Building a place where young people's stories count as knowledge

In Edmonton, An̄urika Onyenso is building ECHOFORM. She describes it as an emerging youth-led civic storytelling ecosystem in Canada. "It brings together writing, research, workshops, zines, and community conversations so young people can share lived experience in a way that feels real and useful," she says.

The first full programme cycle is under construction. She is putting the structure in place, from workshops and partnerships through to communications and publishing. "A lot of the work is already mapped out, and I am now moving into actual delivery," she says.

“I started ECHOFORM because I kept watching young people carry sharp insight, real experience, and honest questions into rooms that weren't built to hear them.”

An̄urika Onyenso

What comes out of it could take several forms. "That might look like a zine, a workshop, a writing lab, a public conversation, or a small showcase," she says. "I want the work to feel accessible and not overly formal."

Young people, she says, "have a lot to say" about their lives and their communities, "but they are not always given spaces that take their voice seriously." She has seen youth insight overlooked, or treated as an extra. "ECHOFORM is my way of creating that space," she says.

The platform is based in Edmonton for now. "The long term vision is for it to connect across communities all around the world," she says.

She is clear about what she wants it to do. "I want to build something that treats lived experience as knowledge and gives young people a way to share ideas, reflect, and create together."