Youth CI opportunities:
Workshop 1
Youth CI Workshop 1 is a single-day in-person workshop (or two-part online workshop) that helps early-stage collaboratives establish and refine their Collective Impact initiative.
The workshop supports a team of leaders representing 3 or more organizations from the same community who have committed to working on a common youth issue. Groups that have participated in Workshop 1 will be considered for Development Coaching and Exploration Funding.
Eligibility
You established a collaborative of 3 or more organizations
You begun to identify the challenge but need to engage the community more, and would like to address and understand every dimension
You identified youth priorities for your community that needs to be addressed
You engage young people in your community to help you develop your collective impact work
Application Requirements
Applications are to be submitted to the Foundation’s grant management portal only. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Program Manager, Tamer Ibrahim, to discuss their initiative in advance of applying: tibrahim@laidlawfdn.org or 647-968-5713
Youth CI Conversation Starter Grant
The Conversation Starter Grant supports youth-led and youth- serving groups across Ontario to get conversations started that can help identify a common issue affecting young people that needs to be addressed, and/or identify who needs to be involved in a collective effort to improve the conditions of young people in their community.
Eligibility
You are a youth-led or youth-serving group looking to build a collaborative to work in a community in Ontario
You are a new or informal group
You are convening to identify specific youth priorities for your community that needs to be addressed
You are looking for funding/resources to help you get your youth collective impact conversation going in your community
Funding
Grants are up to $1,000
Application Requirements
Applications are to be submitted to the Foundation’s grant management portal only. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Program Manager, Tamer Ibrahim, to discuss their initiative in advance of applying: tibrahim@laidlawfdn.org or 647-968-5713
Youth CI Impact Accelerator
The Youth CI Impact Accelerator gives participants the opportunity to step away from their day-to-day activities and think critically about the impact they are trying to achieve for young people through their work. The session includes information on how to access Youth CI workshops, coaching and grants. Participants that attend will have the opportunity to learn about applying for our upcoming Youth CI workshops and funding opportunities.
Organizations and collectives are encouraged to bring 2-3 people to the in-person sessions. These can be members of the leadership team, members of the collective, board members and key stakeholders. In addition to the Impact Accelerators, we’ll also be hosting online webinars that highlight support offered in the Youth CI program
Youth Leadership and Training
The Youth Leadership and Training program is designed to connect young people with mentors to gain valuable knowledge in Collective Impact. The program matches young people with tools, mentors and knowledge so they can use it in their own work to further Collective Impact initiatives.
Eligibility
You are a young person between 16 and 29 years and want to explore how to address big complex social issues to bring about positive change for young people
You are looking to access tools and gain knowledge from collaboratives using the Collective Impact approach
Application Requirements
Applications are to be submitted to the Foundation’s grant management portal only. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Program Manager, Tamer Ibrahim, to discuss their initiative in advance of applying: tibrahim@laidlawfdn.org or 647-968-5713
2019 YOUTH CI
FUND GRANTEES
Project Descriptions
Making Wraparound Supports Available to Incarcerated Youth in Ontario
This story was prepared by Gohar Topchyan, in collaboration with the grantee.
The Collective Impact to Reduce Incarceration Group, convened and led by the Toronto-based grassroots initiative Nikki Knows, has taken on an important mission: to reduce the number of young people, aged 18-34, who are incarcerated in Ontario.
Informed by Project LUCID, a Nikki Knows community-based action research project aimed at identifying gaps in programs, services, and supports for people held in and released from adult (18+) provincial custody, the CI Group is currently working on a new pilot called Project OASIS (Ongoing And Supportive Integrated Services). Once launched, Project OASIS will bring the group closer to fulfilling their mission.
“A lot needs to happen before you are able to reduce the incarceration or reincarceration rates of young people, and some things are, of course, out of our control,” Nikki noted, making a reference to the risk management and risk averse culture prevalent throughout the justice system, as a significant external factor working against such efforts. What the CI Group will try to do is give young people access to supports that meet their needs and assist them with navigating their pre-release and post-release journeys.
Nikki explained that too many young people who return to their communities after a period of incarceration feel unsupported and unprepared for the challenges and barriers they inevitably face; as she heard time and again through Project LUCID.
Community re-entry is a challenging and frustrating process, often made more difficult by the limited availability of transitional supports (including assistance navigating services); and the limited capacity of service providers to address the specific needs associated with incarceration and re-entry. The collective believes that adequately addressing needs for, and mitigating gaps in, resources and supports is critical to improving community re-entry outcomes for young people leaving custody and could go a long way in reducing the likelihood of re-arrest, re-incarceration, and/or re-conviction.
But what makes the pilot especially unique is its integrated wraparound approach. Through Project OASIS, CI group members will provide services to young people in adult provincial custody in a continuous, coordinated, and holistic manner beginning pre-release, while participants are on remand, and continuing post-release. To be part of Project OASIS, member organizations need to be willing to step a bit outside of their own mandates and definitions of ‘youth’ in order to break the conventional referral network mold and, instead, work together as a cohesive team of organizations around participants.
“We want the pilot to be very participant-centred,” Nikki remarked. This means that the group will provide services according to each participant’s identified needs (e.g. literacy, education, housing, employment, family supports, etc.), while, at the same time, incorporating the physical, mental, social, and spiritual aspects of their well-being, and engaging any existing support systems they may already have. The group plans to implement centralized intake, assessment, and coordination processes to facilitate central access to participant files, avoid double-booking participants, and help reduce duplication of services.
This type of wraparound approach so far has not been utilized among service providers working with young people held in or released from adult provincial custody, in or around the Greater Toronto Area, as organizations have a tendency to work in silos. So, while supports are available through some organizations, they tend to be fragmented (e.g. characterized by a lack of coordination between organizations with different mandates, administrative structures, policies/practices, and eligibility criteria); as a result of which, young people often fall through the cracks and/or have needs that go unmet.
Challenges Ahead
As with any pilot, a few challenges likely lie ahead. Firstly, the willingness and ability of correctional facilities to work with the group will be key to the success of the pilot. Secondly, funding is currently limited, which means that the sustainability and continuity of the project beyond its first year is not guaranteed. Lastly, the capacity of member groups may prove to be limited as some are already stretched too thin. These challenges, however, will not prevent the group from moving forward.
In order to test the developed wraparound approach, the CI Group intends to run the pilot in 1-2 adult provincial correctional facilities, before going on to evaluate and determine the feasibility of replicating and/or scaling the project to a larger number of correctional facilities within Ontario.
The Collective Impact to Reduce Incarceration Group is supported by Youth CI’s Grassroots Youth Leadership in Collective Impact grant.
Helping Hastings County youth to obtain their high school diploma
This story was prepared by Gohar Topchyan, in collaboration with the grantee.
The Hastings County Youth Collective Impact, one of Youth CI’s largest collaboratives, is aimed at increasing high school graduation rates for youth aged 12-18 and 18-30 in order to reach parity with the provincial average by 2026.
It all began in 2016, when Debbie Woods from the John Howard Society of Belleville discovered the Youth Collective Impact program and felt the issue of low high school graduation rates in Hastings County, which her organization was already addressing through a program called Quantum, could undoubtedly benefit from a greater community effort. Three years later, the project has united over 10 organizations in Hastings, including the 5 core group members, to develop a much-needed initiative that addresses system barriers faced by young people who are not on track to graduate or have left high school.
Reflecting on the needs of their community, the collective found that the graduation rate in Hastings County is lower than the provincial rate. Through the work of the collective, it was identified that high school graduation rates for the following three groups were below the Hastings County average: youth in care (CAS), Indigenous youth and youth living in rural areas, specifically North Hastings. The Hastings County Youth CI will implement strategies to increase high school graduation rates for youth in these target groups.
The collective became aware that as many as 350 youth may be in group home care in Hastings County. Many of the youth may not be on track to achieve their high school diploma and could be particularly at risk of getting involved with the justice system. “It is all interconnected,” Debbie noted. “If you do not complete your grade 12, you are more at risk of getting involved with the justice system”.
In January 2019, the collective launched a peer mentorship program as part of their campaign to increase awareness to young people in Hastings about supports available. There are currently three peer mentors in Belleville, who, as Debbie assures, have developed a solid work plan and are already doing a wonderful job of engaging youth to stay or get connected back to school, as well as teaching them about alternative routes to complete their diploma. In the North, the collective comprised of a backbone team, youth embedded roles, Indigenous roles and a systems navigator is working with community partners to develop a Youth Centre to meet the needs of youth in the North. The peer mentor in the North assists youth in accessing much-needed community resources.
What are the specific needs of Hastings County youth?
According to Debbie, it is important to take into account the special barriers that youth face on a daily basis and to create opportunities for them to voice their opinions. To find out about the specific needs of youth, the collaborative hosted several youth engagement consultations through LEGO Serious Play (LSP) workshops.
The unique and interactive method of LSP workshops allowed youth to express their ideas and plans by creating models from LEGO bricks. LSP was especially useful in conveying more complex thoughts that could not be otherwise easily communicated. One key participant group in LSP workshops was CAS youth with lived experience of the justice system. The second participant group was from North Hastings. The workshops helped to pinpoint specific issue areas and to learn about what prevented youth from achieving their high school graduation diploma. LSP workshops were also used by peer mentors to construct their work plan.
Through research and data collection, the collective has determined that approximately 55 % of CAS youth are able to obtain their high school diploma, which is significantly below the provincial and local average. As part of the project, the Hastings County Youth CI initiative will perform an environmental scan of the 350 youth currently in group home care in Hastings County to determine the high school completion percentage specific to youth in group home care. Next year, the collective will do the same for the other target groups.
What’s next for the Hastings County Peer Mentorship Program?
What makes the project unique is the fact that all of the work is directed by and completed with and for youth in the community. Youth themselves have designed the project and are leading the collective, focusing on issues and challenges that are meaningful to them and working together to improve outcomes for youth. Their work is trauma-informed. They recognize the importance of graduation because not earning a high school diploma often puts youth at risk for a number of challenges.
As for next steps, the Hastings County Youth CI initiative would like to expand its peer-mentorship program and to start removing some of the systemic issues that are contributing to the issue of low high school graduation rates.
Supporting the Well-Being and Mental Health of Mushkegowuk Youth
This story was prepared by Gohar Topchyan, in collaboration with the grantee.
One of Youth CI’s newest collectives, Mushkegowuk Youth, has brought together individuals and organizations dedicated to supporting the well-being and mental health of Indigenous youth. Collective partners engaged in the initiative include Dr. David Danto, whose research focuses on Indigenous mental health and land-based interventions, Anne Lovegrove from the Psychology Foundation of Canada, Rick Wabano, Board Member of Moosonee community’s Weeneebayko Area Health Authority, who is part of a task force aimed at bringing together leading psychologists with Indigenous community representatives, and organizations such as Right to Play and the Misiway Milopemahtesewin Community Health Centre.
“Two-Eyed Seeing”
According to Mushkegowuk Youth, Western-based conventional mental health services are often inaccessible and unsuitable for Indigenous Peoples for a variety of reasons. The collective will take on a “two-eyed seeing” approach in the pursuit of youth wellbeing, which relies on the strengths of both the Indigenous and the Western perspectives. The term “two-eyed seeing” coined by Elder Albert Marshall conveys this very idea.
Mushkegowuk Youth’s approach first requires cultivating a working and learning environment that is equitable and inclusive. “The challenge [is] to not let the Western eye dominate and “colonize” the Indigenous eye,” says Dr. David Danto. “Appropriate mental health interventions can involve Western input but decision-making and vision need to remain within the Indigenous community.”
The Journey Ahead
Collective Impact recognizes the value of cross-sectoral partnerships, where participating members can articulate their goals, build trust, effort and accountability at the table. Each group member has different skills and expertise to contribute. “To help facilitate the conversation, we found that it was useful to identify and understand the strength of each group member,” says Anne Lovegrove. “In addition, we felt it was important that we determine the goals collectively.”
The collective is still at the very early stages of project development but was able to convene several times and fine-tune its mission statement to significantly reduce suicide rates among children aged 0-12 and youth aged 13-19 in the Mushkegowuk territory within the next three years.
According to Rick, in order to direct the group’s efforts towards the root causes of suicide and bring about genuine healing to individuals and communities, Mushkegowuk Youth will take an indirect route of lowering youth suicide rates through enculturation and empowerment acquired in the pursuit of “two-eyed seeing. “This is necessary to address the harms imposed upon a wounded generation that first emerged from the residential school experience,” he says. “Through the process of inter-generational trauma and the lack of individual healing pursuits, subsequent wounded generations are being produced. This is a generation that lacks neither cultural nor western knowledge, and thus, finds itself in between two worlds with the inability to function in neither.” The collective believes that taking a holistic approach to this vision will ensure overall wellness and allow for progress in young people’s healing journey.
Mushkegowuk Youth has embarked on a long journey. With the help of Youth CI’s Exploration Grant, the group is looking to develop a more specific plan, invite other stakeholders and expand its partnership base.
In order to continue the dialogue and further explore integrated efforts and programs that could support Mushkegowuk youth, the collective plans to convene once again in Moosonee, where other key organizations, groups and youth in particular can take part in the conversation.
Working towards improving access to affordable housing in Toronto
This story was prepared by Gohar Topchyan, in collaboration with the grantee.
Meet Cheryll Case (holding the board at right), a young urban planner and one of Youth CI’s driven and inspiring youth leaders, who has dedicated herself to one of the most pressing questions facing Toronto’s residents: how do we improve access to affordable and adequate housing in a rapidly developing city?
Cheryll has come a long way since her project, Housing in Focus, was approved for the Grassroots Youth Leadership in Collective Impact Grant. Her unique project took a different approach to tackling the much talked about issue of housing affordability by bringing the conversation to those who are most impacted by it: the underserved population.
Housing in Focus Workshops
By establishing partnerships with a number of organizations, associations and groups serving the lower-income and underhoused population, Cheryll was able to conduct 6 workshops and 5 youth training sessions at various locations with over 140 participants. The Housing in Focus workshops directly engaged underserved residents who are typically left out of public consultations that take place as part of the community planning process.
She pointed out that underserved residents do not get enough say in what happens to their neighbourhoods. They often feel discouraged from voicing their opinions in public consultations, which are generally dominated by higher-income residents or homeowners, who show little interest in addressing affordable housing. Cheryll believes that creating a more welcoming environment would encourage more participation from residents.
Through the Housing in Focus platform, underserved residents were able to share their stories, thoughts and first-hand experiences, as well as offer their own housing solutions.
During the workshops, everybody overwhelmingly agreed that housing should be considered a human right and that the current policies do not reflect that at all. As a result, the workshop participants produced over 18 land use maps to demonstrate what their neighbourhoods could look like if housing was in fact treated as a human right.
The generated maps included plans, among others, for more subsidized and co-operative housing. According to Cheryll, this is a valuable tool that puts the residents’ thoughts into tangible forms of action and goes beyond the verbal conversation. “Seeing your vision realized on a map and imaging a future where you can see yourself in is a really powerful experience,” she said.
When asked about challenges, Cheryll mentioned that it is always difficult to reconcile with the fact that there is so much to talk about but so little time. In addition, the available resources are not enough to meet the high demand for these discussions and to maintain momentum.
What the future holds
“I think it would be fantastic and a real game-changer if we could have a development that was led by underserved residents, who would have control over the entire process and remain involved from start to finish,” Cheryll noted.
These workshops are certainly a step in the right direction. “Thanks to these workshops and conversations, the residents and the different groups are much more aware about the situation and feel more confident to speak up about the issue,” she explained, “And many of the participant groups continue to work on making affordable housing more accessible.”
As for Cheryll herself, she has some big plans for the future that include, among others, appearing as an expert speaker on housing at various panels and working with Coach House Books to publish House Divided, a book which will focus on the intersections of land use policy and housing affordability.
Until then, Cheryll will keep broadening the audience for the community planning process, to ensure that it responds to the needs of underserved residents. After all, what she can do best as a planner is to facilitate conversations between different groups, residents, the private and the non-profit sectors, so that shared goals are more easily attainable.
