Edmonton’s NextGen and interVivos present CANDI{DATE}, a speed-dating inspired forum connecting  voters with 2012 Provincial Election candidates, April 17, 2012 at The Common (9910 – 109 Street) in downtown Edmonton.

In 10 minute sessions, small groups of voters will sit down for mini-dates with candidates from across the spectrum of federal political parties. This face-time with candidates allows voters the opportunity to ask questions on issues that impact their decision to make Edmonton the city they choose to live, work, learn and play in for future years.

“CANDI{DATE} provides a space for Edmonton’s next generation to cut through the political spin and directly connect with candidates on a personal basis to hear their ideas and perspectives. Voters will have the opportunity to speak to candidates face-to-face and ask questions about the issues that really matter to them. It’s time for Edmontonians to get engaged and see what provincial election candidates propose,” says Yuk-Sing Cheng, Edmonton’s NextGen Volunteer and ENGAGE Co-Chair.

Confirmed CANDI{DATE} attendees include:

• Akash Khokhar (Progressive Conservative, Edmonton-Centre)
• Barb de Groot (Wildrose, Edmonton-Centre)
• Laurie Blakeman (Liberal, Edmonton-Centre)
• Nadine Bailey (NDP, Edmonton-Centre)
• Cameron McCormick (Alberta Party, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood)
• Len Bracko (Senate – Independent)
• William Exelby (Senate – Independent)
• David Fletcher (Senate – Independent)
• Elizabeth Johannson (Senate – Evergreen)
• Ian Urquhart (Senate – Independent)

CANDI{DATE} is one event in the Edmonton’s NextGen ENGAGE series. ENGAGE gathers Edmontonians interested in sharing ideas about the future of the city we call home.

For more information on the 2012 Alberta provincial election, visit http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/index.htm .

For more information and to RSVP for CANDI{DATE}, visit http://candidate.eventbrite.com/.

Instead of a ticket or event fee, we’re asking attendees to bring, if possible, a small donation of new and unused toiletries to the event, which will be donated to YESS – Edmonton’s Youth Emergency Shelter Society.

CANDI{DATE} is brought to you by Edmonton’s NextGen and interVivos, with special thanks to our venue sponsor, The Common.

MEÆT 2.0: Gourmet Pizza Edition

When: Thursday, April 12 at 6:30 pm
Where: Hawkeye’s Too Restaurant, 10048 102 Street

NextGen’s Engage Working Group is currently accepting applications for the next MEÆT event.

We encourage all artists, thinkers, and organizations at any stage in their careers to apply. MEÆT funding has been known to fund both practical and unusual endeavors – from urban gardens to mobile party vans, public sculpture to performances.

Unlike conventional grant programs, individuals receive funding immediately and therefore MEÆT is designed to provide seed money or the much-needed cash infusion to make some critical thing happen now.

MEÆT is designed to bring us together for a meal and together fund home-grown projects. Make it local, forward-thinking, and sustainable.

For more information, to RSVP to attend, and to download an application form, visit http://meaet.com/proposals/.

Edmonton’s NextGen is proud to partner with Alliance Films on a special presentation of Bully, April 2, 2012. We’re giving away 5 double passes to tonight’s screening on our Facebook page.

Directed by Sundance and Emmy-award winning filmmaker, Lee Hirsch, The Bully Project is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of America’s bullying crisis.

The Bully Project follows five kids and families over the course of a school year.

Stories include two families who have lost children to suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter who has been incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With an intimate glimpse into homes, classrooms, cafeterias and principals’ offices, the film offers insight into the often cruel world of the lives of bullied children.

For more information, visit http://bullymovie.ca/.

As teachers, administrators, kids and parents struggle to find answers, The Bully Project examines the dire consequences of bullying through the testimony of strong and courageous youth. Through the power of their stories, the film aims to be a catalyst for change in the way we deal with bullying as parents, teachers, children and society as a whole.

Watch the trailer: http://youtu.be/ZYFWUKWl8S0 | Stay tuned for additional Edmonton screening dates!

Additional bullying resources:

http://org.kidshelpphone.ca/en/

http://www.bullyfreealberta.ca/

Are you looking for an opportunity to present your ideas to an audience of more than 500 engaged and creative young people? Edmonton’s NextGen is currently accepting presentation submissions for Pecha Kucha Night 13, tentatively scheduled for late May / early June. More than 135 presentations have been given at Edmonton Pecha Kucha Nights to date on wide-reaching topics, from professional online gaming to in vitro meat and everything in between.

Deadline for submissions for Pecha Kucha Night 13 is May 1, 2012.

WHAT IS PECHA KUCHA NIGHT?

Tokyo’s Klein Dytham Architecture first devised Pecha Kucha, the Japanese phrase for “the sound of chitchat” in 2003, as a night for young designers to meet, network, and discuss their projects. The catch: each designer gave a presentation containing only 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds, for a total presentation length of six minutes 40 seconds. These constraints challenged presenters to clarify their ideas and match each thought with the perfect image.

Pecha Kucha Nights are held by a global community of 501 cities. Pecha Kucha has been described as a grown-up “show and tell” with a diverse range of presentation topics, reflecting the unique nature of each presenting city. Edmonton’s NextGen was the first to host Pecha Kucha Night in Western Canada and regularly enjoys sold-out events, ranging from 500 – 650 audience members.

10 STEPS TO A GREAT PRESENTATION

1. Choose an original and engaging topic that you are passionate about. Self-promotion is out & creative ideas are in. Our audiences respond well to passionate people speaking on concepts & ideas rather than selling a product, experience or point of view.
2. You only have 20 images, so choose them wisely. Don’t worry about a title slide; we take care of that for you with a PKN 13 intro slide that includes your name & presentation title.
3. If possible, create your images to be in landscape orientation to maximize the use of the screen.
4. Reference your images! If they are your own images, even better.
5. Resize your images to 1024px by 768px.
6. It’s best to AVOID clip art, text, and combining more than two images on one slide.
7. Match words & images. You only have 20 seconds per image and the presentation automatically moves on to the next image. Choose your words wisely!
8. Keep it casual and conversational – there is no lectern.
9. Watch Travis Sheridan’s presentation about how to give a good Pecha Kucha presentation.
10. Keep in mind that Pecha Kucha presentations are about ideas and those ideas allow the audience to learn, expand their perspectives, and leave the night with something new on their mind.

HOW DO I SUBMIT A PRESENTATION APPLICATION

1. Let us know you are interested by emailing edmnextgen@gmail.com with your full name, title (i.e. architect, designer, student, teacher, activist, etc.), and some background on what you want to talk about.
2. Next, read the 10 tips to make a great presentation listed above, before creating your presentation.
3. Write a 500 word summary statement. This gives us the best idea of what you’ll be speaking to at Pecha Kucha. Even better, include 3 points you hope audiences will walk away thinking about.
4. Choose a minimum of 5 images to a maximum of 20 images that match exactly what want to share, put them all in a ZIP folder or other compressed file format.
5. Next, submit your presentation by email to edmnextgen@gmail.com and include its title and a summary.
6. Deadline to submit an application is May 1, 2012.

RESOURCES

Frequently asked questions about Pecha Kucha Nights

Pecha Kucha Daily Blog

We look forward to receiving your submission for PKN 13!

When I was asked by NextGen’s Jacqui Fraser to contribute an guest post on the theme of “community”, I asked, “which one?” NextGen’s guest bloggers are selected on the basis of what each of them might bring to the topic at hand, whatever that might be. I started to wonder why I might have been selected. It’s strange, because I’m usually defined (by myself or others) by the ways I don’t fit in, rather than the ways that I am a part of the group. So here goes:
 

I am first and foremost a member of my family. Three, actually: mine, my partner’s, and my sister’s in-laws. My parents are quite active in the Japanese-Canadian community, so occasionally that comes into play. I am also a friend, moving within several different circles. Some of my friend groups intersect, some have no idea the others exist. I am a writer, so I have colleagues who are also writers, as well as clients from many different industries. I’m implicated in the arts community as a board member in two organizations as well as a nearly-emergent creative writer. I used to play in a couple of bands, so there’s that too. I hover in the margins of the foodie scene. I’m a member of my community league as well as a contributor to a number of projects in the Alberta Avenue area generally. I’m on a few online social networks. I volunteer. I have a great dog, and yes, there is a dog community as well.
 

So. Which one? Where do I fit?

 
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Edmonton’s NextGen would like to thank all of our hard-working volunteers! They truly make NextGen a hub for connecting people, places, community and ideas.

2011/2012 Volunteers

*Our sincere apologies if we have missed anyone off this list. If your name is missing and you would like to be included, please email nextgen@edmonton.ca.And the dedicated members of the NextGen Committee (updated profiles coming soon!)

In celebration of our volunteers, we’re thrilled to partner with Volunteer Alberta on its upcoming Volunteer Fair.

11 AM – 4 PM | Saturday, April 14

West Edmonton Mall | Centre Stage – Level One, Phase One

The purpose of this survey is to gain feedback from the community on NextGen’s mission and vision. The information collected will be used to help guide the future work, projects and events of the NextGen Committee.

The survey deadline has been extended until March 28th at 4:00 p.m.

Take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NextGenSurvey2012

The survey will take about 7-10 minutes to complete.

Please note: Your answers will remain confidential. The results of this study will be presented only in group format – findings will be summarized in a report and no single person will be identifiable.

If you experience difficulties while you are completing this online survey, please contact the NextGen Coordinator at nextgen@edmonton.ca or (780) 496-4889.

Edmonton’s NextGen hosts its second monthly social on April 5, 2012, at The Artery (9535 Jasper Ave). Presented by Jam Union, the Art House Party and NextGen Social features collaborative performances by F&M, Mae Anderson, and Martin Johann Kloppers a.k.a “The Cellotaur”.

In addition to musical performances, the Art House Party and NextGen Social includes a silent art auction to benefit the Youth Emergency Shelter Society, featuring art from Randee Armstrong, Kevin Green, Malorie Shmyr, Darren Bolz, and Chantel Fortin. These artists will also be performing interactive art installations throughout the evening.

Since 2007, Edmonton’s Jam Union podcast has connected people to some of the best local music, arts and current events in the City of Champions. Through blogging and social media, Jam Union is a creative community of artists, performers and activists. For more information, visit www.jamunion.net

Doors for the April Art House Party and NextGen Social open at 7:00 p.m., with performances beginning at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door / $8 in advance from YEG Live and Blackbyrd Myoosic (10442-82 Avenue.) This is an 18+ event, no minors.

Purchase your tickets on-line at http://yeglive.ca/events/f-m/apr-5-2012/artery.

It’s difficult for me to imagine a world without communities. Perhaps because it’s human nature to find like minded people to collaborate with, the process of forming a community is quite natural.

I’ve seen the amazing things communities can accomplish with my own eyes.

From an assembly of just a few neighbours, to a group of thousands, communities can accomplish things that an individual can dream about, but that take many to actualize.

The diversity of Edmonton’s communities is as great as the diversity of its citizens
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March’s NextGen Speaks Out! theme will be community.

Community is such a large part of our lives. We are all part of many smaller and intersecting communities. We gather together based on region (like our nieghbourhood or city), around a shared interest (like sports, religion, or comic books), or for other reasons (like work or cultural). Sometimes you will be active in your communities and other times you’ll just be a member of that community. What can you learn from others in your community circles? What can you contributeThis month we’ll be bringing you posts focused around this idea and hope you look forward to reading and sharing your thoughts on the ideas presented by our guest bloggers.

We also want you to engage in discussion. Come on nextgener’s we know you have opinions and thoughts on these themes too. We’d love for you to comment, start a discussion, and share these posts with your networks.

Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out! posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!

Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.