Niagara high school students are invited to apply to a new youth engagement group launching at Brock this winter.

Friday, Dec. 20 is the online application deadline for the Perfectionism and Potential Youth Network, a project of Danielle Sirianni Molnar (BA ’01, MA ’05, PhD ’11), Canada Research Chair in Adjustment and Well-Being in Children and Youth.

“The network is designed to bring together a diverse group of teens who are navigating the complex pressures of modern adolescence,” says Sirianni Molnar, Associate Professor of Child and Youth Studies and Director of the Developmental Processes and Well-Being Lab (DPWBL) at Brock. “The group’s primary focus is creating a safe and open space for young people to share their experiences, particularly around topics like societal expectations, personal standards, perfectionism, academic stress, extracurricular activities and social media.”

The network will connect local youths between the ages of 13 and 18 at monthly meetings held on Brock’s main campus from January to May.

At these meetings, teens will be invited to share their thoughts related to perfectionism, anxiety, school achievement and pressures on young people. In turn, they will help researchers “develop interventions, programs and policies that better support the mental and emotional well-being of young people and ensure that research leads to positive changes that directly benefit teens,” says Sirianni Molnar

“Through candid discussions, teens will help shape our research questions so that they reflect real-life experiences, making sure that we as researchers are asking relevant and impactful questions,” she says. “We also want to ensure that we reach young people with research findings in a way that resonates with them.”

Participants will receive an honorarium of $300 and can earn community service hours by attending monthly meetings, which will offer a chance to chat with peers and researchers over pizza.

“Every perspective is valuable,” Sirianni Molnar says, emphasizing that no prior experience is needed to apply to the group.

“Whether a teen is someone who loves to speak up or someone who’s just starting to explore ways to get involved, whether a teen is passionate about social issues and school pressures or just simply wants to connect with other young people, their voice matters and we want to hear from them,” she says. “We hope that by engaging in this collaborative process, the Perfectionism and Potential Youth Network will not only amplify the voices of teens but also empower them to be agents of change.”