This report was published by the Assets Coming Together for Youth Project at York University.

HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT:

The Assets Coming Together for Youth Project (ACT for Youth) is a five-year community-university research partnership that is focused on developing a comprehensive youth strategy that will outline how urban communities like the Jane-Finch community can build assets for youth. ACT for Youth draws from the positive youth development perspective that promotes youth assets rather than focusing on youth problems. ACT for Youth integrates the positive youth development perspective with a social justice approach that recognizes that youth in ‘marginalized’ urban communities experience barriers such as racism, sexism, poverty, zero-tolerance, and unemployment that are ‘toxic’ to their wellbeing.

In the summer of 2010, ACT for Youth set up Mobile Speakers’ Corner stands in two malls in the Jane/Finch community. Youth who were interested in participating were asked to record their personal views about violence, turf or wellbeing using a tape recorder. 50 youth accepted this invitation and shared their views anonymously. The 50 youth were between 16- and 29-years-old and from diverse ethnic backgrounds. There were almost equal numbers of females and males. The views that youth shared were transcribed by ACT for Youth’s 2010 youth interns. Four research assistants from a range of backgrounds worked together to read the transcripts and identify some of the key themes that came up in the Mobile Speakers’ Corner. The quotations used in this booklet are taken directly from the transcripts.