BYTE is a youth-initiated and youth-directed organization that embraces youth culture to raise youth voice. Through the arts, creative public actions, performances, forums and camps, we bring youth towards equality by allowing youth to be loud and proud. BYTE’s perspective is that youth have a crucial role in society: we exude energy, creativity, change, activism and ideas. BYTE’s job is to strengthen youth voice so that we can take our spots in building the lives that each of us envisions.

B.Y.T.E.’s mandate:

Yukon youth unite to strengthen youth voice and bring about positive change for the wellbeing of everyone.

B.Y.T.E. seeks to bring about positive change by promoting social consciousness towards: youth culture, human rights, the environment, racism, violence, substance abuse, homelessness, spirituality, sexuality and politics.

B.Y.T.E.’s services are directed at youth between ages 12 – 29.

Vision:

Bringing Youth Towards Equality strives to be socially, ecologically, and ethically responsible to the greater Yukon Community.

B.Y.T.E. attempts to create healthy communities where youth voices are heard and creative potential has space for expression. B.Y.T.E. envisions a community of individuals, young and old alike, who meet without judgment and fear, and instead cultivate tolerance, understanding, compassion and respect for one another.

Organizational Structure:

Currently B.Y.T.E. has one indeterminate full time staff member, two contract positions, and one youth position. In April, B.Y.T.E. hopes to be hiring three full-time staff members: Community Coordinator, Change the Change Project Coordinator, and an Events Coordinator. In addition to core staff, B.Y.T.E. regularly hires youth for specific contracts.

Projects…

BYTE on the Road: Youth Action Camps

Get fired up at 3-day camps: music, food, new experiences and fun. Activate and organize to be strong advocates for youth rights and changing communities; make friends across the Territory; connect with mentors, training and resources; discuss real issues; and build new experiences through art, project organizing, taking advocacy, and music.

Annual Youth Conference: Youth Plan to Take Over the World

Yukon Youth gather to get busy, make some noise, and celebrate, through workshops, forums, concerts, talents shows, and sports. Workshops this year included: Peace and Conflict, Get active on Climate Change, Djing, Energy healing, Yoga/Massage, YouTube, Street Art, Know your Rights, ‘Zine making, Social Change/Activism, Sex Ed, Radio, Foods (whole foods, cooking tips, processing) Computer retrofit, Music (jamming, rhythm), Medicine making.

Turn It Around: A dynamic enviro-art contest for youth ages 13-18. Take your trash and make it into someone’s treasure.

Green Your Space: We have improved our office space to lessen our impact on the earth. The facts and figures have undisputedly proven that if things are not altered today we will not have a healthy tomorrow. BYTE is doing its part in taking responsibility for our actions on the earth, and hopefully this will encourage others locally to do the same. Come visit our office to see the changes and ask to see our office guidelines and employee manuals for more details.

‘Toxic Blend ‘zines: the Yukon ‘zine of counter-culture, art, rants, questions, and future scapes. The do-it-yourself magazine is a venue for young people to express themselves however they want to. It’s uncensored and bursting with style. By encouraging youth to be the media rather than fall prey to it, the Toxic Blend is a refreshing document of young writers and artists that dare to speak their minds.

Annual Celebration of Youth Week in May: An interactive events calendar is compiled to celebrate youth in the Territory.

BYTE Radio Hour Listen to CJUC 92.5 on Saturdays from 3:00pm to 4:00 for the BYTE hour.

Human Rights Blog - http://rights-now.net/blog/ This is a venue for youth to speak to professionals regarding their rights. Human Rights Commissioner, Yukon Employee’s Union and BYTE are happy to have this site up and running for Yukon’s youth to stay informed about their rights.

Annual Earth Day events Every April 22nd - BYTE puts on an event/eco green office space open house.

Annual Skateboarding Canada Day Competition: Each year B.Y.T.E. along with Triple Js, Board Stiff and Boys and Girls Club hosts the Canada Day Skateboarding Competition event within three categories: advanced, intermediate and beginner.

BYTE also…

Offers a free computer lab, support for youth, resume and proposal writing referrals, free meeting space, opportunities for involvement with national conferences and working groups, counseling referrals, volunteer placement to serve probationary community hours, high school work placements, a job posting and events board, a resource library of numerous books and ‘zines that discuss and promote youth culture.

Produces concerts of youth performers at our Annual Conference; the Frostbite Music Festival, our Canada Day Skate Competition, Earth Day, Youth Week, and others.

Sits on several committees and panels to ensure a youth voice:

Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition

· Youth Network Group

· Whitehorse Youth Coalition

· National Addiction Awareness Committee

· Rural team Yukon Youth

· Power Camp National

· Environmental Education Association

· Taking It Global

Supports youth activism with culture jamming, independent radio, street actions and public art installations and theatre.

Creates and publishes information booklets such as Where It’s At, Do It Up - Escape Boredom, and Get it Started.

Develops programs and projects as dreamed up by youth. BYTE recruits, trains, and works with youth to create, build, and run all events and programs.

Connects young people with opportunities to be represented and heard in community forums: from youth stilt walkers at the annual story-telling festival, to presence on the Youth Justice Panel, to organizing forums with politicians and city planners, to hosting local talent performances, to lobbying for basic infrastructure for homeless and at risk youth.