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With NOT For

Youth engagement is a challenge for many communities across Canada, and it is a key determinant in the success or failure of any youth program. In my home community, the situation is no different. The Kahnawake Collective Impact (KCI) began its journey within the small Mohawk community a little over 5 years ago, along with the help of the Tamarack Institute. In that time, we have developed an autonomous ‘organization’ with multiple working groups and a steering committee at its core.  

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Launching Communities Building Youth Futures

Our team at Tamarack has been looking forward to June for so many reasons - one of which is the official launch of the Communities Building Youth Futures Initiative (CBYF).

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Empowering Youth During a Pandemic

We are living in complex times, and now more than ever we need to focus on relationships. With COVID-19, our work doesn't just change, it becomes more important. We need to build in time and space for people to explore and engage in conversations which allow them to feel socially and emotionally supported. 

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Exploring a Community Youth Organization’s Rapid Response to the Pandemic

Founded in 1970, Head & Hands is a community health organization servicing Montreal’s west end community youth. It began with a mission to provide medical, legal and social services to Montreal’s youth and has since grown into a landmark community organization providing “services that include free weekly drop-in medical clinics, legal information and consultations, counselling, a young parents’ program, youth drop-in, tutoring, street workers, and the Sense Project peer-based sex ed in high schools.”

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Reflections on the #ImpactCOVID Online Youth Summit

As the COVID-19 pandemic developed, it became apparent to me that no sector was ready for what might come. With rapid change, we are all navigating a new path together and while we don’t know what the future holds, I take comfort in that young people are coming together to address the current needs and prepare for a new world.

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The United Kingdom Addressing Youth Loneliness

Two big announcements on youth loneliness have recently come out of the United Kingdom. First, the United Kingdom announced £2 million from its Building Connections Fund to support youth-focused initiatives to be distributed by the Co-Op Foundation. The funding announcement pairs with the launch of the report “A Place to Belong: The Role of Local Youth Organizations in Addressing Youth Loneliness,” by UK Youths which the Co-Op Foundation supported.

The Building Connections Fund is a collaboration between the Government, Big Lottery Fund and the Co-Op Foundation in response to the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness. The aim of the fund is to reduce loneliness in England. The fund contains two strands £9 million from the main fund and a separate £2 million that is targeted toward youth. The youth strand will provide £80,000 to organizations to co-develop approaches with youth to combat loneliness.

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