#YouthREXat10 Conversation Series:
The Youth. The Work. The System.
YouthREX is celebrating the 10th year of a shared commitment to supporting the important work of Ontario youth programs and youth workers in advancing the wellbeing of young people.
This is not just a celebration of longevity but a celebration of impact! The kind of sustained, community-rooted impact that happens when community partners and changemakers come together around a shared vision for youth wellbeing.
To commemorate #YouthREXat10, we’re hosting a Knowledge to Action (KtA) conversation series exploring three themes – The Youth, The Work, The System. We recognize that 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.
#YouthREXat10 Conversation Series: The Youth. The Work. The System.
Reimagining Youth Work
for Diverse Youth
Thursday, November 27 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Join us for an inspiring keynote from Dr. Nicole Ineese-Nash and Kaitlyn Wilcox, Braiding Approaches: Reimagining Youth Work for Diverse Youth. They will share stories and insights from more than a decade of research and practice at the intersections of Indigenous childhood studies, disability justice, and community-led youth work.
Nicole and Kaitlyn will also reflect on the everyday joys that sustain youth work, the systemic challenges that continue to shape practice, and the tensions youth workers navigate in holding both care and constraint within a colonial context.
The keynote will close with opportunities for transformation, introducing the Wiingushk Okaadenige (Sweetgrass Braid) framework as a way of imagining braided approaches that weave together various forms of knowledge for the promotion of culturally safe relational care.
The event will include a presentation from Adrienne Young, YouthREX Research Assistant and PhD Student at York University’s School of Social Work, to share findings from YouthREX’s Ontario Youth Sector Compass research project.
Spoken word artist Eddie Lartey / Tupac Shakespeare will also be featured in a special performance.
This event will be hosted be co-hosted by Cyril Cromwell, Director of Research & Evaluation, and Kathe Rogers, Managing Director.
Learn more about Nicole, Kaitlyn, Adrienne, and Eddie / Tupac!
This event will take place on Zoom; closed captions in English will be available and presentations and performances will be recorded.
Meet the keynote speakers:
Dr. Nicole Ineese-Nash (she/her)
Assistant Professor
School of Early Childhood Studies
and Child and Youth Care
Executive Director
Finding Our Power Together
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Dr. Nicole Ineese-Nash (she/her) is a mixed Indigenous (Mushkego Cree, French-Canadian, and Irish) researcher, educator, and community worker. She is a registered member of Constance Lake First Nation with family ties to Mamawmattawa along the English and Kabikagami Rivers in Treaty 9 territory. She was born and raised in Tkaronto, where she presently lives and works. Nicole holds a Ph.D. in Social Justice Education with a specialization in Indigenous health and a Master’s in Early Childhood Studies. She is also a registered early childhood educator. She is an Assistant Professor in Early Childhood Studies and Child and Youth Care at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is also a registered early childhood educator. Her research attends to Indigenous childhoods, disability justice, madness and healing, drawing on participatory, land-based, and decolonial methodologies. She is also the founder and Executive Director of Finding Our Power Together, a national Indigenous-led charitable organization that offers mental health programming, cultural healing services, and community-based research with Indigenous children, youth, and communities across Canada.
Kaitlyn Wilcox
Research Project Coordinator | Finding Our Power Together
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Kaitlyn WilcoxResearch Project Coordinator, Finding Our Power TogetherKaitlyn is a mixed Bodéwadmiand settler Two-Spirit artist and registered social workerfrom Mississauga. Their ancestors come from Moose Deer Point First Nation. Guided by adeep connection to family, Land, and Spirit, their work bridges creativity and healing. As anIndigenous artist and social worker, Kaitlyn uses art as a tool for storytelling, resurgence,and wellness. Their practice integrates Indigenous knowledges, anti-oppressive care, andarts-based therapies to foster belonging, cultural pride, and intergenerational healing.Through creativity and compassion, Kaitlyn nurtures spaces whereIndigenous Peoples canthrive and be unapologetically themselves
Meet the presenter and Spoken Word Artist:
Adrienne Young
Research Assistant | YouthREX (Youth Research and Evaluation eXchange)
PhD Student | York University’s School of Social Work
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Adrienne (she/her) is a Research Assistant at YouthREX. She received her B.A. from the University of British Columbia, her MSW from Boston University, and is currently a PhD Student at York University School of Social Work.
She is passionate about elevating youth voice and is experienced in planning, facilitating, and evaluating youth advisory councils across sectors.
Adrienne is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and is a fierce advocate for Indigenous rights. She draws inspiration from youth movements for equity and justice all over the globe.
We look forward to connecting with you and
sharing this journey of learning, reflection, and celebration!