social impact and democratic participation
          • Employment, innovation, skills, and learning
          • Health and wellness
          • Gender Equality
          • Environment and Climate Change
    • Part 2: Refine your group’s topics:
      • Prompt: What issues are most important to youth and have the biggest impacts on your daily lives and futures?
      • Identify Gaps: Are there any topics here that you feel are missing? Is there more that could be added to this list to bridge any potential gaps? 
    • Part 3: If additional topics are proposed, select up to 5 topics to discuss further in small groups.
      1. Keep the decision-making process engaging with a fun and interactive way for participants to vote and select the (up to) 5 topics that they feel strongest about. Make sure that the participants feel personally connected with these topics and will want to discuss them in further depth in smaller groups.
      2. Based on votes, select the 5 most popular topics for smaller breakout discussions.
      3. Break the participants up into smaller, equal sized discussion groups.
      4. Assign a topic to each smaller breakout group.
      5. Identify a volunteer for each group to a) be a note-taker and b) be a facilitator who can ask prompting questions (below) and keep the conversation flowing and inclusive.
      6. Hand out copies of the breakout facilitator/note-taking tool to the breakout group volunteers (to be returned to the host at the end).
• Step 4: “Let’s Break It Down” – Smaller Breakout Conversations
  • Part 1: The smaller groups will come up with one sentence that defines the topic/issue chosen.
  • Part 2: After discussing these items, list the insights and outcomes you have collectively generated.
  • Part 3: The small groups should complete the breakout facilitator/note-taking tool to share ideas with the larger group. The host should collect these tools to inform the responses that will be submitted.
• Step 5: “Wrap It Up”- Report Back as a Large Group
  • Part 1: Breakout groups should be asked to reconvene as the original large group once more.
  • Part 2: As a circle, share what was discussed and summarize what insights and outcomes will be submitted to the Government of Canada. As the host, you are responsible for submitting a brief report to the Government of Canada. 
  • Part 3: Remember to gather all of the note taking tools from each small breakout group.
  • Part 4: Take this as an opportunity to validate other groups’ results, ask questions, or add anything.
• Step 6: “Close the Conversation” – Key Closing Message
  • After your discussion has come to an end, as the host, you may wish to say a few words to thank participants for coming out and to participate in the national dialogue in other ways.
    • Thank participants for their time and contributing their ideas
    • Remind people that what the Government heard from your group discussion will help inform a state of youth report and the evolving Canada Service Corps
    • Add that participants can continue to stay involved by checking out the website 
• Step 7: Submit your Report
  • See How to submit your Report section

How to submit your Report

Congratulations! You have successfully gathered input that will be considered in developing the State of Youth Report and the evolution of the Canada Service Corps. To ensure your ideas can have an influence, submit your report to youth-jeunesse@pco-bcp.gc.ca.

Stay connected!

Visit Young Canadians website for more information or follow us on social media.

Privacy Notice Statement

The Privy Council Office is committed to protecting personal information collected via email.

The collection and use of personal information for the Becoming engaged beyond the Summit is required to receive your report. The Privy Council Office will not share your personal information with third parties. The personal information collected for all entries is described in the Outreach Activities (PSU 938) Personal Information Bank.

All personal information you provide is pursuant to the Privacy Act. In accordance with the Privacy Act, participants have the right to access their personal information and request changes to incorrect information. Participants may contact the Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator or through the contact information below to access their personal information or to notify the Privy Council Office about incorrect information.

Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator
11 Metcalfe Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A3
Telephone: 613-957-5228
Facsimile: 613-991-4706

Additional resources

• Breakout facilitator/note-taking tool (to be returned to the host)
• Checklist for Key Steps for hosting a youth dialogue
• Sample invitation letter