New surveys want to hear from youth and immigrants
Two surveys are underway right now that will help us build a safe, inclusive community where everyone belongs. Young people and immigrants are both invited to share about their experiences in Waterloo Region:
- The Youth Impact Survey (for all youth ages 9 to 18) is being offered by the Children and Youth Planning Table,
- The Immigrant Survey (for people born outside Canada age 19+) is led by the Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership.
Both surveys are open until May 31.
The Children and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region is a community-wide partnership of service providers, researchers, planning bodies, and funders who serve children, youth, and families. This group works to improve the well-being of children and youth in Waterloo Region.
How can we serve young people, and give them what they need? One way is to ensure they are given a platform to express their needs, concerns and ideas in their own words – and that’s exactly what the current Youth Impact Survey aims to do.
Did you know? There are about 130,000 children and youth living in Waterloo Region. That is almost equal to the population of Cambridge.
“The experiences shared via the Youth Impact Survey enable government, organizations, and the community to ensure that young people’s voices and experiences are factored into their decisions,” said Jim Moss and Barb Cardow, who are co-chairs of the Children and Youth Planning Table.
“In this fourth year of the survey, we want to hear from over 2,000 diverse young people across Waterloo Region. We encourage anyone to share the survey with them so that their voices can be heard.”
You can read the CYPT’s 2025 Annual Report here.
For 20 years, hundreds of public, private, and non-profit organizations have worked together through the Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership to help immigrants succeed and the community prosper. The Immigrant Survey is a key tool that captures experiences from immigrants who are living, working, and studying in the region. Organizations can use that data to make change.
“When immigrants succeed, our entire region benefits,” said Dr. Ernest Osei, a past Chair of the Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership Council. “This survey gives us the insight needed to adapt services and build a stronger community for everyone. We encourage everyone born outside Canada to participate and influence the future.”
Both the Children and Youth Planning Table and the Immigration Partnership are partially funded and supported by the Region of Waterloo. As one of the partners supporting this important work, the Region’s resources help these community collaboratives make a direct impact on Waterloo Region and its residents.
The data from past versions of these surveys have been used by government, community organizations, and individuals in grant applications, strategic and service planning, labour force strategies and other decision-making efforts. Organizations in Waterloo Region have leveraged the Youth Impact Survey data to gain $2.99 million in funding to put towards supporting young people.
You can find past survey results online for both these surveys: