Historica's Encounters with Canada and 7th Floor Media create a new online community for Canadian teens to 'Tell it like it is.'
VANCOUVER October 7, 2007
The banning of hoodies is the latest Hot Issue on FYI Canada/PVI Canada, the recently launched social networking site designed to give Canadian teens the opportunity to express themselves. "To effectively tackle the concern of violence and vandalism in high schools, we need to look at the root of the problem and work from there... and I don't think the root of the problem lies in a certain type of shirt a student wears," says Meg Wilcox, moderator of the site. "I can kinda understand why adults would be blowing this whole "hoodie" thing out of proportion. They do it with everything these days," comments lesleyp from BC. "However, I agree with you. THEY'RE FREAKING SWEAT-SHIRTS. Get over it."
On October 1, 2007, Historica's Encounters with Canada Program launched the most extensive online social networking site in Canada focused on Canadian teens interested in expressing their concerns and opinions online. The site features online photo and video albums called Canada Scene, a section exploring today's Hot Issues, Opinion Polls and a Blog, written by site moderator Meg Wilcox. From light-hearted photo albums showing hometown sights to serious discussions about the issues of the day, the site is a fascinating window into the world of Canadian teens.
The site was conceived and developed with the help of 7th Floor Media, a non-profit research and development centre at Simon Fraser University. "It's exciting to see the discussions unfolding on the site," says Noni Maté, Co-Director of 7th Floor Media and a high school teacher for many years. "We know that teens have been doing this online for some time and we're very pleased to create a space for a uniquely Canadian exchange of perspectives and an ongoing conversation about the world."
With a degree in Communications specializing in media, site moderator Meg Wilcox is bursting with ideas for how to foster connections and communication between Canadian youth. "As a high school student I was fortunate enough to have participated in the Encounters with Canada Program. I would have loved to have used FYI Canada back then as a space to communicate with the friends I made, to share my photos, my ideas, to stay connected. And now the tools are so varied and easy to use," says Meg Wilcox.