2027-2030 Strategic Plan Resident Panel

About the Strategic Plan 

In 2022, people from many different backgrounds shared their ideas about Kitchener’s long‑term future. Together, we created a shared vision: building a city for everyone where, together, we take care of the world around us – and each other. 

Now, as we set our next priorities, goals, and actions, we want to learn more from you to make sure we are focusing on what matters most today. 

Kitchener’s strategic plan is a four‑year roadmap that helps us move toward our long‑term community vision. It shows our commitment to improving life for the people who live, work, learn, and play here. 

The City’s core services are the essential, everyday things we must provide – our basic responsibilities. The strategic plan is different: it sets our four-year priorities, goals and actions that move us closer to reaching our vision. It gives us a plan for how we will grow, change, and improve in the next few years. 

It also helps keep Council and staff aligned with community priorities. It guides the City’s strategies, actions, and major decisions across all departments. The plan is built to be flexible and responsive to new challenges or opportunities. 

About the Resident Panel 

This panel of community members will take part in deeper reflection on issues, trade‑offs, and community values that should influence our draft priorities and actions. Volunteers will take part in independent learning, in‑person workshops, and group discussions. These activities will help panelists build a shared understanding of the factors that shape life in Kitchener.  

We are looking for 40 community members who can bring a diverse mix of voices, perspectives, and lived experiences to the City of Kitchener Resident Panel. Members will be selected by lottery to create a group that reflects the city’s diversity. 

Responsibilities

• Actively participate in all panel meetings by engaging in group activities, discussions, and deliberations, and by preparing in advance through reviewing materials and completing independent learning. 
• Represent the broader Kitchener community by considering diverse needs and interests, even when they differ from your own lived experience, to ensure a wide range of community voices, values, and perspectives are reflected throughout the process. 
  
• Collaborate with City staff and fellow panelists to: 
  
  • Learn deeply about the complex issues, trends, and considerations influencing the City of Kitchener today and in the future. 
    
  • Discuss information presented by subject‑matter experts, staff, community speakers, and fellow residents. 
  • Identify key priorities, goals, and actions that should guide the development of the 2027–2030 Strategic Plan. 
• Engage in consensus‑building by listening, working respectfully with people who hold different viewpoints, and contributing to a collaborative decision‑making environment. 
• Develop well‑reasoned advice and recommendations by working as a group to articulate shared perspectives and draft a final report that communicates the panel’s insights to Council.
• Evaluate the resident panel experience by providing feedback on the panel process, identifying strengths and opportunities for improvement, and helping shape future approaches to public involvement and civic deliberation. 

Benefits

• Gain a deep understanding of issues facing our community and the people who live here. 
• Meet new people, build relationships, and collaborate with other passionate volunteers and City staff. 
• Play an active role in shaping the City’s 2027–2030 Strategic Plan. 
• Develop skills in strategic thinking, collaboration, and consensus‑building. 
  
• Gain experience with strategic planning, community engagement, and learning about how municipal decision-making works. 
• Gain experience working respectfully and constructively with people who hold a wide range of perspectives. 
  
• Enjoy a welcoming, inclusive, and respectful environment designed to support full participation for everyone involved. 
• At each session, receive light refreshments and a $25 voucher that can be used at the Kitchener Market as part of a supportive volunteer experience. 
• Obtain volunteer hours (for high school students). 

Skills, Experience and/or Requirements 

• Ability to work positively in a team environment, take part in respectful collaboration to build consensus, and work towards common goals.  
• Ability to be open-minded to new ideas and information and think beyond personal opinions to consider the best interests of the community.  
• Willing to deeply engage in learning from a variety of information sources, including reading materials, presentations from experts, and group conversations. 
• Ability to participate and contribute in English. 

All community members are welcome to apply. We especially encourage applications from community members who identify with any of the following identities, or the intersection of these identities (as these groups are often underrepresented in City engagement):  

• Indigenous Communities
• 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities
• Black Communities
• Newcomers or Refugees
• Older Adults
• Persons with Disabilities
• Persons with Low Income
• Racialized Communities
• Religious Minorities
• Unhoused or Underhoused Persons
• Women and Girls
• Youth
• Other Groups (i.e., survivors of gender-based violence, lone parents, international students, persons with low literacy, persons without immigration status) 

Eligibility

• Must live, work, go to school, own a business, and/or own property in Kitchener. 
• Must be 14 years of age or older. 
• Must be able to attend the five (5) scheduled sessions in person.  

Time Commitment

The volunteer group will meet five (5) times in person on Saturdays at the Kitchener Market (300 King St E, Kitchener, ON N2G 2L3). The meeting schedule is as follows: 

• July 18, 2026 – 9:00 -11:30 a.m.  
• August 22, 2026 – 9:00 -11:30 a.m.
• September 19, 2026 – 9:00 -11:30 a.m. 
• October 24, 2026 – 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.
• November 14, 2026 – 9:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Important: Volunteers will be asked to prepare in advance of each meeting by: reading materials, watching videos, and reflecting on agenda content (approximately 1-3 hour pre-work commitment per session). 

Accessibility Accommodation

The City of Kitchener is committed to providing opportunities for all members of the community. We will do our best to remove barriers to participation (including, but not limited to, a 2-way GRT ticket, child-minding, etc.). Please let us know if you require accommodation to support your involvement in this volunteer role.  

Next steps:

1. Complete the application before 11:59 p.m. EDT on May 29, 2026.
2. You will be notified regardless of the outcome of your application.

Contact: