Youth Action Now is a group of diverse and dynamic young people taking action in our communities. 

Most of us are 14 to 30 – though some are older and some younger. 

We come from a wide range of backgrounds and beliefs, orientations and identities. But we share a commitment to justice and to creating a world that is fair, inclusive and sustainable.

Inspired by Paul Dewar, we collaborate with allies, friends, mentors, and supporters. 

We are passionate about the power of young leaders working together for change.

Paige kezimA

Paige Kezima (she/her) spent her childhood on a farm on Treaty 4 territory in rural Saskatchewan. She moved to Regina to pursue post-secondary education (a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a certificate in Public Relations). In 2017, she made Ottawa her new home.

Professionally, Paige has worked as a community organizer in the labour movement, and in member-driven non-profit organizations. Currently she works with a national Indigenous non-profit organization.

As an avid volunteer for leftist organizations and campaigns, she has experience in communications and volunteer engagement. Paige currently is on the executive for the Ontario NDP People living with DisABILITIES committee.

Paige is also passionate about mental health advocacy and disability justice, and has had personal pieces published in The Mighty, Sick Not Weak, This Magazine, and even in a book (But You Don't Look Sick: The Real Life Adventures of Fibro Bitches, Lupus Warriors, and Other Superheroes Battling Invisible Illness).

Paige has a love for cats, politics, and homemade pierogies.

JULIA SNEYD

Julia is the cofounder of Youth Action Now, along with her late husband, Paul Dewar. She is a mother of two wonderful sons- Nathaniel and Jordan. By profession, she was a proud public elementary teacher (JK- gr.6) with a specialty in supporting students with special needs. In the later years of her career, she taught teachers working with students on the Autism Spectrum.

Julia is an advocate for the environment and her community. One of her favourite initiatives was creating the Children's Garden in Old Ottawa East with SLOE and Lady Evelyn Alternative School. She is a firm believer in starting ‘local’ and collaborative initiatives. She enjoys the outdoors, renovating and reading. Julia is inspired by watching young people make changes. She hopes Youth Action Now will encourage youth to ‘dream big’ and follow their passions.

Danielle Kydd

My name is Danielle Kydd (she/her), and I am a recent graduate from the University of Ottawa with a degree in Public Administration and Political Science. I currently work for the federal government. My biggest passions include intersectional feminism, public transit, and supporting Ottawa-based coffee shops.

As a new steering committee member, I look forward to sharing my previous experiences with youth program development and event planning. I am excited to be a part of an organization working to create inclusive and accessible opportunities for youth, mainly through YAN’s Start-up NOW funding. From my experience, applying for and receiving grant funding can be a daunting task. I love that YAN ensures their Start-up NOW funding is easy to use for and accessible to youth with diverse lived experiences.

Dolly Cepeda

I was born in Bogotá, Colombia, in 1997. I sought asylum in Canada in 2005, growing up in Edmonton, Alberta, where I swam competitively at the national level, moving to Gatineau in 2015 to study at uOttawa. I spend my days advocating for environmental sustainability, intersectional feminism, electoral reform and civic engagement.

To locally increase civic engagement here in Ottawa, I co-founded Civic Ottawa. This online resource aims to empower youth to regularly engage in government, for which we received a grant from YAN this summer. The first time I heard about Youth Action Now was when I heard Paul Dewar give a speech at the 2018 Eco Gala, where I was a volunteer server, and his speech made me stop in my tracks. His fervent belief in the potential of youth to make the world a better place thoroughly resonated and motivated me to get involved in any way I could with the organization, and it's why I'm super excited to be a part of YAN.

Jordan leichnitz

Jordan Leichnitz has over fifteen years of experience in progressive political, strategy, advocacy and campaign work, with a gender equity background. She’s passionate about youth-led change and continuing Paul’s legacy to build a better Canada.

ROBIN MAClachlan

Robin built an understanding of communications, stakeholder engagement and the legislative process as a political staffer to two Members of Parliament. During his time in the political trenches, Robin worked at the local level as a Constituency Assistant and on Parliament Hill as a Legislative and Communications Assistant. Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, out of the office, Robin can be found playing football and softball or telling tales of his rugby career while cheering on the Ottawa Irish Rugby Club. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of Rugby Ontario.

ROBERT FOX

Robert has worked locally, nationally and internationally as an advocate for human rights, gender justice, and grassroots empowerment. He has seen and supported the transformative power of young people - as a young activist working against poverty and pollution and through a lifetime amplifying the voices of those who are silenced or ignored. Robert has served on the Steering Committee from the outset.

GAVIN CHARLES

Since Gavin Charles moved to Ottawa from Halifax eight years ago, he's spent time on both sides of political advocacy. He spent several years on Parliament Hill and several years since then in civil society, working on various global issues. Gavin believes in the power of all people to influence their communities and the wider world positively. He chose to work with Youth Action Now because he has seen the ability of youth to create positive change and knows there are countless more brilliant ideas inside young peoples' heads just waiting to be empowered.

HOLLY PRICE

Holly Price is a communications professional and activist who lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. She is passionate about intersectional feminism, youth empowerment, anti-racism, affordable housing, education, and politics. Holly has many years of experience working with political campaigns, non-profits, and campus clubs to make changes in her community and more broadly. Holly was part of a group that founded “Welcome Box,” a local non-profit that provided refugee families with essential items and access to community resources on their arrival to Ottawa. She is excited to be a part of Youth Action Now and believes strongly in the change-making power of young people.

JAMES Casey

My name is James Casey, and I am a student activist and a third-year Political Science and Economics student at the University of Ottawa. As a young person who cannot attend school this year because of the provincial cuts to OSAP, I care a lot about how other young people are affected by government cuts to services and are in precarious situations. I want to ensure that youth in our community have a voice in their interests. These are some of the many reasons why I am super excited to join Youth Action Now and why I can confidently say that this youth organization is the best vehicle to affect change for youth in Ottawa.

Tausif Ahmed

Tausif works at the Youth Services Bureau on the Ethnocultural Youth Advisory Committee (EYAC), advocating for immigrant youth and organizing events to celebrate cultural diversity within the community. As an activist, Tausif is particularly passionate about mental health advocacy, serving on the executive committee of the University of Ottawa’s Mental Health Awareness Society and spearheading several impactful mental health initiatives.

Tausif is currently studying at the University of Ottawa in Health Sciences and plans to pursue a career serving vulnerable populations in medicine.