Youth Futures

Communities Building Youth Futures (CBYF) initiative has been instrumental in fostering positive change and empowerment within 20 rural, remote and Indigenous communities across the country. We are excited to share our special summative report which reflects and uplifts the innovative work and impacts taking place across the CBYF network!

Navigating the web of social services for youth can be challenging, and the Tamarack Institute has identified this as a common barrier for young people in this country. Our mission is to empower communities, youth organizations, municipalities, governments, young individuals, and everyone in between with effective strategies tailored to their needs, addressing specific and common barriers. 

This guide is more than just a compilation of strategies; it's a result of the extensive research of Tamarack’s Communities Building Youth Futures team, and the communities we work with, as well as learnings from insightful interviews with folks with lived experience. We recognize that one-size-fits-all solutions don't work in the dynamic tapestry of diversity in Turtle Island (Canada). This guide is your compass to navigate youth services successfully. 

In partnership with Evenings & Weekends Consulting, this comprehensive report provides valuable insights into how the Communities Building Youth Futures (CBYF) network alongside Tamarack partnered with leaders of all ages across the country to centre youth voice. 

This toolkit is a project of the Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement that draws on the wisdom of the Communities Building Youth Futures (CBYF) network which operates in twenty rural, remote, and Indigenous communities across the country to develop community-wide strategies to support youth (aged 15-29) to succeed in high school and beyond.

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.