Youth Voice Council 2026-2027

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. This program focuses 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 27 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 2026 + 2027 Youth Voice Council term runs from September 2026 to June 2027. 

Position: Youth Voice Council Member

Reporting to: Lead, Youth Engagement
Location: Remote

Compensation: $30/hour + $150 for training

Status: Casual (38 hour project commitment for the term + additional opportunities for compensated advising up to 6 hours)

About You:

• You are between the ages of 18 and 27 years, and are passionate about youth mental health
• You are a natural leader and can contribute your unique voice to dynamic projects authentically
• You have exceptional communication, organizational, and collaborative skills, and can work independently and in team settings
• You have the capacity to commit to 3-6 hours monthly and prioritize attending meetings 

Responsibilities

Specifically, we’re looking for people to:

• Attend and participate in mandatory online onboarding session & training in late August (Morning of Aug 30)
• Contribute to one organizational area of Jack.org through structured project contribution and advising alongside Jack.org staff members and 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.
• Manage their time effectively, keeping accurate records of the hours worked every month, and task completion/progress
• Optionally attend quarterly meetings with our board-participating youth members to advise on strategic-level discussions (up to 6 hours total)

Qualifications 

To be eligible, you must: 

• Be between the ages of 18 and 27 years by September 1, 2026; 
• We welcome all youth to apply, whether or not you have experience in our programming. We are looking for youth from across Canada with diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and perspectives. 
• Be willing and able to attend the virtual onboarding and training session (Morning of Aug 30);
• 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 being a phenomenal team player
• Be solutions-oriented and open to collaborative feedback
• 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
• 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 3-6 hours per month to attend council meetings and work on projects both individually and in teams
• An earning potential of up to $1500, with an hourly compensation rate of $30/hour + $150 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 

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 below. PDF format is preferred for resumes. We will be accepting applications until July 17th, 11:59 PM EST. Interviews will be held throughout early August. Please keep an eye on your junk mail! Additionally, Jack.org may use AI-enabled tools to support candidate screening and evaluation.

At Jack.org, we strongly believe that having a diverse team with various skills and abilities inspires creativity and drives innovation. We are committed to building a team representative of different backgrounds and perspectives, and we encourage applications from all candidates who represent the full diversity of communities across Canada.

Don’t meet every single requirement? We know that women, racialized people, LGBTQ2S+ individuals, and people with disabilities may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet 100% of the qualifications. At Jack.org, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, authentic, and accountable workplace. If this role excites you, we encourage you to apply.

Reasonable accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the hiring process. Please contact accessibility@jack.org.

Thanks for applying 💙