Project Title: "Chinese Canadian Seniors Speak Out"

The objectives of this project are to

1. Provide opportunities for Chinese Canadian seniors to share their perspectives on their quality of life in Canada;
2. Raise awareness of social issues facing Chinese Canadian seniors including elder abuse and poverty;
3. Recognize and promote the contributions of Chinese Canadian seniors by publishing a collection of stories in a booklet.

Five community forums will be conducted for Chinese Canadian seniors living in the Toronto area. The seniors will share their experiences related to quality of life, network and learn from each other. They will also acquire public speaking skills trough their active advocacy role in telling their stories and raising awareness around the major issues that affect Chinese Canadian seniors.

A booklet will be produced to document and highlight seniors' contributions in Canadian society and will be distributed to community service providers and other stakeholders.

The collaboration between Chinese Canadian seniors and youth is a unique feature of this project. The Chinese Youth volunteers will be working as "Youth Ambassadors" to coordinate the community forums. The content of the forum will be determined by the seniors, while the youth members will be assisting in translation, notetaking and logistics. Our "Youth Ambassadors" will interview seniors and agencies that work with seniors to find out stories and edit the booklet.

This project provides a dialogue between seniors and youth, seniors and society!

"Chinese Canadian Seniors Speak Out!" project is federally funded and organized by Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter (CCNCTO).