These case studies explore the impacts and learnings from the first five years of Communities Building Youth Futures (CBYF), a multi-sectoral collaboration between the Tamarack Institute, youth leaders, and other community allies. CBYF’s ambitious goal is to support youth leaders aged 15-30 across Canada to revolutionize the future of youth education, employment, and wellness in their rural, remote and Indigenous communities. As these case studies show, this work is well underway, engaging almost 70,000 young people between 2019 and 2024.
The case studies are divided into six themes, drawing inspiration from early conversations with the CBYF backbone tables about their community’s most pressing needs. The themes are:
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Accessible Education
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Employment & Mentorship
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Holistic Health & Well-being
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Service Navigation & Access to Supports
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Youth Engagement & Leadership
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Identity & Social Connection
Case Studies in This Series
Accessible Education in CBYF – Portage la Prairie
The theme of accessible education, identified as an area of opportunity by CBYF communities in the early stages of the initiative, focuses on supporting young people to graduate high school and transition into employment or higher education.
See Accessible Education in CBYF – Portage la Prairie
Employment and Mentorship in CBYF – Grande Prairie
CBYF communities identified the theme of employment and mentorship as an area of opportunity for greater support in the early stages of the initiative. CBYF youth-led initiatives helped young people develop employment skills, build resume experience, connect with mentors, and eventually, transition to stable employment.
See Employment and Mentorship in CBYF – Grande Prairie
Holistic Health and Wellbeing in CBYF – Alberni-Clayoquot
Early in the CBYF initiative, communities recognized that for young people to succeed in education and employment, they must have their basic needs met. CBYF youth-led initiatives helped young people access food, mental and physical healthcare, transportation, and meaningful connections with Indigenous Elders and adult allies.
See Holistic Health and Wellbeing in CBYF – Alberni-Clayoquot
Service Navigation and Access to Supports in CBYF – Sudbury
Many youth engaged in CBYF initiatives reported that they rely on services but struggle to access them for many reasons. They may feel intimidated by the bureaucracy or intake processes, have prior negative experiences accessing services, or be unaware of what services are available. This case study explores the community initiatives that supported youth as they navigated services and other supports.
See Service Navigation and Access to Supports in CBYF – Sudbury
Youth Engagement and Leadership in CBYF – Oxford County
Communities recognized early on in their CBYF initiatives that championing youth-led action teams requires ongoing capacity-building for youth leaders, leading to the creation of the theme of youth engagement and leadership. CBYF supported young people to build their leadership skills, take on positions of power in their local communities, and advocate publicly for youth engagement.
See Youth Engagement and Leadership in CBYF – Oxford County
Identity and Social Connection in CBYF – Yellowknife
The theme of identity and social engagement became especially meaningful for communities in the first few years of the initiative, as the Covid-19 pandemic and its restrictions made socializing difficult for youth and others to connect. CBYF initiatives sought to counter isolation by providing safe opportunities for youth to spend quality time with one another and engage in meaningful, culturally significant activities.
See Identity and Social Connection in CBYF – Yellowknife
Deepen Your Learning
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Watch a short video about the Communities Building Youth Futures (CBYF) initiative.
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Learn more about the impacts of the CBYF work from the voices of the youth involved.
The Tamarack Institute is a registered Canadian charity dedicated to ending poverty in all its forms, for good. We support real people and invest in real communities for long-term change.
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