Youth Leadership Program: Engagement & Systems Redesign
Shanice Coombs
Youth Leadership Program: Engagement & Systems Redesign
🔹 Summary
Designed and delivered a youth leadership program focused on self-development, wellness, and engagement, while improving participation through strategic program restructuring.
🔹 The Problem
Initial program interest was high, but attendance was low due to:
transportation barriers
scheduling conflicts
lack of accessibility
This highlighted a key issue: interest alone does not drive participation—structure does.
🔹 The Approach
I redesigned the program delivery model to remove barriers and improve accessibility.
This included:
partnering with a local high school
embedding the program within the school schedule
adapting content to suit the environment and audience
The program itself focused on:
self-awareness and leadership
communication and confidence
wellness and stress management
🔹 What I Delivered
Two structured workshop experiences
Interactive leadership and reflection activities
Community-based facilitation
Coordination with school leadership and partners
🔹 Outcome
36 participants served
Participation increased from 6 → 30 attendees (5x growth)
Strong engagement and positive feedback
Invitation for continued programming
🔹 Key Takeaway
Effective programs are not just well-designed—they are well-positioned within the realities of participants.
By aligning structure with accessibility, engagement and impact increase significantly.
🔹 Skills
Program Design
Facilitation
Community Engagement
Leadership Development
Strategic Problem Solving
🔹 Tools
Canva
Google Workspace
🔹Feedback
"Shanice delivered a leadership and self development workshop for students at Bernie Custis Secondary School, and the impact was evident from the outset. Students remained highly engaged and participated actively throughout the session. She fostered an environment that encouraged reflection, open discussion, and practical application, ensuring the material was both accessible and meaningful. Her ability to connect with students and present the content in an engaging, relatable manner was particularly noteworthy. We would gladly welcome her back to facilitate future programming."
Chad McPherson, Graduation Coach, Bernie Custis Secondary School, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board.
Workshop 2
Workshop 1
The Empowerment Blueprint
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Posted Apr 1, 2026
Program Design Facilitation Community Engagement Leadership Development Strategic Problem Solving
