Mental health was a frequently named concern for young people, with most young people saying that it was an issue which was not sufficiently acknowledged, understood, or addressed. 

Many young people were candid about their personal and familial financial challenges, noting that the pandemic had exacerbated and amplified the intensity of already-existing  pressures to make ends meet. 

Youth frequently shared that their experiences with school were a source of frustration, depression, and disappointment.  

Both waves of submissions demonstrated young people’s astute insights about how unfolding events were linked to and shaped by racism and other root-cause inequities pervasive in our country’s health, education, immigration, and workforce systems.