A new Ontario Trillium Foundation program will distribute up to $5 million a year to community groups and grassroots initiatives that serve GTA youth "facing multiple barriers to economic and social and well-being."
The recently introduced
Youth Opportunities Fund (YOF) is a direct response to a slew of recent Ontario Government policy papers and strategies focused on addressing youth issues across the province.
According to the Trillium Foundation—a granting agency of the Province—the YOF is an initiative of the
Ontario Youth Action Plan, a plan published in the summer of last year. The "Action Plan" is itself based on earlier research from the 2008 Review of the Roots of Youth Violence report, a report which found, among other things, that marginalized youth often lack access to safe spaces, feel disconnected from teachers and school administrators, and can’t access meaningful employment or recreational opportunities.
The YOF aims to address some of these larger issues by providing funds to organizations already doing needed work and by setting money aside for new and emerging youth leaders.
The $5 million per annum pot can be accessed through two separate channels: one for established organizations and one for individuals or youth-led collectives trying out new ideas and making small-scale interventions.
"[The YOF] is an exciting opportunity to strengthen mechanisms and relationships that support the ongoing work of youth-led, grassroots groups today, and in the future," says Ruby Lam, Chair of the YOF Grant Review Committee. "Community work is strongest when young people are at the table and are informing the decisions and the work at hand."
Any GTA organization or grassroots initiative is eligible to apply, so long as the proposed programming serves "youth facing barriers." a broad category that includes, among other things, youth facing systemic discrimination, conflicts with school or with the law, or living in low-income situations.
YOF details and dates available
here.
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Ruby Lam, Chair of YOF Grant Review Committee, Ontario Trillium