Challenge Question
How can newcomer/immigrant youth become aware of the support they need and how to find it?
Partner: FYI – For Youth Initiative
Project Summary
It is a challenge to immigrate to another country without emotional and social support, local knowledge, and vital language skills. This project constellates around breaking these barriers while providing newcomer youths with the tools they need for leadership and empowerment through assisting newcomers with locating and accessing support from students and leaders who understand the struggles inherent to settling in a new country. The diverse, cross-disciplinary team for this project will devise strategies that raise awareness of and accessibility to the FYI: For Youth Initiative among newcomer/immigrant youth in the York South-Weston community. As a result of past support from student researchers, FYI was able to expand its social media engagement and content and the research team will work to build on past successes while creating more opportunities for newcomers. Student researchers might have an interest or specialization in the areas of social science, social work, immigration, youth and community engagement, and communications and/or web development, and a desire to have more awareness about issues related to accessibility, marginalization, and mental health among newcomer youth populations.
Project at capacity, please write to ycn@yorku.ca to check status.
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Organizational Profile
FYI For Youth Initiative was formed in 1995 as a pilot project by a group of non-profit professionals who shared the belief that all young people deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential. Establishing the project in York South-Weston, a region in the far northwest corner of Toronto where resources for youth were scarce, the group was well-situated to put their beliefs to work. Today, For Youth Initiative is an important pillar of the York South-Weston community. Our community centre provides a safe space for local teenagers and young adults to learn and grow, explore new possibilities, and celebrate their successes. Program participants come to For Youth Initiative to pursue their passions; develop their skills; and make decisions that will benefit themselves, their peers, and their community. Through the programs at FYI, youth develop leadership skills that enable them to positively represent themselves and their community, advocate for their needs, and share their vision for our city. The many youth who have come to For Youth Initiative each year provide a compelling demonstration of the idea that inspired the formation of the organization: given the chance, young people can become the successful adults they want to be!
Partner Website
Learn more about the kind of work the project partner does by browsing their website.
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Key Words
- Youth
- Immigration
- Community Resources