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Research Participants Needed: Experiences of Racialized Children w/Disabilities from Perspective of Health Providers & Policymakers
Are you: A designated healthcare professional (e.g., nurse, nurse practitioner, physician, social worker, occupational or physical therapist, etc.) working in Canada who has experience working with racialized or BIPOC children/youth with disabilities in a pediatric healthcare setting? A healthcare leader or policymaker (e.g., working in hospital or government policy, hospital management, or a hospital CEO)… View Article
Tags: BIPOC youth, Black youth, health and wellbeing, health care services, health equity, Indigenous Youth, racialized youth, youth living with a disability, Youth Policy, youth with disabilities, youth work practice
April 22, 2025
Indicators for Evaluation
This toolkit was created by My-Peer Toolkit and shared by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: Indicators are necessary to help determine what data needs to be collected to assist in assessing the progress of the program and if it is on track to achieving its goals and objectives. For example, an objective… View Article
April 16, 2025
Sample Logic Model
This toolkit was created by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: This sample logic model provides examples of Inputs, Activities, Outputs, as well as short-term Outcomes (proximal) and long-term Outcomes (distal), demonstrating the relationships between these different components of the model. Note: For illustrative purposes only.
Tags: evaluation plan, logic model, Program Evaluation, template, youth program evaluation
Evaluation Checklist
This toolkit was created by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: YouthREX created this checklist for youth programs to review during Step 01 of YouthREX’s Framework for Evaluating Youth Wellbeing: Pre-Evaluation Check Up. Activities related to effective evaluation from Steps 01 through 07 of the Framework are included and space is also provided… View Article
Tags: evaluation framework, evaluation plan, Program Evaluation, template, youth program evaluation
Weed Out the Risk: Free Training
Springboard Services is offering a free training, Weed Out the Risk (WOTR), an evidence-based program designed for youth that explores the risks of driving impaired or under the influence of cannabis. Grounded in harm reduction, WOTR includes a variety of interactive components to engage participants and increase learning. Since 2014, the program has been delivered… View Article
Tags: cannabis use, capacity building, harm reduction, professional development, training, youth cannabis use, youth substance use
Global Youth Summit Advocacy Survey: For Youth
The Young Diplomats of Canada (YDC) has selected four Canadian delegates to represent Canada and Canadian youth at the Youth7 and Youth20 Summits taking place in May and August 205. Using an online survey, available in both English and French, the delegates are currently gathering the views of young people across the country, primarily those… View Article
Tags: activism, Advocacy, global advocacy, Global Movement, youth engagement, youth-led movements, youth-led organizing
The Impact of YouthREX: Quotes From Stakeholders
This report was published by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: In the Fall of 2023, The Evidence Network (TEN) was retained to conduct an external evaluation of the impact of YouthREX on individuals and organizations that have used YouthREX’s services. Informed by a theory-based approach that seeks to understand the degree to which… View Article
Tags: Evaluation, Program Evaluation, stakeholders
April 15, 2025
The Impact of YouthREX: Highlights From an External Evaluation by The Evaluation Network (2024)
This report was published by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: This highlight report is taken from the Impact Evaluation Report by The Evidence Network (TEN) that was submitted in January 2024 to YouthREX’s primary funder. York University engaged TEN in the Fall of 2023 to conduct an external evaluation of the impact of… View Article
Tags: Evaluation, Program Evaluation, stakeholders
The Impact of YouthREX: Highlights From Internal Evaluation Data (2021-2022)
This report was published by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: YouthREX understands that the most important statement that we can make about the importance of ‘evidence-based practice’ is our willingness to open up our own practices to examination and embrace an ongoing, reflexive, multidimensional, and multi-method approach in evaluating the outcomes of our… View Article
Tags: Evaluation, Program Evaluation, stakeholders
Centering Youth in Mental Health: Youth Expertise and Innovation at International Association of Youth Mental Health
Youth must have an active voice in transforming mental health, a fact underscored at the recent International Association of Youth Mental Health Conference (IAYMH) in Vancouver, where 30% of attendees were young people themselves. The IAYMH is a global organization that brings together key stakeholders to drive innovation in youth mental health systems. I attended… View Article
Tags: conference, supporting youth mental health, youth conference, youth engagement, youth mental health, youth-led projects
April 9, 2025
Youth Partnerships in Research Toolkit
This toolkit was developed by Orygen. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: Orygen’s Youth Partnerships in Research Toolkit has three parts, including principles of youth partnerships, different ways in which young people can be involved as partners in research, and a practical checklist to use when starting up a new partnership. It was developed… View Article
April 7, 2025
Communications and Digital Engagement Associate
Position Type: Part-Time; 1-Year Contract, 1-3 Days/Week Salary: $30-$40/hour, commensurate with qualifications and experience Location: York University, Toronto, Ontario As YouthREX’s Communications and Digital Engagement Associate, you’ll play a critical role in implementing our overall communications strategy and our social media engagement to support YouthREX’s vision of facilitating shared knowledge for better youth outcomes! The… View Article
March 28, 2025
Evaluating Community Engagement: An Evaluation Guide and Toolkit for Practical Use
This toolkit was developed by Everyday Democracy. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: This guide offers tips for evaluating community engagement. It is intended to be a practical, hands-on tool to help determine if you are ready to evaluate your community engagement work, and, if so, it offers considerations for implementing an evaluation.
March 25, 2025
Making a Difference — Final Report: Examining Impact of Race & Culture Assessments
This report was published by Peacebuilders Canada. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: With generous funding and support from the Law Foundation of Ontario, Peacebuilders led the Making a Difference project, which researched the different impacts that Impact of Race and Culture Assessments (IRCAs), also known as Enhanced Pre-Sentence Reports (EPSRs), can have. To… View Article
March 20, 2025
Parliamentary Internship for the Environment – Applications Now Open!
The Parliamentary Internship for the Environment (PIE) program is now accepting applications. It offers young environmental leaders aged 18-30 the opportunity to gain paid, full-time experience on Parliament Hill. Interns will work closely with Parliamentarians from all national parties and engage in environmental policymaking while receiving a $30,000 stipend. This initiative is open to youth… View Article
Tags: Environment, Indigenous Youth, internship, paid opportunity, politics, Sustainablity
March 19, 2025
Confronting Afrophobia: A Phenomenological Inquiry on the Marginalization of African-Canadian Youth in Canadian Institutions
In this qualitative paper, we address, from the perspectives of youth workers, how Afrophobia marginalizes African-Canadian youth in youth-serving organizations and institutions. Using phenomenology and online data from Youth Research and Evaluation Exchange (YouthREX’s) Virtual Café, we therefore interrogate from the above perspectives, how youth sector professionals (YSPs) including youth workers themselves, challenge or enable Afrophobia-caused… View Article
March 17, 2025
What Do We Want To Know? Selecting Indicators
This toolkit was developed by Dr. Linda Mayoux. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: Indicators are needed in order to make the process of investigation manageable. But what exactly are indicators? How do we condense the complexities of reality into a few manageable and measurable indicators? Who should do the condensing? How do we… View Article
March 13, 2025
Data Visualization Techniques: How to Tell Your Story to Make It Stick
This toolkit was developed by Angie Fleck with Professional Data Analysts, Inc. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: This resource is from a presentation developed by Program Evaluator Angie Fleck, providing a comprehensive overview with tips on data visualization considerations, approaches, and techniques.
Making Sense of Your Results for an Initial Survey
This toolkit was developed by NPC’s Well-being Measure. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: This tool helps you make sense of results from an initial survey. Interpreting your results may seem daunting, but if you follow our guidance it shouldn’t be! There are three parts to making sense of your results that are covered… View Article
Making Sense of Your Results for a Follow-Up Survey
This toolkit was developed by NPC’s Well-being Measure. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: This tool helps you make sense of results from a follow-up survey. Interpreting your results may seem daunting, but if you follow our guidance it shouldn’t be! There are three parts to making sense of your results that are covered… View Article
Communicating Evaluation Results
This toolkit was developed by the Minnesota Office of Justice Programs. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: Once you have analyzed your data, you should share this information with your identified stakeholders. Effective communication strategies help stakeholders understand the results and use the information to improve programming and guide policy enhancements. This tipsheet outlines… View Article
Analyzing Evaluation Results
This toolkit was developed by the Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: This resource is an excerpt from Reflect and Improve: A Tool Kit for Engaging Youth and Adults as Partners in Program Evaluation, designed for adult and youth staff at youth development and youth civic engagement… View Article
Effective Focus Groups
This factsheet was created by AIDS Project Los Angeles. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS FACTSHEET: A focus group is a research method that includes a focused discussion among 6-12 similar people facilitated by a skilled moderator where participants provide qualitative data to help understand an area of inquiry. Then careful, systematic analysis of the… View Article
Method Mini-Toolkit – Focus Group Interviews: An Overview
This toolkit was developed by the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions (formerly the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health). HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: A focus group is a type of interview that involves a number of participants and a facilitator who asks questions… View Article
Qualitative Methods
This toolkit was developed by Dr. Linda Mayoux. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: Qualitative methods are an essential complement to both quantitative and participatory methods in any impact assessment. This tool outlines the principles and contributions of qualitative methods, challenges, approaches (including interviews, direct observation, and case studies), as well as guidelines for… View Article
Method Mini-Toolkit – Qualitative Interviewing: An Overview
This toolkit was developed by the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions (formerly the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health). HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: A qualitative interview is a one-on-one, guided conversation used to gather in-depth information about someone’s feelings, thoughts and experiences related… View Article
A Guide to Developing Effective Questionnaires
This toolkit was developed by the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: This step-by-step guide provides resources and advice on developing effective questionnaires. It is designed for service providers and agency leaders in the child and youth mental health and addictions sector. Throughout this… View Article
Doing Evaluation: Data Collection – Example
This toolkit was created by the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions (formerly the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health). HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: This worksheet provides examples of data collection tasks, with space for the user to identify responsibilities and deadlines.
March 12, 2025
Planning Evaluation: Summary of Common Evaluation Methods
This factsheet was created by the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions (formerly the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health). HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS FACTSHEET: This factsheet outlines various evaluation methods, providing descriptions and assessments on the usefulness and disadvantages of each approach.
Process Evaluation Matrix
This toolkit was developed by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: This worksheet was designed for participants completing the Program Evaluation for Youth Wellbeing certificate. Review the outputs (participants and activities) of your logic model and use these to generate evaluation questions relevant to your program for your evaluation plan. An example is… View Article
Tags: Evaluation, evaluation plan, logic model, measuring process, process, process evaluation, Program Evaluation, template, toolkit
Outcome Evaluation Matrix
This toolkit was developed by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: This worksheet was designed for participants completing the Program Evaluation for Youth Wellbeing certificate. Review the outcomes of your logic model and use it to generate evaluation questions relevant to your program for your evaluation plan. An example is provided.
Tags: Evaluation, evaluation plan, logic model, measuring outcomes, outcome evaluation, outcomes, Program Evaluation, template, toolkit
Logic Model Development Workbook
This toolkit was developed by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: Adapted from FRIENDS National Resource Center for CBCAP, this workbook supports the development of a program logic model and was designed for participants completing the Program Evaluation for Youth Wellbeing certificate.
Tags: Evaluation, evaluation plan, logic model, Program Evaluation, template, toolkit
Evaluation Plan Template
This toolkit was developed by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: Designed for participants completing the Program Evaluation for Youth Wellbeing certificate, the Evaluation Plan Template covers everything you need to know in 10 short sections to develop a written evaluation plan for your program. A written evaluation plan fosters transparency and ensures that stakeholders… View Article
Tags: Evaluation, evaluation plan, Program Evaluation, template, toolkit
Impact of Race and Culture Assessment (IRCA) Legal Training Workshop
This workshop will feature expert speaker/trainer, Barrister & Solicitor Gail D. Smith, at Albion Neighbourhood Services, 21 Panorama Court, Suite 14, in Etobicoke. The workshop will give you the tools and knowledge to understand IRCAs in Ontario, how IRCAs are perceived in court, what a potential cross examination could be like, and clarity on the… View Article
Tags: Black youth, criminal justice, justice, racialized youth, youth in conflict with the law
Understanding Your Stress: Activity Book & Meditation Series
This toolkit was developed by New Leaf Foundation. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: This 4-week activity book is designed to help you understand how stress affects you physically, mentally, and emotionally, and learn how to work with it in positive ways. We all experience stress and not all types of stress are the… View Article
March 7, 2025
Mindfulness Resources
This toolkit was developed by New Leaf Foundation. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: Welcome to this collection of mindfulness resources, created by New Leaf Foundation. These resources — info sheets, activities, colouring pages, and games — are designed to help you integrate mindfulness into your daily life, whether you are a youth, parent,… View Article
PAUSE – An Introduction to Mindfulness: Four-Week Meditation Series & Activity Book
This toolkit was developed by New Leaf Foundation. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: This 4-week activity book is designed to introduce you to mindfulness. Mindfulness can be done anytime and anywhere. We’re often practicing mindfulness without even realizing it! Everytime we pause and pay attention to what’s happening around us in a curious… View Article
Trauma- and Violence-Informed Digital Media Literacy Education: A Handbook for Facilitators
This toolkit was developed by MediaSmarts. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: Resilience Through DigitalSmarts: Digital Literacy for Survivors of Technology-Facilitated Violence is designed to provide digital media literacy resources for practitioners in the violence against women (VAW) sector and survivors of family violence – specifically those who have experienced or are experiencing technology-facilitated… View Article
Toward Transformative Change: An Implementation Plan for Canada’s Black Justice Strategy
This report was published by the Department of Justice Canada. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: Black people in Canada continue to live with the lingering effects of colonialism and slavery, including prejudice, discrimination, and hatred — from unconscious bias to anti-Black hate crimes and violence. These systemic inequalities have resulted in the overrepresentation… View Article
Building a Protective Community for All Children and Adolescents: Best Practices in Sexual Violence Prevention and Intervention
This video was produced by the Learning Network. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS VIDEO: The aim of this presentation is to make professionals aware of the extent of the problem of sexual violence in childhood and adolescence, and of best practices in prevention and intervention in this field. After providing an overview of the… View Article
The urgent mental health needs of young people: Lessons for Canada from a global commission
Canada urgently needs to take action to support the wellbeing of young people and secure a healthier and more prosperous future for generations to come. Since 2015, well before the COVID-19 pandemic began, self-reported mental health has notably declined among young people. Currently, 1.25 million young people require mental health support. According to Mental Health… View Article
Tags: Mental Health, mental health priorities, mental health program, youth activism, youth advocacy, youth mental health, youth-led
March 4, 2025
The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Youth Mental Health
Evidence suggests that in many countries, the mental health of young people has been declining over the past two decades, signalling a warning that global megatrends and changes in many societies are increasing mental ill health. Mental illnesses have their peak onset at age 15 years, and early intervention is crucial. The developing field of… View Article
March 3, 2025
A Generation at Risk: The State of Youth Mental Health in Canada
This report was published by Mental Health Research Canada. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: Created in partnership with Bell Let’s Talk and several mental health organizations, this report provides an unprecedented look into the state of youth mental health across Canada. It combines data from national polling, interviews with Canadian youth, and input from… View Article
Race to an Inclusive Canada Micro-Grants – Applications Now Open!
The Race to an Inclusive Canada micro-grants program is now accepting applications, offering youth aged 15-29 the opportunity to receive $2,800 in funding to develop projects that promote inclusion, equity, and community-building across Canada. This initiative supports youth-led projects, whether individual or group-based, that foster meaningful connections and contribute to a more inclusive society. Young… View Article
Tags: community building, diversity, equity, Funding, grant, inclusion, youth led organziation
February 27, 2025
Canada Youth Climate Action Award
Pivot Green is proud to once again accept applications to the Canadian Youth Climate Action Award in partnership with the Small Change Fund. The deadline for applications is March 17, 2025. The Canadian Youth Climate Action Award will provide the first-place prize winner with $7,500 and a plaque. Two $3,500 prizes will be given to… View Article
Tags: climate action, Climate Change, Climate Justice, environmental action, youth-led
February 25, 2025
The Call-In-Cards for Anti-Black Racism Action | Online Workshop
Join us for this free interactive online workshop to learn strategies for committing to transformative action against anti-Black racism. This interactive online workshop presents The Kit for Centering Black Youth Wellbeing, an online hub that takes a multi-faceted approach to addressing anti-Black racism and centering the wellbeing of Black youth, families, and communities. The Kit was… View Article
Tags: anti-Black racism, Black Futures Month, Workshop
February 21, 2025
The Call-In-Cards for Anti-Black Racism Action | In-Person Workshop
Join us for this interactive workshop to learn strategies for committing to transformative action against anti-Black racism. This interactive workshop presents The Kit for Centering Black Youth Wellbeing, an online hub that takes a multi-faceted approach to addressing anti-Black racism and centering the wellbeing of Black youth, families, and communities. The Kit provides: the knowledge and… View Article
Navigating Drift: Exploring Current Challenges & Opportunities in Health Promotion and Upstream Prevention
KDE Hub is hosting a webinar featuring Dr. Tanya Halsall, Scientist at the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, titled “Navigating Drift: Exploring Current Challenges & Opportunities in Health Promotion and Upstream Prevention.” Upstream approaches focus on preventing problems before they happen and enhancing overall well-being. This webinar will explore issues related to the… View Article
Tags: health promotion, public health, webinar, youth mental health, youth substance use
February 20, 2025
Black Voices in Social Work: On-Demand Access for Black History Month
In honour of Black History Month, the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW) is offering free on-demand access for their Black Voices in Social Work series until February 28, 2025. This special offering highlights Black expertise, innovation, and Black-centric approaches in social work, with two impactful sessions led by Black social work professionals. Featured Sessions:… View Article
Tags: anti-Black racism, Black communities, Black History Month, black mental health, racial trauma, social work, webinar
Skilled Trades Training Opportunity for Youth
Are you a youth aged 20-34 interested in a career in the skilled trades? The Skills Development and Future of Work (SDF) Program is your opportunity to gain hands-on training, industry certifications, and career guidance to kickstart your future in construction and emerging industries. Program Benefits: Job & Co-op placement services Custom career action plans… View Article
Tags: career development, Career planning, construction, job placement, mentorship, Networking, skilled trades
Impact Page WORKING
“I think providing an accessible space for people to learn is power. … I have never experienced an opportunity that has valued youth workers and youth to this degree and even provided evidence-based workshops and lectures to support the importance.”Read our impact report for more quotes from our stakeholders“Our collaboration with YouthREX has been a… View Article
February 19, 2025
Cannabis Use among Canadian Students
This infographic was created by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS INFOGRAPHIC: Illustrates survey data on cannabis use among Canadian grade 7 to 12 students between 2007 and 2015. This infographic shows that 1 in 3 students used cannabis, although use is declining, and 14 years was… View Article
February 18, 2025
Building a Protective Community for All Children and Adolescents: Best Practices in Sexual Violence Prevention and Intervention
The aim of this presentation is to make professionals aware of the extent of the problem of sexual violence in childhood and adolescence, and of best practices in prevention and intervention in this field. After providing an overview of the problem, we will discuss the service model developed at Marie-Vincent, a Child and Youth Support Centre… View Article
Tags: gender-based violence
Youth Engagement Toolkit: Resource Guide
This toolkit was developed by the Ministry of Children & Family Development (British Columbia). HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: The Resource Guide provides in-depth information about youth engagement, as well as practical strategies for engaging youth. It is a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about youth engagement. The guide can… View Article
February 14, 2025
The Diversity of the Black Populations in Canada, 2021: A Sociodemographic Portrait
This report was published by Statistics Canada. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: The Diversity of the Black Populations in Canada, 2021: A Sociodemographic Portrait is the first of a portrait series that Statistics Canada developed to support the initiatives under Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy, which seeks to address racism and discrimination faced by racialized… View Article
February 13, 2025
Artificial Intelligence in Program Evaluation: Insights and Applications
The practice note outlines six approaches to integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into program evaluation, enhancing traditional methods with data-driven insights and improved efficiency. These approaches aim to address the growing need for evaluators to analyze complex datasets accurately while reducing manual effort. They include identifying patterns in data to uncover trends… View Article
Evaluating Youth Work With Vulnerable Young People
The central objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of youth work with vulnerable young people – primarily between the ages of 13 and 16. Four complementary methods were adopted: a survey of secondary school pupils, a series of focus group interviews with young people with experience of youth work, and individual interviews… View Article
Informal Education, Youth Work and Youth Development: Responding to the Brathay Trust Case Study
Youth work as a distinctive process-led, young person-centred educational practice has been on the wane for at least two decades. Its open, improvisatory and unpredictable character has not fitted well with an increasingly instrumental and behavioural neo-liberal agenda. As youth work has declined, other forms of work with young people have risen in prominence, particularly… View Article
“I did a lot of good today”: Child and Youth Care Workers’ Perceptions of Their Work
Child and Youth Care is a challenging field characterized by intensive daily involvement with youth at risk. It belongs to the wider area of helping professions but has its distinct attributes related to clients’ characteristics and working environment. This study explores how Child and Youth Care workers in Israel experience their work with youth, its… View Article
Developing Culturally Responsive Youth Workers
Culturally Responsive Youth Work: The Journey Matters is based on the theory that when knowledge and skills are found within the lived experiences and cultural contexts of youth, they are more meaningful and more engaging and are learned more easily. The program was evaluated using a retrospective pre-then-post-test evaluation and showed significant increases in participants’… View Article
Leveraging Dilemmas as a Pedagogical Tool for Novice Youth Worker Learning
Youth workers are educators who play an essential role in the social, emotional, and academic development of youth in afterschool contexts. They build expertise on the job, learning implicit know-how through contextualized and relationally constructed practice and reflection. The field, however, has under conceptualized how to foster implicit knowledge development in youth workers. Most youth… View Article
The Contribution of Professional Youth Work to the Personal Development and Social Participation of Socially Vulnerable Youngsters: A Dutch Longitudinal Cohort Study
This article focuses on how length of participation in professional youth work is associated with five outcome variables: prosocial skills, self-mastery, social network, civic participation (volunteering and organizing activities), and finding support from social care services. The study was designed as a longitudinal cohort study of four waves during a 16-month period, gathering the data… View Article
Captured by Capital: Youth Work and the Loss of Revolutionary Potential
This paper focuses on the tradition of ‘‘radical youth work’’ within western democratic societies. It argues that this tradition has been lost within the field of contemporary youth work through the appropriation of youth services by capitalist interests. Utilizing Marxist and post-Marxist analysis, the mechanisms by which capitalism has removed the revolutionary political possibilities of… View Article
The Experience of Open Access Youth Work: The Voice of Young People
This research explores young people’s experiences of open access youth work and identifies what they consider to be its value. The detailed analysis of the data, achieved through focus groups, revealed that ‘association’ was a key driver of engagement. It also highlighted the support system the youth club creates amongst the peers. The young people… View Article
Youth-Centred Research-Based Model – An Innovative Tool in Youth Work
Terms like youth-friendly, youth-focused, youth-centred, youth-responsive, etc., have been used to describe the opportunities and services offered to young people. Such concepts often refer to essential and suitable forms of activity and their quality for young people. However, the term “youth-centred” or “youth-centred approach” is not unambiguously understandable in youth work or in other services… View Article
Exploring Young People’s and Youth Workers’ Experiences of Spaces for ‘Youth Development’: Creating Cultures of Participation
The paper focuses on the emergence of ‘positive youth development’ and its impact on older, more established practices of working with young people, such as youth work. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in England between 2004 and 2006, in particular young people’s and youth workers’ accounts of participating in youth work, the analysis engages with the… View Article
De-Marginalizing Youngsters in Public Space: Critical Youth Workers and Local Municipalities in the Struggle over Public Space in Belgium
This paper discusses the variety of ways in which youth workers in five Flemish municipalities engage in strategic relational and narrative work with young people and actors in their institutional environment to develop alternative perspectives on young people in public space. Drawing on qualitative case studies, we identify critical youth workers’ successful and less successful… View Article
In a Different Mindset: Critical Youth Work with Marginalized Youth
Critical youth work is based on a dual focus, on individual psychosocial development on the one hand, and collective critical consciousness and the promotion of social justice on the other. Although in practice, critical youth work is gaining popularity as an alternative to person-centered youth work, the theoretical and empirical literature has not kept pace…. View Article
Encountering Young People in Detached Youth Work in Finland
In this article we explore the encounters between young people and youth workers in detached youth work (conducted outside of youth centers and schools). We ask: How should the diversity of environments in detached youth work be considered? How do the three dimensions of encounter appear in detached youth work? The research data is based… View Article
Decolonizing Youth Development: Re-Imagining Youthwork for Indigenous Youth Futures
Drawing on scientific theories of racial supremacy and efforts by Western nations to develop uncivilized races, preeminent psychologist G. Stanley Hall proposed that the bio-psychological development of children recapitulated the ancient history of mankind. Utilizing Hall’s theory, US youth organizations designed programs for young people to engage corresponding sociological stages. Using archival sources, I document… View Article
Are You for Real? Investigating Authenticity in Community-Based Youth Work Practice
Community-based youth workers are tasked increasingly to balance delivery of key policy priorities, whilst supporting young people to manage issues in their day-to-day lives. Contemporary practice is often marked by an increasing emphasis on delivery and measurement of predetermined outcomes and targeted provision. Practitioner boundaries have become unclear, challenging the nature of their relationships with… View Article
At Risk of What? Possibilities Over Probabilities in the Study of Young Lives
This paper draws on a series of 45 interviews with recipients of social assistance between the ages of 16 and 24 to offer a critical assessment of the language of ‘risk’ and ‘resilience.’ After briefly tracing the development of this vocabulary and approach in youth research, this paper argues in line with existing critiques (Kelly… View Article
‘Evaluation is storytelling’: Amplifying Youth and Youth Worker Voice, Part 2
This is the second of a two-part interview with Kathe Rogers, Managing Director of YouthREX, originally published by Mass Culture on February 10, 2025. In part two, Kathe reflects on how YouthREX supports building evaluation capacity and advancing evidence-informed youth work. The conversation with Kathe shifts to YouthREX’s tools, including the Youth-Friendly Measures Inventory. “This… View Article
Tags: Evaluation, evaluation equity, inclusivity, Program Evaluation, youth program evaluation, youthrex-text-tag
Beyond Professionalism: The Child and Youth Care Worker as Craftsman
In an effort to move the professionalization dialogue in child and youth care toward greater concern with the quality of client service and toward more conceptually-based consideration of the content of the work, the authors propose that the field be viewed as a craft. An initial approximation of such a conceptualization as it might look… View Article
February 12, 2025
Struggles and Silences: Policy, Youth Work and the National Citizen Service
Leading education policy researchers argue that policy is best understood as a process of contestation and struggle. This theory is particularly convincing at a time when youth workers and young people are protesting against student fees, spending cuts and youth club closures, and while services for young people are debated by a parliamentary select committee…. View Article
What Do You Think Youth Workers Do? A Comparative Case Study of Library and Afterschool Workers
This study investigates stereotypes and occupational identity of two groups of youth workers in one city: youth services public library workers and afterschool workers. Library staff are tied to outdated stereotypes of libraries as warehouses of books and afterschool staff are tied to a longstanding idea of afterschool as an extension of school. However, this… View Article
‘Evaluation is storytelling’: Amplifying Youth and Youth Worker Voice, Part 1
This is the first of a two-part interview with Kathe Rogers, Managing Director of YouthREX, originally published by Mass Culture on February 10, 2025. In part one, Kathe reflects on YouthREX’s evaluation work. The conversation with Kathe Rogers begins in her home, a setting that reflects the grassroots, community-oriented ethos of her work with the… View Article
Tags: Evaluation, evaluation equity, inclusivity, Program Evaluation, youth program evaluation, youthrex-text-tag
Photovoice as a Participatory Evaluation Method: Evaluating a Collective Kitchen Program in Northern Ontario
This article describes the evaluation of a collective kitchen program that aimed to provide food education programming to young adults, economically vulnerable community members, and Indigenous families. Photovoice was used as a participatory evaluation method to gain more insight into the impact of the collective kitchen program on the lives of the participants. Photovoice is… View Article
February 11, 2025
State of the Youth Report: Youth Engagement
The Government of Canada is now seeking input from youth living in Canada between the ages of 16 and 29 for inclusion in the second State of Youth Report, to be published in 2025. The State of Youth Reports help us understand the challenges youth face, from finding jobs to accessing mental health support, and… View Article
Tags: civic engagement, public policy, Youth Policy, youth-engaged, youth-led
Assembling the Irreconcilable: Youth Workers, Development Policies and ‘High Risk’ Boys in the Netherlands
This article demonstrates how youth workers in a Dutch city bring together seemingly irreconcilable worlds: the development policies of their organizations and the state on the one hand and the practices, needs, and aspirations of young people on the other. Current policies, like much academic literature on street-level professionals, define youth workers as frontline workers,… View Article
February 10, 2025
Positive for Youth Work? Contested Terrains of Professional Youth Work in Austerity England
This article considers professional youth work in England. It reflects on youth work’s persistently anomalous position in the division of labour. Since their achievement of a contested professional status in the 1960s and 1970s, youth workers have pursued an occupational ideology that draws principally on a romantic humanism. Until recently, this provided a relatively stable… View Article
Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights: Organizational Funding Stream
Oxfam Canada will provide two women’s rights organizations or youth-led organizations in Canada with $20,000 to support community mobilization initiatives on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) anywhere in Canada, with the exception of Québec. We expect the selected organization to complete the designated activities within 12 months of signing the support agreement Eligibility… View Article
Tags: human rights, reproductive health, sexual health, youth-led organizing, youth-led projects
January 30, 2025
Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights: Youth-Focused Funding Opportunity
Are you between the ages of 18-29-years-old and have a public engagement initiative you want to organize in your community to draw attention to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) issues that are important to you? Maybe it’s a film screening, virtual dance concert, a workshop, a radio debate, a discussion panel, an art… View Article
Tags: human rights, reproductive health, sexual health, youth-led organizing, youth-led projects
Levelling Minds
Levelling Minds empowers trans and non-binary youth with tools to navigate stress and enhance well-being, while also equipping their families and adult supporters with skills for fostering safer, more supportive environments. Levelling Minds is a nine-week program designed specifically for trans and non-binary youth and their adult supporters. We provide two tailored groups, each focusing… View Article
Tags: #MentalHealth, allyship
Ask Us Anything About Visualizing Quantitative Data
This webinar was hosted by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE HOSTS DESCRIBE THIS WEBINAR: On October 22, 2018, we were joined by Dr. Corliss Bean, YouthREX Research Evaluation Specialist, and Dr. David Keyes of David Keyes Consulting, an expert in data analysis, data visualization, and storytelling. David answered common data visualization questions in youth program evaluation. This… View Article
January 22, 2025
Indigenous Youth & Community Futures Fund
Through the Indigenous Youth & Community Futures Fund (IYCFF), the Laidlaw Foundation invests in opportunities for Indigenous youth to connect with their land, languages, and cultures, and strengthen and deepen their relationships within and across Indigenous communities. We also support the transmission of cultural practices and knowledge to future generations. Eligibility: This call is open… View Article
Tags: funding announcement, Indigenous Youth, youth-led projects
January 20, 2025
Third European Academy on Youth Work Event: Future Developments and their Impact on Youth Work – Final Report
This report was published by Movit and the European Academy on Youth Work (EAYW). HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: The third European Academy on Youth Work was held in May 2024 in Slovenia. During two and a half days, experts and participants explored how trends like technology, climate change, mental health, and demographic… View Article
Habitats: Students in their Municipalities 2024
This report was published by the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: Every year, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) publishes Habitats: Students in their Municipalities, where undergraduate students from our nine member institutions can share their successes and challenges within their communities. It includes student-written case studies focusing on… View Article
January 17, 2025
Clinical Consultation Group for Black Mental Health Practitioners
Starting February 2025, Simone Donaldson, MSW, RSW, CEO and Clinical Director, will be leading I SEE YOU, a clinical consultation group designed specifically for Black mental health practitioners, leaders, frontline workers, and students across Canada. This group was created to address the unique experiences of Black individuals in the mental health field and to foster… View Article
Tags: black mental health, clinical consultation group, frontline youth workers, mentorship, psychotherapist, social worker
January 13, 2025
Focus Group Opportunity for Families of Black Youth Involved in the Justice System
Are you a family member, caregiver, or supporter of Black youth involved in the justice system? The Black Health Strategy Team, in collaboration with the Toronto Northwest Justice Centre, is hosting virtual focus groups in January 2025 to better understand how to support families and caregivers of Black youth navigating the justice system. Your insights… View Article
Tags: Black Families, Black youth, focus group, online event, youth in conflict with the law
January 9, 2025
Through hip-hop, Black youth are teaching their communities about their rights, justice and the law
Hip-hop has a story to tell — from early works like Grandmaster Flash’s The Message to Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer-winning album DAMN. and beyond. As education scholar Bettina L. Loves notes, in hip-hop-based education, young urban and Black children and youth find space to critically reflect on the world around them. To explore the potential of… View Article
Tags: arts-based, Black youth, inclusivity, knowledge translation, youth engagement
Expressions of Interest Open
The Youth Opportunities Fund (YOF) is now accepting Expressions of Interest for the 2025 granting year, and will continue supporting grassroots groups who are committed to the wellbeing of youth and families, with a focus on Indigenous and Black communities across Ontario. A program of the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), YOF is funded by the… View Article
Tags: Funding, funding announcement, grants, youth program grants
January 8, 2025
Five Good Ideas on Working with Youth to Bridge the Democratic Deficit
Youth play a critical role in our democracy, and it’s time we worked with them to address the democratic deficits in our society. In this session, Sharif Mahdy will focus on exploring 30+ years of best practices in engaging youth to act on the issues of our time. He will share his five ideas that… View Article
Tags: civic engagement, democracy, political engagement, youth engagement
January 7, 2025
Focused Conversations About Data
This tool was published by the Search Institute. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOL: This tool provides a structured process for helping organizations and schools to reflect on their data findings. You will have the opportunity to identify trends and themes, discuss reactions, recognize where more information is needed, and name ideas for improvement.
January 6, 2025
Insights from the DEV Lab Youth Employment and Skills Project: From Data to Action
Join us for a deep dive into the DEV (Dynamic, Engaged, Vital) Lab project, where we explored youth employment and skills development across eight Canadian cities post-COVID-19. Our team at Communities Building Youth Futures (CBYF) led on-the-ground data collection with youth in Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Moncton, and Regina. Through in-person summits in Yellowknife and Moncton, we… View Article
Tags: community-engaged research, data collection, knowledge mobilization, skills development, Youth Employment, youth-engaged research, youth-led
Community Arts Programming Grant
This grant supports community-based arts programming by and for artists aged 13-29 from equity-deserving populations in Toronto. ArtReach runs one granting round for this program annually. Applications open December 1st and are due February 1st at 11:59PM each year. Have questions or concerns? Email us at grants@artreach.org. You can also meet virtually with ArtReach staff to… View Article
Tags: art, art grant, community arts, youth-led projects
December 20, 2024
Speak Real for Youth: Community Talk
MP Tony Van Bynen is supporting a community panel and Q&A session featuring YouthSpeak’s trained Youth Facilitators who share their personal stories. Youth Facilitators will draw on their experiences to inform strength-based mental health promotion, stigma reduction, and key messages related to equity and inclusion. This event is for parents, service providers, educators, and others… View Article
Tags: Mental Health, supporting youth mental health, youth advocacy, youth mental health, youth-led
December 18, 2024
Youth Employment in Ontario
This infographic was created by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS INFOGRAPHIC: This data snapshot highlights Statistics Canada data on youth employment in Ontario. Youth unemployment has risen across all ages, more notably in 2021 during COVID, with variations by immigration status, leading youth to pursue self-employment. Learn more about the economic wellbeing of… View Article
Tags: data, Data Hub, data visualization, demographics, immigrant youth, newcomer youth, Ontario Youth, population trends, refugee youth
Supporting Families Raising Black Children with FASD
In this webinar, Alice Audrain, a researcher / consultant / activist who identifies as a proud queer mixed-race Black francophone parent, will draw on her personal and professional experience to discuss challenges faced by diverse communities of caregivers raising Black children with FASD. Alice will explain the concept of intersectionality as it relates to racial,… View Article
Tags: anti-Black racism, diversity, equity, FASD, FASD Awareness, inclusion, intersectionality
Demographic Shifts 03: Internal and External Migration Among Youth
This infographic was created by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS INFOGRAPHIC: This data snapshot highlights Statistics Canada data on youth migration in Ontario. From 2016 to 2021, the growth in Ontario’s youth population can be attributed to non-permanent resident youth, such as international students. Learn more about youth population trends in Ontario on… View Article
Tags: data, Data Hub, data visualization, demographics, immigrant youth, newcomer youth, Ontario Youth, population trends, refugee youth
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