Youth Volunteer Fair 2026: Connecting Young Changemakers with Their Community

There's a narrative out there that today's youth are disengaged– apathetic, overwhelmed, or simply not interested in the world around them. But anyone who walked into the Slice of Life Art Gallery in East Vancouver on April 17th, 2026, would tell you a very different story.

Young people don't lack motivation. They lack a starting point. They want to know what the problems are, what they can actually do about them, and how to take that first step. The Youth Volunteer Fair, a joint initiative between Captain Scott Legacy Society and Writers' Exchange, was designed to give them exactly that– on their own terms, in a space that felt welcoming, energetic, and genuinely fun.

From 3 PM to 6 PM, over 100 attendees between the ages of 13 and 25 filled the Gallery, connecting with 18 local organizations, exploring causes they cared about, and discovering volunteer and community opportunities across Metro Vancouver. Tables were set up for youth to engage with at their own pace, guided by a sticker event passport system that encouraged them to visit each one, with prizes drawn every hour to keep the energy up. By the end of the night, even the tabling partners had a chance to win self-care prize packages. Everyone left with something, be it a sense of hope and community, a prize, a snack, or motivation to just get something started.

The room had music, pinball machines, sticker machines, and of course, art! After all, showing up to do good shouldn't feel like a chore. Croissant sandwiches, veggie platters, wraps, cookies, donuts, juice, and soda kept everyone fuelled throughout the afternoon. And the energy? It really never let up. Unlike many similar volunteer fairs that see attendance taper off toward the end, people were still streaming in right up until 6 PM. Youth lingered for as long as they could, with some youth staying right till the end to help us clean up. Keep in mind, they weren’t registered to volunteer directly at the event, but kindness and an eagerness to help kept them around! That, perhaps, was the spirit of the evening in a nutshell.

Organizations in attendance included Writers' Exchange, Captain Scott Legacy Society, Promise Vancouver, The Dugout, Vancouver Public Library, Belkin House, Hogan's Alley Society, Britannia Community Centre, Thunderbird Community Centre, Hastings Community Centre, Strathcona Community Centre, Slice of Life Art Gallery, Women in Leadership, Futbolito Soccer, Environmental Youth Alliance, Vancouver Folk Festival, SUCCESS’s Community Leadership Initiative, and more. Each table represented a different doorway into the community, and youth were eager to walk through them.

None of this would have been possible without the incredible generosity of our donors: Lee's Donuts, Earnest Ice Cream, Lush, Old Spaghetti Factory, and L'Occitane. Some of the non-profit programs that participated in the event, such as Vancouver Public Library, Writers' Exchange, and Captain Scott Legacy Society, donated charity swag. Thank you all for believing in what we are building.

To our amazing staff and volunteers: This was the first annual Youth Volunteer Fair, and you helped put it on the map. To every young person who walked through those doors that night: we see your drive, your curiosity, and your desire to make a difference. When we believe in youth and their abilities, they believe in themselves. And when they believe in themselves, they change the world.

This is the first of many. We'll see you next year!