The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa has partnered with young people to create a volunteer Youth Action Arts Council, a first-of-its-kind art-focused group for students aged 13 to 17, The Chronicle reports. The council was founded by Manahel (Mona) Kashif, a Grade 11 student at Eastdale Collegiate and Vocational Institute.
Kashif says she pitched the idea to the gallery in May after feeling there were not enough art-focused extracurriculars for youth, and the two worked together to launch the council just before summer. Members earn community service hours while learning how an art gallery runs, planning events and working within a council structure, with roles in community outreach, event planning and social media.
The council debuted over the summer, including at the RMG Garden Party in August, where members designed pollinators for a community hand-painted mural at an Oshawa Garden Club event. The council is continuing into the school year with an autumn term and twice-monthly meetings to fit students' schedules, and RMG CEO Aliz Voz says she was 'very excited' when Kashif first pitched the idea.
Behind the story
Sources & publication details
- Byline
- Daily Durham News
- Published
- Oct 20, 2026, 10:13 a.m.
- Source
- chronicle.durhamcollege.ca
