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AI Training Toolkit
This toolkit was developed by AI 4 Youth Work. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: The AI Training Toolkit gives you practical resources to guide young people in understanding and using AI responsibly. It is designed for youth workers who want to build AI literacy, critical thinking, and awareness of digital technologies. The toolkit… View Article
December 11, 2025
Digital Catalogue of AI Learning Experiences for Youth Workers: Piloting Cycles Report
This report was published by AI 4 Youth Work. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: The Artificial Intelligence for Youth Work (AI 4 Youth Work) project is a Cooperation Partnership co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union, dedicated to enhancing the youth sector across Europe through the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI)…. View Article
Map of Trustworthy AI-Powered Solutions and Assessment Matrix
This toolkit was developed by AI 4 Youth Work. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: This structured guide was developed to support youth workers in navigating the fast-growing landscape of AI technologies. The map features 24 AI tools identified as potentially valuable in youth work. Each tool has been evaluated using the Assessment Matrix,… View Article
Artificial Intelligence Competence Framework For Youth Workers
This toolkit was developed by AI 4 Youth Work. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: Building on recognised European competence frameworks and models and in-depth international research by the project consortium together with youth workers in Greece, Italy, Portugal and Romania, the framework provides, for the first time, a definition of the competences youth… View Article
Artificial Intelligence Competence Needs for Youth Workers: Research Report
This report was published by AI 4 Youth Work. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: What competencies do youth workers need to fully harness the potential of AI? How can they use AI to enhance the quality, attractiveness, and effectiveness of their work, and prepare young people to thrive in AI-powered environments? Our latest… View Article
Digitalisation and Youth Work
This report was published by Verke (National Centre of Expertise for Digital Youth Work in Finland) & the Estonian Youth Work Centre (EYWC). HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: How is digitalization changing our society? What are the most important technological developments or “megatrends” that we should be aware of? How do these developments… View Article
Upstream Youth Substance Use Prevention Communication Toolkit
This toolkit was developed by the Knowledge Development and Exchange Hub for Youth Substance Use Prevention (KDE Hub-YSUP). HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: A growing number of people are recognizing the value of primary prevention approaches to youth substance use. These approaches are often called upstream because they focus on stopping youth substance… View Article
December 10, 2025
River Parable: Preventing Youth Substance Use Before it Starts
This video was produced by the Knowledge Development and Exchange Hub for Youth Substance Use Prevention (KDE Hub-YSUP). HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS VIDEO: Purpose: Provide a visual explanation of what upstream youth substance use prevention means. Format: ~3-min animated video (hosted on YouTube). Content Includes: A narrated animation of the “river parable” that… View Article
Young Black men in Canada face racism, ageism and classism when looking for work
Youth employment in Canada continues to be a concern. Young people between the ages of 15 and 30 are less likely to find and sustain employment compared to an older population of Canadians. According to Statistics Canada, around 11 per cent of youth aged 15-24 are unemployed. Among young Black Canadians that number is around 17.5 per… View Article
Using Digital Technology to Enhance Youth Participatory Evaluation
The aim of this study is to demonstrate the challenges encountered in youth participatory evaluation and how digital technology may assist in overcoming these challenges. The study explores the meaning of youth participatory evaluation and examines the challenges faced in utilizing the approach. We argue that using digital technology can help overcome many challenges of… View Article
December 8, 2025
The Social Impact of Digital Youth Work: What Are We Looking For?
Digital youth work is an emerging field of research and practice which seeks to investigate and support youth-centred digital literacy initiatives. Whilst digital youth work projects have become prominent in Europe in recent years, it has also become increasingly difficult to examine, capture, and understand their social impact. Currently, there is limited understanding of and… View Article
Digital Youth Work: Scenarios of Using Technology in the Youth Field
The rapid technological advancement generates changes in all fields of activity, including the youth sector, reshaping youth engagement and empowering. The aim of this paper is to highlight the role of technology in enhancing youth inclusion, participation, and growth, while also addressing disparities in digital literacy. In this regard, a literature review was conducted, based… View Article
Automating Youth Work: Youth Workers Views on AI
This paper aims to examine the perceptions and experiences of AI in the European youth work sector. The purpose is to establish a baseline for what the current understanding of AI might be and what future youth workers and youth practitioners’ centered support is needed to ensure that any AI policymaking, education, and training actions… View Article
AI & Youth Work: A Briefing Paper to Support Youth Scotland Members
This report was published by Youth Scotland. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: This briefing paper’s purpose is to present the findings from research conducted into Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential applications for youth work organisations. The main finding of this briefing is that while AI is increasingly available in personal and professional… View Article
Post-Secondary Scholarship Applications Open!
Aspire 2 Heal is proud to award five scholarships of $800 each to eligible youth impacted by parental incarceration. These scholarships support their journey into post-secondary education — whether in health-related fields or studies that address the Social Determinants of Health. Because education is a right, not a privilege, Aspire 2 Heal is committed to helping young people… View Article
Tags: incarcerated family, incarcerated parents, post-secondary education, scholarship, scholarship opportunity, social determinants of health
December 5, 2025
Review of Mental Health for Marginalized Girls and Youth in Canada: Current State and Protective Factors
This report was published by the Canadian Women’s Foundation. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: Recognizing the need for early intervention, this report seeks to capture and understand the experiences of racialized girls and gender nonconforming youth and what is necessary to support their mental health and wellbeing as they enter adolescence (ages 9… View Article
December 4, 2025
When the School Bell Ends, So Does the Support: Three Solutions to Build Bridges
For many youth living with disabilities or complex needs, the school day provides essential structure: visual schedules, consistent staff, and predictable routines. But when the school bell rings, that structure often ends, and what happens next is often unclear. Working across both school and residential care settings, I’ve seen the vulnerability that can result from… View Article
Tags: child and youth workers, educational assistants, group home, group homes, residential care, youth living with a disability, youth work practice
#YouthREXat10 Recap: 2015-2025 By The Numbers
This video was produced by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS VIDEO: YouthREX celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025: 10 years of knowledge exchange, capacity building, and evaluation leadership, in partnership with youth workers and youth programs from across Ontario — and beyond!
December 2, 2025
The anti-Andrew Tate: How youth workers can counteract the impact of masculinity influencers
Andrew Tate – online content creator, podcaster, former kickboxer, and subject of ongoing human trafficking investigations – has gained widespread influence with millions of men and boys. Tate promotes financial independence, being “mentally and physically strong,” and being successful with women, interspersed with (sometimes violent) misogyny. For my PhD research, I worked with 30 boys… View Article
Tags: boys, critical youth mentorship, critical youth work, gender equity, gender expansiveness, gender-based violence, masculinity, young men
Ontario Youth Sector Compass: Spotlight on Black Youth Mental Health
The Ontario Youth Sector Compass (OYC) research project, led by Youth Research and Evaluation eXchange (YouthREX), aims to illuminate the state of youth work in Ontario. Between 2021 and 2022, YouthREX collected both quantitative data from surveys and qualitative data from one-on-one interviews with youth and youth workers to provide insights about the diverse experiences… View Article
Tags: anti-Black racism, Black youth mental health, Centering Black Youth Wellbeing, mental health services, Ontario Youth Compass
November 27, 2025
Mindfulness Toolkit
TOOLKITNew Leaf Foundation’s Mindfulness ToolkitYouthREX creates and curates relevant and accessible evidence-based resources from research, practice, and lived experience, designed for the Ontario youth sector. Below is a selection of resources available through our online Knowledge Hub that can support you to implement mindfulness practices in your work with youth. BLOG POST Supporting Mindfulness-Based Programs… View Article
November 25, 2025
Kids care deeply about our planet, so adults need to start listening
“I wish adults knew that I really care about the environment and want to help, but I sometimes feel like my ideas don’t matter because I’m just a kid.” This is what a nine-year-old respondent told us when we asked how they feel about the environment. In today’s current political climate, many adults seem resigned… View Article
Tags: adult allies, climate action, climate activism, climate crisis, Climate Justice, youth leadership, youth-led movements, youth-led organizing
Black Youth, Violence & Trauma Forum
On Wednesday November 26th, YAAACE is bringing partners from across the Greater Toronto Area together for the Black Youth, Violence & Trauma Forum. A full day of grounding, learning, and collaboration focused on the realities Black youth face, the trauma linked to violence, and the supports our sector needs to respond with care, evidence, and… View Article
Tags: anti-Black racism, Black youth, Centering Black Youth Wellbeing, trauma-informed, youth violence
Generative AI for Nonprofits: Practical Tips and Considerations
This factsheet was developed by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS FACTSHEET: Adapted from Generative AI for Nonprofits: Practical Tips for Starting Small and Building Smart (2025) by Nate Wong for Candid. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to a type of AI that can produce new content, synthesize information, and support a wide range… View Article
Tags: education, Indigenous Youth, mentorship, safe space, storytelling, youth voices
November 24, 2025
The Equity Model for Youth Mentoring: Strategies for Supporting Youth Experiencing Marginalization
Our Evidence Briefs outline practices that can be integrated into program design, development, and evaluation. Visit our Good Youth Work Practices section to learn more! This Evidence Brief describes the Equity Model for youth mentoring, which builds on three foundational mentoring models. A summary of the evidence outlines 14 practice-based strategies for building equity-focused mentoring relationships… View Article
Tags: sex trafficking
Storying Youth Work
Storying Youth Work As we celebrate #YouthREXat10, we’re reflecting on the past decade of youth work across Ontario. This space showcases the rich and nuanced nature of youth engagement through shared anecdotes and collective wisdom.Celebrating the Impact of Youth Work From narratives, REX Blog articles, research findings, and direct quotes, these contributions highlight the moments that… View Article
Centering Black Youth Wellbeing: Resources for Learning, Action, and Community Engagement
This webinar introduces The Kit for Centering Black Youth Wellbeing. Developed by the Youth Research and Evaluation eXchange (YouthREX), The Kit takes a multi-faceted approach to addressing anti-Black racism and centering the wellbeing of Black youth, families, and communities. Dr. Cyril Cromwell will share resources to help understand the historical roots and context of present-day manifestations of… View Article
Tags: activism, anti-Black racism, best practices, Black youth, Centering Black Youth Wellbeing, community of practice
A Knowledge to Action (KtA) Conversation Series- NEW
CONVERSATION SERIES The Youth. The Work. The System.YouthREX is celebrating the 10th year of a shared commitment supporting the important work of Ontario youth programs and youth workers in advancing the wellbeing of young people!To commemorate #YouthREXat10, we’re hosting a CONVERSATION SERIES on the multidimensional theme: The Youth. The Work. The System. This theme has… View Article
November 20, 2025
“Thank you, but I’ve got it from here.” The Anti-Hero’s Intervention
Gary Newman, a youth worker in Toronto, reflects on how a calm intervention on a crowded Toronto bus reveals the anti-hero’s gift for defusing conflict through empathy rather than authority, an ability shaped by his own struggles with marginalization, instability, and the search for respect. His difficult early years, including periods of living in his… View Article
Tags: critical youth work, lived experience, storytelling, youth work, youth work practice
Ontario Nature Youth Council: Applications Open
Ontario Nature is now accepting applications for high school youth to join the 2025-2026 Youth Council cohort. Members of the Ontario Nature Youth Council will: Work alongside Ontario Nature staff, become part of a vibrant peer network, and contribute to lasting, positive change through conservation action. Take action on conservation issues including wetland protection, pollinator awareness,… View Article
Youth CivicCorps: Applications Open!
CivicAction is thrilled to announce that applications are now open for Youth CivicCorps Cohort 2, a program designed to provide young adults (18–30) with the training, coaching, and real-world experience they need to step confidently into civic leadership. Youth CivicCorps is a new kind of volunteer program that breaks down traditional barriers and builds up… View Article
Tags: capacity building, civic engagement, leadership development, volunteer, young leaders
November 19, 2025
Call for Submissions: This is Us – Anthology of Second-Generation Voices
Are you a racialized second-generation youth (child of immigrants) in Ontario, between the ages of 15 and 30? Here’s your chance to share your story! This is Us is a community-based anthology created to highlight second-generation youth’s unique and collective voices. Selected submissions will be published and shared widely. The anthology will be published open… View Article
Tags: art activism, immigrant youth, poetry, racialized youth, storytelling, writing
November 18, 2025
What Youth Experiencing Hospitalization Want Adults to Know
Young people thrive when they’re enjoying themselves and have the freedom to explore or play outside with their friends. These activities are essential to their overall wellbeing. So when this freedom is stripped away, how do they get by? Many children and youth end up hospitalized due to chronic illness, cancer treatment, palliative care or… View Article
Tags: adult allies, chronic care, chronic illness, hospital care, hospitalization, youth voices
November 17, 2025
Building the Capacity of Grassroots Youth Programs to Promote Youth Wellbeing: An Evaluation of The Centre for Organizational Resilience (CORE), a Program by For Youth Initiative (FYI)
This report was published by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: This evaluation report describes the findings of a process and outcome evaluation of the Centre for Organizational Resilience (CORE), a program developed and run by For Youth Initiative (FYI). The Youth Research and Evaluation eXchange (YouthREX) based at York University carried out… View Article
November 13, 2025
(KtA) Conversation Series – OLD – DO NOT USE
A Knowledge to Action (KtA) Conversation Series The Youth. The Work. The System. Youth wellbeing is interconnected to what is happening with youth, within youth work, as well as within larger systems. Together, we’ll explore the practices and challenges of youth work and the contexts that shape young people’s lives. In celebration… View Article
November 12, 2025
New Leaf Foundation’s Mindfulness Toolkit
New Leaf Foundation’s Mindfulness Toolkit YouthREX creates and curates relevant and accessible evidence-based resources from research, practice, and lived experience, designed for the Ontario youth sector. Below is a selection of resources available through our online Knowledge Hub that can support you to implement mindfulness practices in your work with youth. PODCAST Educate, Reflect, Act:… View Article
November 11, 2025
Black Youth Housing Equity Summit
REST Centres, in collaboration with the Network for the Advancement of Black Communities (NABC), is hosting the first-ever Black Youth Housing Equity Summit on November 20–21, 2025, at Algoma University’s Mississauga Campus. This landmark event brings together youth, service providers, funders, policymakers, and community leaders from across Ontario to confront the urgent crisis of Black youth homelessness. With… View Article
Tags: anti-Black racism, Black youth, Black-led, housing, housing rights, policy, social justice, youth homelessness
November 10, 2025
Global Solvers Accelerator 2026: Applications Open!
The Global Solvers Accelerator is an 8-month acceleration journey that brings together emerging change agents, strengthens their leadership capacity, and amplifies the transformative potential of their projects. By connecting grassroots experiences and empowering social impact practitioners, the Accelerator unleashes ripples of change that extend far beyond the individual participant. This program is designed for social… View Article
Tags: changemaker, entrepreneurship, fellowship, youth-led projects
Say-Walahi Diaspora Youth, Islamophobia and Anti-Black Racism: Implications for Education
YouthREX Research Summaries ask Just Six Questions of research publications on key youth issues. These summaries get at what the youth sector needs to know in two pages or less! 1. What is the research about? This research examines how Muslim Black/African youth in Toronto construct a unique cultural identity that merges their Islamic values with their… View Article
Tags: anti-Black racism, Black youth, diaspora, education system, Islamophobia, Muslim youth, school, youth from the diaspora
November 6, 2025
Voices Unheard: Canada’s First National Health Survey of Black Women and Girls
This report was published by The Black Women’s Institute for Health. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: The Voices Unheard report is a call to action. For the first time in Canadian history, nearly 2,000 Black women, girls, and gender-diverse people shared their lived experiences across the social determinants of health, from accessing healthcare to navigating… View Article
November 5, 2025
TAKE 5: ‘Red Worn Runners’ and the Importance of Iterative, Relational, and Youth-Led Spaces
This factsheet was developed by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS FACTSHEET: In a keynote presentation at YouthREX’s 2016 Knowledge to Action (KtA) Exchange, Dr. Sean Lessard shared how movement, story, and place can “animate” young lives when adults create relational, youth-led spaces, both in and beyond schools. Sean locates his work in Cree… View Article
Tags: education, Indigenous Youth, mentorship, safe space, storytelling, youth voices
November 4, 2025
A Narrative Inquiry into the Experiences of Indigenous High School Students Enrolled within a Youth Leadership Pathway
YouthREX Research Summaries ask Just Six Questions of research publications on key youth issues. These summaries get at what the youth sector needs to know in two pages or less! 1. What is the research about? This research explores the experiences of Indigenous high school students who participated in a youth Leadership Pathway program in Regina, Saskatchewan…. View Article
Tags: after school program, Indigenous Youth, mentorship, youth engagement, youth leadership
Youth Participation in Groups, Organizations or Associations
This infographic was created by Statistics Canada. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS INFOGRAPHIC: From 2021 to 2024, 53% of Canadian youth aged 15 to 29 years participated in groups, organizations or associations. Groups, organizations or associations could be formally organized or informal groups, where people get together regularly to do an activity or talk… View Article
October 31, 2025
Community and Well-Being: Exploring Sense of Belonging Among Youth
This report was published by Statistics Canada. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: This study uses data from the Canadian Social Survey (2021 to 2024) to explore the experiences of youth (aged 15 to 29) and their sense of belonging to their community across the urban and rural divide. Specifically, it describes the characteristics… View Article
Bold Futures Report 2025: Exploring the Career Development and Employment Needs of Young South Asian Women across the Greater Toronto Area
This report was published by the South Asian Women’s Collective. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: South Asian communities have immigrated to Canada since the late 19th century, now forming the country’s largest racialized group, with over 2.3 million people (Statistics Canada, 2021). Many South Asian-Canadian youth, including second-generation Canadians and young immigrants, are… View Article
October 29, 2025
The Red Worn Runners: Intentional Conversations with Indigenous Youth
Sometimes five, sometimes 18, one time 30, but every day through August the Red Worn Runners have been inspiring me as we shuffle, sprint, and navigate our way down the dusty roads of Enoch Cree Nation, always wearing red – red T-shirts that is. It is a beautiful thing to experience. We always start at… View Article
Bold Futures: Exploring Career Development Needs of South Asian Women in the Greater Toronto Area
This video was produced by the South Asian Women’s Collective. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS VIDEO: This community action research project used a mixed-methods approach, combining surveys and learning circles, to explore the career development and employment needs of young South Asian women and gender-diverse individuals aged 18–30 across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)…. View Article
Experiences of Indigenous High School Students in a Leadership Pathway
This video was produced by the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS VIDEO: What does it mean to be a leader from an Indigenous youth’s perspective? This narrative study sought to explore the experiences of Indigenous youth as living leaders and how their stories can shape, or interrupt, the dominant deficit-based narratives… View Article
October 28, 2025
“Unconventional Canadians”: Second-Generation “Habesha” Youth and Belonging in Toronto, Canada
YouthREX Research Summaries ask Just Six Questions of research publications on key youth issues. These summaries get at what the youth sector needs to know in two pages or less! 1. What is the research about? This research examines how second-generation Ethiopian and Eritrean youth in Toronto – often identifying as Habesha – develop their sense of… View Article
Tags: anti-Black racism, diaspora, entho-racial identity, identity, racism, second-generation youth, youth from the diaspora
October 27, 2025
“Seriously though, where are you from?” Neither here, nor there (Part 2)
This video was produced by Kümneger Talks. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS VIDEO: Join us as we discuss what’s it’s like being Ethiopian or Eritrean and growing up in Canada. This is episode 8 of an 11-episode series, Kümneger Talks, that can be accessed on YouTube or as a podcast on Spotify. Kümneger Talks… View Article
“Seriously though, where are you from?” Neither here, nor there (Part 1)
This video was produced by Kümneger Talks. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS VIDEO: Join us as we discuss what’s it’s like being Ethiopian or Eritrean and growing up in Canada. This is episode 7 of an 11-episode series, Kümneger Talks, that can be accessed on YouTube or as a podcast on Spotify. Kümneger Talks… View Article
Pharmakons: The Poison and Cure of Black Youth Mentorship in Canada
Black youth mentorship programs (BYMPs) have proliferated in Canada since 2020, with goals ranging from leadership development and combating systemic racism, on one hand, to connecting Black youth to postsecondary institutions and workplaces, on the other. In this first system-level analysis of these programs, our surveys and conversational circles reveal the challenges facing BYMP administrators… View Article
Youth Voices in Dialogue: Multivoiced Narratives of Power, Belonging, and Change
This webinar was hosted by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE HOSTS DESCRIBE THIS WEBINAR: How do young people make sense of injustice in their lives and communities? What can their stories teach us about resilience, belonging, and human potential in contexts of inequity? In this webinar, Dr. Svetlana Jović shared insights from her research on socio-cognitive development… View Article
Tags: community-engaged research, detransition, gender, gender identity, LGBT2SQ+ youth, retransition, transition, youth engagement, youth mental health, youth wellbeing, youth-engaged research, youth-led research
October 22, 2025
DTK LIVE #5: ROOTED IN AFRICA — A Look Into the Truth
Saturday, October 25th | 4:00 PM – 7:30 PM L’Amoreaux Community Recreation Centre 2000 McNicoll Ave, Scarborough, ON M1V 5M2 Come join us for this youth-led event! Get ready for a powerful evening celebrating Black culture, history, and connection to Africa — through music, creativity, and community vibes! Dress Code: Wear All Black For: Black youth ages 14–21 What… View Article
Tags: Black youth
October 21, 2025
Seeing Both Sides: Detailing the Experiences of Black Women Mental Healthcare Workers Serving Black Youth
The impacts of racial discrimination experienced by Black people in the United States and Canada have received a renewed focus. Within the mental healthcare sector, there has been a coinciding focus on how racism within and outside of mental healthcare organizations affects the mental health and wellbeing of Black youth. However, little attention has focused… View Article
October 17, 2025
Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Community-Based Mentoring Program on Crime and Delinquency: Four-Year Findings
This report was published by the University of Illinois Chicago. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: This document reports 4-year follow-up findings from a randomized controlled trial of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s Community-Based Mentoring program involving 1,353 youth. Outcomes are examined in the areas of juvenile justice (arrest), delinquent behavior, substance use… View Article
Remembering Lost Lives and Collective Healing from Trauma: Homicides, Incarceration, and Pain-Driven Advocacy in the Jane and Finch Community
This article serves as a vessel for knowledge mobilization and activism as research, intertwining remembrance of lost lives and communal healing by sharing collective pain amongst the authors and bolstering mutual support. Guided by personal encounters with violence including death, homicides, and incarceration, four authors comprising a teacher, social worker, and two community activists, unveil… View Article
Girls Belong Here 2026: Applications Open
Are you ready to lead, speak up, and make change? Applications are now open for Girls Belong Here 2026, Plan International Canada’s signature youth leadership program! If you self-identify as a girl, woman, or gender-diverse individual between the ages of 14 and 24, this is your chance to step into spaces where decisions are… View Article
Tags: civic engagement, youth advocacy, youth leadership
October 16, 2025
Voicing Resistance Workshop: For Racialized Youth in Toronto Involved with Child Welfare
Were you involved with child welfare (CAS) as a racialized youth? Voicing Resistance invites Toronto youth to share their story through art and conversation. Who can participate? You are eligible to participate if you: are a racialized youth between the ages of 18 and 30 were born outside of Canada OR lived with family who were… View Article
Tags: community-engaged research, storytelling, youth in and leaving care
Free Online Teach-in: ‘Bubbling Up’: Radical Advocacy with/for Indigenous Youth
YouthREX is excited to host this online Teach-In with Dr. Sean Lessard, award-winning educator and former youth worker, teacher, and counselor, who focuses on innovative educational programs and Indigenous youth empowerment. Sean will reflect on his work alongside Indigenous youth and an approach based on a Pedagogy of the Heart – an educational philosophy centered on… View Article
Tags: critical youth work, Indigenous Youth
October 14, 2025
Made in Africa Evaluation: The Handbook
This toolkit was developed by the African Evaluation Association. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT: The Handbook on Made in Africa Evaluation is a pioneering work that redefines evaluation practices by centering African epistemologies, values, and methodologies. Emphasizing community empowerment, contextual relevance, and ethical accountability, it documents the evolution of Made in Africa Evaluation,… View Article
Inequities in Adverse Childhood Experiences in Ontario: A Descriptive Analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and the General Social Survey
This report was published by the Wellesley Institute. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic and stressful events that occur from birth to adolescence. This can include physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. Ontario has some of the highest rates of adverse child experiences in Canada, yet… View Article
Senior Evaluator, Black Communities Focus
Logical Outcomes is hiring a Senior Evaluator, Black Communities Focus, an exciting contract role that bridges evaluation and AI innovation. What you’ll do: Lead the AI Lab for B3 Cohorts (Black-serving, Black-led, Black-focused organizations) Design evaluation frameworks for community programs Facilitate co-design processes for AI solutions Apply culturally responsive and equity-focused evaluation methods We’re looking… View Article
Tags: Black-Focused, Black-led, Evaluation, Program Evaluation
October 8, 2025
Confronting Afrophobia: A Phenomenological Inquiry on the Marginalization of African-Canadian Youth in Canadian Institutions
YouthREX Research Summaries ask Just Six Questions of research publications on key youth issues. These summaries get at what the youth sector needs to know in two pages or less! 1. What is the research about? This research examines systemic Afrophobia and anti-Black racism within Canadian institutions, particularly in education, social services, and youth work, and how… View Article
Tags: anxiety, coping behaviours, depression, Mental Health, racial discrimination, racism, social media, social media use, substance use, youth mental health
October 6, 2025
TAKE 5: Gender Fluidity and Detransition Among 2SLGBTQ+ Young People
This factsheet was developed by YouthREX. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS FACTSHEET: On June 17, 2025, YouthREX hosted a webinar with members of the research team leading the DARE (Detransition Analysis, Representation, and Exploration) study. Dr. Kinnon R. MacKinnon, MacGregor Goodman, Ari Para, and Madeline Rosen discussed their recent research and care guidance to… View Article
October 1, 2025
Climate Action Photovoice Participants Needed!
Ontario youth (12-25) are invited to join a Photovoice research study exploring how climate change impacts young people, what sparks hope, and ways to promote collective action. Youth will be invited to share their experiences through photos and stories. This project aims to centre Indigenous, Black, racialized, and/or disabled youth voices. Compensation will be provided… View Article
Tags: climate action, climate anxiety, photovoice, youth-engaged research, youth-led projects
Reconciliation includes recognizing Residential Schools are not the only colonial atrocity
Sept. 30 is upon us once again, the fourth year this day will be observed as a time to reflect on the history of colonialism, and its ongoing impacts, on the Indigenous Peoples and communities in what is now called Canada. This day first became recognized as Orange Shirt Day by grassroots organizers in 2013, when Canadians… View Article
Tags: Indigenous peoples, Orange Shirt Day, Residential Schools
September 30, 2025
Colonialism in Early Education, Care, and Intervention: A Knowledge Synthesis
This knowledge synthesis aims to understand Indigenous experiences of early childhood education, care, family support, intervention, health, and Indigenous services in the context of childhood disability. Each of these institutional contexts has its own underlying professional discourses and worldviews. Knowledge from three sources have been synthesized: (1) interviews with Indigenous families about their experiences of… View Article
September 29, 2025
Disability as a Colonial Construct: The Missing Discourse of Culture in Conceptualizations of Disabled Indigenous Children
This paper explores the concept of disability through a critical disability lens to understand how Indigenous ontologies are positioned within the dominant discourse of disabled peoples in Canada. This paper draws on the inherent knowledge of Indigenous (predominantly Anishinaabek) communities through an integration of story and relational understandings from Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, and community… View Article
A Narrative Inquiry into the Experiences of Indigenous High School Students Enrolled within a Youth Leadership Pathway
This report was published by the McDowell Foundation. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: What does it mean to be a leader from an Indigenous youth’s perspective? This narrative study sought to explore the experiences of Indigenous youth as living leaders and how their stories can shape, or interrupt, the dominant deficit-based narratives that… View Article
“Nothing Is Gonna Change If We Don’t Care for Everyone”: A Narrative Inquiry Alongside Urban Indigenous Youth in an Afterschool Physical Activity Wellness Program
In the fall of 2013, the authors received funding to help develop and implement an afterschool wellness program alongside Indigenous youth aged 6-10-years-old in the North Central neighborhood of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The Growing Young Movers (GYM) afterschool program was funded, in part, as a corrective response to a broader social trend in which Indigenous… View Article
Calling Out Injustice: Youth from Differently Privileged Backgrounds Narrate About Injustice
YouthREX Research Summaries ask Just Six Questions of research publications on key youth issues. These summaries get at what the youth sector needs to know in two pages or less! 1. What is the research about? This study explores how different levels of privilege influence the ways in which youth perceive and express social injustice. Privilege is… View Article
Tags: anxiety, coping behaviours, depression, Mental Health, racial discrimination, racism, social media, social media use, substance use, youth mental health
September 25, 2025
Black Diasporic Youth: Racism, Identity, and Transnational Belonging
YouthREX is excited to host this webinar with two interrelated presentations by Dr. Mary Goitom and Dr. Ahmed Ali Ilmi on how Black diasporic youth in Canada navigate anti-Black racism, identity, and belonging across local and transnational contexts. Their research findings illuminate how diasporic youth exercise agency, resilience, and world-building in the face of systemic barriers, and raise important… View Article
Tags: BlackYouth, BlackYouthVoices, CommunityEngagedResearch
Youth Justice Transformation Lab’s Youth Justice Community Forum
Mark your calendars and join us for the Youth Justice Transformation Lab’s Youth Justice Community Forum at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto (16 Spadina Road)! Be part of youth-centred discussions exploring barriers and supports for Black, racialized, and neurodiverse youth in the justice system. This year, the Youth Justice Community Forum will feature discussions… View Article
Tags: child welfare, criminal justice, crossover youth, education, youth engagement, youth justice
September 23, 2025
Countering Stereotypes and Enabling Resilience: Ethiopian Male Perspective on their Educational Experiences in Canada
This article examines how stereotypes of Black males and Black masculinity operate in the construction of the Black male of African descent in the Canadian educational context. Specifically, the study discussed here examined how this archetypal frame informed the lived experience of second-generation Ethiopian males in relation to race, academic performance, ambition to achieve their… View Article
September 22, 2025
“Living in Our Own World”: Parental Influence on the Identity Development of Second-Generation Ethiopian and Eritrean Youth During Their Formative Years
This study explored the process of identity formation of second-generation Ethiopian and Eritrean youth in Toronto, Canada. Analysis of 20 in-depth interviews presented pathways of acculturation whereby first-generation parents parlay their adaptive process onto their children, influencing the self-identity trajectories and repertoires of the children in their formative years. Findings suggest that parental, social, and… View Article
“Unconventional Canadians”: Second-Generation “Habesha” Youth and Belonging in Toronto, Canada
This paper explores how second-generation Ethiopian and Eritrean youth in Toronto, Canada, are perceiving and forging their identity in a society increasingly influenced by forces of globalization and by how cultural diversity in the host society is defined, implemented, and maintained. From the analysis of 20 in-depth interviews, two major categories of interrelated concepts emerged:… View Article
Youth Justice Fund
The Youth Justice Fund provides grants and contributions to support projects that encourage a more effective youth justice system, respond to emerging youth justice issues, and enable greater citizen and community participation in the youth justice system. The Fund is currently accepting new proposals for both multi-year and short-term pilot projects starting between April 1,… View Article
Tags: Funding, youth justice
Context and Fear of Social Situations
Olivia Provost-Walker, a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University, is seeking participants for a study: Context and Fear of Social Situations. Olivia is recruiting participants who: identify as a Black woman (including Black women who also identify as trans or gender expansive) are between the ages of 18 and 29 are residing… View Article
Train-the-Trainer Workshop on Call-In-Cards for Anti-Black Racism Action
YouthREX is excited to host an in-person train-the-trainer workshop for youth programs to learn how to facilitate anti-Black racism sessions using the Call-In-Cards for Anti-Black Racism Action. The workshop will include a session with Dr. Carol Wade on practices that centre critical self-reflexivity in connecting understandings of anti-Black racism to anti-Black racism action. Apply by… View Article
Tags: anti-Black racism, anti-racism strategies, Centering Black Youth Wellbeing, critical youth work
September 17, 2025
2SLGBTQIA+ Health Consultations: Community
Wisdom2Action has partnered with Health Commons Solutions Lab/Sinai Health to lead consultations on 2SLGBTQIA+ healthcare. The consultations will inform provincial priorities for 2SLGBTQIA+ health equity. We are seeking input from those who identify as part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, are over 18 years old, and have experience with the Ontario healthcare system. If you’re interested and… View Article
Tags: 2SLGBTQ+ Communities, clinical, health care services, health equity, LGBT2SQ+ youth
2SLGBTQIA+ Health Consultations: Clinicians
Wisdom2Action has partnered with Health Commons Solutions Lab/Sinai Health to lead consultations on 2SLGBTQIA+ healthcare. The consultations will inform provincial priorities for 2SLGBTQIA+ health equity. We are seeking input from clinicians, researchers, and health service providers with experience in 2SLGBTQIA+ heathcare in the Ontario healthcare system. If you’re interested and meet the eligibility requirements, click… View Article
Tags: 2SLGBTQ+ Communities, clinical, health care services, health equity, LGBT2SQ+ youth
Youth Voices in Dialogue: Multivoiced Narratives of Power, Belonging, and Change
🚨FREE WEBINAR ALERT! How do young people make sense of injustice in their lives and communities? What can their stories teach us about resilience, belonging, and human potential in contexts of inequity? 📅 September 25, 2025
🕛 12PM – 1:30PM (ET) Join Dr. Svetlana Jović as she shares insights from her research on socio-cognitive development among… View Article
Tags: critical youth work, webinar, youth wellbeing, youth work
September 15, 2025
Calling Out Injustice: Youth from Differently Privileged Backgrounds Narrate About Injustice
Our perceptions of the world are lastingly shaped by our sociocultural and political place in the world. Social positionalities provide epistemic means through which social processes are perceived, experienced, and articulated. This paper explores how the contrasting social worlds in which adolescents from differently advantaged positions within a society live, inform, and shape their sense-making about social justice…. View Article
September 11, 2025
Culture of the North: BIPOC Youth Taking Action
This report was published by Future North. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: Culture of the North (COTN): BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) Youth Taking Action is a two-phase youth-led project. Phase one was developed in September of 2021, and it gained insight into the multicultural educational experiences of students who self-identify… View Article
Indigenous Youth Reconciliation Barometer 2024: Building Connected Futures
This report was published by Indigenous Youth Roots. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: Following up our 2019 National Youth Reconciliation Barometer, the Indigenous Youth Reconciliation Barometer 2024 engaged solely with Indigenous youth to better understand how they envision their own empowerment and futures through exploring themes like culture, wellness, education, meaningful work, solidarity,… View Article
Building Bridges: Connecting Youth Skills to the Future of Work, Part 2
This report was published by Youthful Cities. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: This is the second report issued as part of the DEVlab project, a collaborative initiative between Youthful Cities and the Tamarack Institute, supported by funding in part from the Government of Canada’s National Essential Skills Initiative program. Building on the first… View Article
Narrating Power and Injustice: How Young People Make Sense About Fairness
Our concrete embodiments as members of a specific class, race, and gender, as well as our historical situations play important roles in shaping our perspective of the world. The goal of this dissertation was to explore how different socioeconomic circumstances shape adolescents’ sense-making about fairness and their capacity to relate to different actors in a… View Article
Urban Nature and Sense of Belonging: Photo-Narrative Exploration of Socio-Spatial Disparities in New York City
Drawing from a participatory action research (PAR) project in the South Bronx that used photography, writing, and mapping (through photo-geotagging) as diverse platforms for storytelling, this article explores the role that urban nature may play in Bronx Community College students’ sense of belonging to their surrounding communities and to New York City in general. In… View Article
Black Youth Symposium – September 25, 2025
Toronto Employment & Social Services’ Central District Confronting Anti-Black Racism Committee (CD CABR) is hosting a Black Youth Symposium, an empowering in-person event dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by Black youth and promoting overall well-being. Event Details: Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025 Time: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Location: Metro Hall Rotunda, 55 John… View Article
Tags: anti-Black racism, Black youth, Black youth wellbeing, lived experience
September 9, 2025
Race, Policing, and Black Males in Canadian Society
The relationship between law enforcement and Black people in North America is governed by fear and suspicion, leading to inequitable legal outcomes. The ongoing policing crisis for Black males in Toronto, Canada is downplayed by a self-perception of Canadian “innocence” based on a multicultural identity. I argue that the crisis is rooted in a Eurocentric,… View Article
August 27, 2025
Say-Walahi Diaspora Youth, Islamophobia and Anti-Black Racism: Implications for Education
This article highlights the ways in which Muslim Black/African youth situated in Toronto, Canada have constructed a unique cultural identity that merges their Islamic values with their Somali heritage, centering on the term Say-Walahi (‘swear to God’). Over a period of 24 months, 32 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with self-identifying Muslim youth, aged 18–22 years…. View Article
Plugged In: Youth Skills for an AI-Driven World
This video was produced by the Tamarack Institute. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS VIDEO: This webinar, in collaboration with the Youthful Cities DevLab project, explores the skills needed for young people to thrive in an era of rapid technological change. Whether you’re a young changemaker, policymaker, educator, employer, or community builder, this conversation is… View Article
August 21, 2025
Understanding the “Dreams Delayed” Report: Addressing Anti-Black Racism in Ontario Schools
We are calling ALL Educators, Students, Parents, Guardians, Trustees, Social Workers, Human Rights Education Advisors (HREAs), Guidance Counsellors, Graduation Coaches, Student and Family Advocates, System Navigators, and Union Representatives to attend this community webinar on the Dreams Delayed report. This session will: summarize key findings, including systemic failures, Black student needs, and recommended solutions identify… View Article
Tags: anti-Black racism, education system
August 19, 2025
Back-to-School Salon Event
SFA and the WeMatter Project present the Back-to-school Salon Event 2025 Do you know students between the age of 14-25? The new school year is just around the corner, and the SFA program, in collaboration with the WeMatter Project, is excited to assist students in returning to school with flair! The Back-to-School Salon will offer beautifully… View Article
August 18, 2025
Centrer le bien-être des jeunes Noirs un certificat pour combattre le racisme anti-Noirs vient d’être amélioré !
Centrer le bien-être des jeunes Noirs un certificat pour combattre le racisme anti-Noirs vient d’être amélioré ! L’un de nos certificats les plus populaires vient juste de se bonifier ! Pour enrichir votre expérience d’apprentissage, chacun des quatre modules comprend à présent : des courtes vidéos ; des mini-questionnaires sur les connaissances acquises ; de nouvelles… View Article
📢 Centering Black Youth Wellbeing: A Certificate on Combatting Anti-Black Racism is newly enhanced!
Centering Black Youth Wellbeing: A Certificate on Combatting Anti-Black Racism is newly enhanced! One of our most popular certificates just got even better! To deepen your learning experience, each of the four modules now includes: 🎥 Short videos 🧩 Knowledge quizzes 💡 New resources, including Factsheets & Evidence Briefs 🤝 Opportunities to connect with other… View Article
August 14, 2025
Youth Cannabis Data Hub
Explore and discover accessible data about Ontario youth! DATA DASHBOARDGRAB + GO RESOURCESFAQSYOUTH CANNABIS USECannabis use among Canadian youth is a subject of growing interest, particularly since the legalization of recreational cannabis in 2018. Patterns of cannabis use and attitudes toward its effects have evolved among young Canadians. Cannabis is one of the most used… View Article
July 31, 2025
Born to Innovate: Youth Entrepreneurs Shaping Tomorrow
This video was produced by the Tamarack Institute. HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS VIDEO: This webinar, in collaboration with the Youthful Cities DevLab project, explores the evolving landscape of youth entrepreneurship in Canada. We dive into how location shapes opportunity and access by looking at the experiences of young entrepreneurs from both big cities and… View Article
July 17, 2025
Authentic Youth Engagement in Policy: Summary Report
This report was published by Child Trends. HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT: Young people who have lived experience navigating youth-serving systems (e.g., foster care) are increasingly recognized as essential contributors to shaping policies that impact their lives. The Authentic Youth Engagement in Policy Project examines how youth are meaningfully engaged in policy processes… View Article
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