Child Welfare 2024 Peterborough Youth Action Fund First Nation Grassroots Group Planting Roots Funded Amount: $300000 / Projects / Youth Action Fund / Planting Roots In Ontario, Indigenous youth experience gaps that impact experiences within the justice, education, and child welfare systems including a lack of culturally responsive supports and resources. These gaps contribute to ongoing challenges and disparities, increasing the vulnerability of Indigenous youth within these systems. In many cases, participation in these systems has also disrupted the flow of intergenerational knowledge and weakened bonds that connect youth and communities, with the effect of further eroding their wellness and resilience. These impacts are not only experienced by Indigenous youth but also set into motion cycles of disadvantage and disconnection among future generations. The Planting Roots program is a youth-led initiative designed to support off-reserve and urban Indigenous youth who face barriers within the justice, education, and child welfare systems. The program is implemented over the course of 3 years, with Year 1 establishing cultural connections through land-based learning. Year 2 deepens cultural roots via language learning and cultural workshops, and Year 3 celebrates the gift of community through music and dance. Culminating in a youth-led powwow and feast, the program works to create a supportive environment that provides opportunities that empower leadership skills, build resilience, strengthen cultural identity, and support youth as they navigate the challenges and successes of life.