Different Minds, Clearer Communication
Understanding how we think, interpret, and connect across differences
Welcome to the 2026 International Youth Forum (IYF)
About the Forum
Join Us at the 2026 International Youth Forum (IYF)
Hosted by the BC Children and Youth Connection Society
The International Youth Forum (IYF) 2026 is a youth-led global platform that brings together students from different countries to explore how we think, communicate, and understand one another.
- In 2026, the forum focuses on a simple but powerful question: Why do people misunderstand each other, even when they are trying to communicate?
Our Focus
- Adolescents today are growing up in an era defined by AI, social media, and constant streams of short-form content. While these technologies promise connection, they are also reshaping attention, expression, and the way young people make sense of the world.
- Communication has become faster and more frequent—but not necessarily clearer. Many young people experience stress, loneliness, or disconnection, not because they lack interaction, but because their thoughts and feelings are not fully understood.
- This forum explores how these shifting patterns of thinking and expression—across individuals and in contrast with AI—are influencing communication, and how we can build clearer, more meaningful understanding across different minds.
Research Behind the Forum
- This forum is supported by a youth-led research project conducted over several months.
- A group of student participants will:
- Complete short cognitive tasks (attention, reasoning, decision-making) Reflect on how they form and express their ideas
- Explore differences in thinking and communication styles
- Compare human responses with AI-generated responses (e.g., ChatGPT)
- These activities help make thinking processes visible and highlight how misunderstandings can occur.
- Participation in the research phase is not required to attend the forum.
An Open International Forum
- The forum is open to students from different countries and backgrounds.
- Participants do not need prior involvement in the research. Instead, the forum is designed as an interactive experience, where everyone can:
- Engage with the findings
- Participate in live activities
- Share perspectives from their own cultural and educational contexts
The goal is not just to present ideas, but to create meaningful interaction across countries.
Event Details
- Session 1: North America, Asia, Australia
- Meeting Dates:
- Friday, August 21, 2026 (North America)
- Saturday, August 22, 2026 (Asia-Pacific)
- Friday, August 21, 2026 (North America)
- Local Meeting Times:
- Vancouver (PDT):
- Meeting Dates:
Friday, August 21, 2026, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Toronto (EDT):
Friday, August 21, 2026, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
- China / Singapore / Malaysia (CST/SGT/MYT):
Saturday, August 22, 2026, 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- Japan / Korea (JST/KST):
Saturday, August 22, 2026, 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
- Sydney, Australia (AEST):
Saturday, August 22, 2026, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Session 2: North America, Europe, Africa
- Meeting Date:
- Saturday, August 22, 2026
- Saturday, August 22, 2026
- Local Meeting Times:
- Vancouver (PDT):
- Meeting Date:
Saturday, August 22, 2026, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Toronto (EDT):
Saturday, August 22, 2026, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
- United Kingdom (BST):
Saturday, August 22, 2026, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- France / Italy / Spain (CEST):
Saturday, August 22, 2026, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
- Ukraine (EEST):
Saturday, August 22, 2026, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
- South Africa (SAST):
Saturday, August 22, 2026, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
- Location: Online (via Zoom)
What Will Happen at the Forum
The forum is highly interactive and includes:
• Live cognitive activities (experience how people think differently)
• Presentation of research findings
• Human vs AI comparisons
• Short youth sharing from different countries
• Small-group discussions across cultures
This is not a lecture-based event.
It is a space where participants actively experience, reflect, and discuss.
Human Thinking & AI
The forum incorporates AI tools such as ChatGPT to provide a comparison with human thinking.
By examining differences between human responses and structured AI-generated outputs, participants will explore:
• What makes human thinking unique
• How clarity and expression differ
• What “effective communication” really means
Cognitive Diversity & Inclusion
The forum welcomes diverse ways of thinking, including neurodivergent perspectives.
Rather than focusing on labels, the forum explores:
How differences in thinking and expression—across all individuals—can lead to misunderstanding, and how those gaps can be bridged.
What Participants Will Gain
Participants will:
• Experience different ways of thinking firsthand
• Better understand why communication breaks down
• Learn simple ways to express ideas more clearly
• Develop awareness of different communication styles
• Engage with peers from different countries
Our Goal
This forum is built on a simple idea:
People often struggle not because they lack ideas, but because their ways of thinking and expressing are not always understood.
IYF 2026 aims to:
• Make thinking differences visible
• Turn misunderstanding into understanding
• Support clearer, more inclusive communication among youth
This is not just a forum about differences.
It is a space to experience them—and learn how to understand each other better.
Contact
If you are interested in joining as an individual representative, team, non-profit, campaign, school, or club, please reach out at bcyouthsince2017@gmail.com for further inquiries. Your voice helps us understand you better.
Questions?
Please reach out to the contacts below if you have any questions or need clarification. Our team is happy to help and we’d love to see you and your team at the IYF 2026!
- BC Youth HR Leadership Team – IYF Responders
📧 bcyouthsince2017@gmail.com
- Grace Lee – IYF & BC Youth Coordinator
📧 gracel7552@gmail.com
📱 Text: +1 (778) 953-6416
- Elianna Eagles – IYF Lead Team Volunteer
📧 eliannaeagles@outlook.com
📱 Text: +1 (780) 552-6999
Team Leaders
Grace Lee
Elianna Eagles
Elianna Eagles
Elianna Eagles
Elianna Eagles
Elianna Eagles
Tiana Hon
Caroline Rickards
Caroline Rickards
Caroline Rickards
Caroline Rickards
Caroline Rickards
Regional Liaison
Grace Lee
Caroline Rickards
Jadeon Smith
Regional Liaison – North America
Jadeon Smith
Caroline Rickards
Jadeon Smith
Regional Liaison – Europe
Tiana Hon
Caroline Rickards
Caroline Rickards
Regional Liaison – Asia (Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong)
Caroline Rickards
Caroline Rickards
Caroline Rickards
Regional Liaison
Chelsea Jiang
Sukhman Sekhon
Chelsea Jiang
Regional Liaison – North America
Queeny Li
Sukhman Sekhon
Chelsea Jiang
Regional Liaison – Africa
Sukhman Sekhon
Sukhman Sekhon
Sukhman Sekhon
Regional Liaison – North America
Jocelyn Niu
Sukhman Sekhon
Sukhman Sekhon
Regional Liaison – Asia
Amelie Wu
Ying Tong Yu
Amelie Wu
Regional Liaison – Australia and New Zealand
Lavina
Ying Tong Yu
Amelie Wu
Regional Liaison
Ying Tong Yu
Ying Tong Yu
Ying Tong Yu
Regional Liaison
Juniper
Ying Tong Yu
Ying Tong Yu
Regional Liaison
Volunteers
Be a Part of the Change – Volunteer!
Contribute to the success of the forum and help young people worldwide connect and express themselves.
📧 Contact us: bcyouthsince2017@gmail.com
Faites partie du changement – Devenez bénévole!
Contribuez au succès du forum et aidez les jeunes du monde entier à se connecter et à s’exprimer.
📧 Contactez-nous : bcyouthsince2017@gmail.com