CASE STUDY | Holistic Health and Wellbeing in CBYF – Alberni-Clayoquot

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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This case study explores the impacts and learnings from the first five years of Communities Building Youth Futures (CBYF), a multi-sectoral collaboration between youth leaders, the Tamarack Institute, and other community allies. Between 2019 and 2024, CBYF has supported almost 70,000 young people in 20 communities to re-engage in school, secure stable employment, and develop as leaders and mentors in their communities. 

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. The case study contains: 

• Narration by youth leader Jordan Higgins from CBYF Alberni-Clayoquot Region, British Columbia  

• In-depth descriptions of CBYF initiatives related to holistic health & wellbeing including Alberni-Clayoquot’s harm reduction initiatives, Sudbury’s Hope Campaign, Yellowknife’s Youth of Yellowknife Campaign, and Kahnawà:ke’s Healing Through Performance Art  

• Additional highlights from Chatham-Kent, Laval, Alberni-Clayoquot, Yellowknife, Digby, Sudbury, the Yukon, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Prince Albert, Oxford County, Corner Brook, Portage la Prairie, Digby Chilliwack, and Grande Prairie 

• Quotes from 22 youth participants, leaders, and leadership table members about their experiences with CBYF 

• Key data, learnings, outcomes, and other impacts of the initiative