Bridging the Gap: Engaging Youth in Ottawa Recreation
Posted on Wednesday, April 9th, 2025
This research examined why Ottawa’s youth (18-25) had low participation in city-led recreational programs. Through surveys, interviews, and data analysis, we identified key participation barriers such as financial constraints, lack of awareness, and program inflexibility. The findings helped create recommendations for improving outreach strategies and program design, ideas that align with the City of Ottawa’s goals of community well-being. The outcome of this project involves a designed solution that aims to increase participation and create long-term, meaningful recreational opportunities for young adults by enhancing visibility and fostering a more engaging recreational environment.
Working on this project provided valuable insights into the complexities of engaging Ottawa’s youth in recreational programs. One of the primary challenges was recruiting participants for surveys and interviews, as identifying effective channels to reach the target demographic proved difficult. This challenge underscored the broader difficulties faced by the City of Ottawa in promoting its programs to young adults. The research process was enriching, as direct engagement with youth and subject matter experts offered deeper perspectives on the barriers to participation. These conversations fostered a more empathetic approach, ensuring that the proposed solutions accurately reflected the needs and preferences of the target audience. Additionally, the findings challenged initial assumptions, reinforcing the necessity of data-driven decision-making over speculation. The experience highlighted the critical role of user-centered design in developing effective, inclusive, and impactful solutions for community engagement.