Rachel Forbes

Hi, my name is Rachel (she/her) and I was raised on the land known as Mohkinstsis. From a young age I was pulled into positions of leadership, wishing to create safe and inclusive spaces. This took me to Xixi'ai, Chengdu to collaboratively create a framework for running youth summer camps. Locally, I am a founding member of Empirical Freedom, and have used my experience in the wellness sector to run youth programs at the Mustard Seed's Neighbour Centre. I'm driven by a desire to help people feel better in their day-to-day lives and believe that starts with being seen and heard.

As the program assistant for Canada Bridge's social enterprise development, I hope to leverage the knowledge gained from my General Studies BA from Athabasca University to inform the discourse surrounding structural and systemic inequality as we work toward sustainable and equitable social development. Canada Bridges is currently exploring the development of a social enterprise to diversify our revenue and fund our programs. Our vision is a world where youth can show up, stand up, and be heard. Working by invitation, our mission is to listen, learn, and collaborate with Treaty 7 communities for unveiled youth potential. We believe that all youth are well-positioned to go beyond societal, cultural, and institutional barriers. Youth can enliven and connect the wisdom of their communities to strengthen the social fabric of Treaty 7 and the world. Youth have an important perspective, potential, and incredible motivation to make change in their communities. Through various initiatives, we support these youth leaders to create change and share their voices. We do this by providing skill building, mentorship, coaching, and supporting organizations to create more opportunities for diverse youth-led change.

Outside of work, I enjoy travelling, movement, concerts, video games, and being by the river or under the stars.

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