Building Youth Leadership Development (BYLD) program

The City of Kitchener’s Building Youth Leadership Development (BYLD) program provides young people aged 12 to 15 with an opportunity to develop leadership skills, responsibility and self-confidence.

In addition to workshops and interactive training sessions, the BYLD program offers participants the option of putting these skills into practice through hands-on experience as a leader-in-training in our City of Kitchener camps. Participants can receive volunteer hours for completing training and placement.

On this page:

  1. Orientation and training

  2. Hands-on learning placement

Registration will open on March 24 for Kitchener residents and on March 31 for non-Kitchener residents.

Register for BYLD

Orientation and training

The training and orientation program runs over two days:

  • Saturday, June 6 - 9 a.m.to 4 p.m.

Stanley Park Community Centre, 505 Franklin St. N., Kitchener

  • Saturday, June 13 - 9 a.m.to 4 p.m.

Williamsburg Community Centre - 200 Rosenberg Way, Kitchener

The BYLD workshops and interactive sessions will include: 

·        Enhancing communications skills 

·        Developing leadership abilities 

·        Planning and facilitating programs and activities 

·        Building effective teams 

·        Learning the importance of inclusion and disabilities 

·        Gaining conflict resolution skills 

·        And many more essential leadership skills! 

 

Cost: $92.19 (includes t-shirt)

 

Please note: Training is mandatory for the program. BYLD participants will not be able to participate in the program's hands-on learning placement component if they miss any training. There are no make-up dates. BYLD participants must complete both days of training and orientation in order to volunteer with a camp placement.

 

Leisure Access

 

Visit our Leisure Access (fee assistance) page if program fees are preventing you from joining a city or neighbourhood association program. You could qualify for a yearly amount of $400 per person in Leisure Access fee assistance. Talk to the community centre staff to learn more.

 

Inclusion support

 

If you have a disability and need support to join any of our programs, you can apply for an inclusion membership. Visit our inclusion support page to learn more and apply.  

Hands-on learning placement


After completing orientation and training, BYLD participants can sign up to put their training into practice at a City of Kitchener summer camp for two consecutive weeks. During training, we will ask BYLD participants to fill out a placement preference request form with over 20 site options.  

If you have any questions about the current and/or upcoming BYLD programs, email youth@kitchener.ca or call 519-783-8527.

Contact Us

City of Kitchener
200 King Street West,
Kitchener, Ontario
N2G 4G7
Telephone: 519-741-2345
TTY: 1-866-969-9994
Email: info@kitchener.ca