The Youth Decision Making Team reviewed over 50 applications and granted almost $1M in funding. Congratulations to the 17 organizations who received funding for their projects.

Abab Education

The Fatherhood Program connects youth with father figures in the communities. It draws on our belief that the solution to our youth challenge is in the wisdom buried in our communities. This program empowers black youth, young adults, and leaders to thrive in a cultured environment fostering key personal and professional development mechanisms.

Adventure4Change

Adventure4Change will create a safe space where children and youth can connect, engage with their culture and build a sense of belonging and self-worth through the following programs:

• The Connect program creates activities that prevent or reduce the potential of mental health and addiction for ACBi and racialized youth in the neighbourhoods.
• Young Queens Collective provides a space for black and racialized female youth to embrace their culture and learn about other cultures through connection.
• The Mentorship program pairs youths with willing adults. These mentors regularly with youths to support and guide them to achieve set goals.

African Women's Alliance of Waterloo Region

African Women’s Alliance of Waterloo Region will offer opportunities for Black and African youth to build relationships, promote physical activity and foster a sense of belonging through the following programs:

• Ojo Ola Wa will promote resilience and well-being through martial arts
• Elders' Wisdom, Youth's Future facilitates intergenerational exchanges between youth and respected elders to foster cultural identity

AFRO

AFRO will provide mental health supports, foster skill development, physical activity and belonging for ACBi youth through:

• Offering culturally tailored support from psychotherapists;
• Creating support networks and encouraging help-seeking through a martial arts and boxing program; and
• Empowering youth to enter the workforce through recruitment and training programs

Building Brilliance

This program will create opportunities for youth to connect with tutors to develop skills and help close the academic gap for racialized students. This program will link academics and culture using a variety of media and materials.

Crow Shield Lodge

The Migisi Bizindan (Eagle's Nest) project will empower Indigenous youth to reconnect with their culture, land, and community through a holistic, mentorship-based program. Through land-based experiences we will strengthen the relationships to community and authorities and foster a culturally comfortable space for youth to address their challenges. With positive connections to culture, we will help youth stay on a good path in community and build positive relationships with all.

iHelp International

This program aims to address the pressing challenges of mental health issues and addiction crisis by engaging youth in both physical and mental activities like science, math and physical training.

Kinbridge Community Association

Kinbridge Community Association programs will empower youth and give them a safe place to connect and keep learning.

• The Youth Council initiative provides Black and culturally and economically diverse youth a platform to voice their concerns and aspirations while building their skills
• The Mixed Drop-in program offers a welcoming space where youth come together and encourages youth to collaboratively shape its direction and content by curating program topics, inviting guest speakers, and organizing workshops.

Level Up

The Step-Up and Step-Out Program is an experiential learning opportunity designed for Black, Indigenous, and racialized youth. This program offers behind-the-scenes access to social institutions and inspiring community projects through field trips and guest speakers. It serves as a platform for youth to gain insights into the inner workings of our social institutions, enabling them to advocate for their needs and aspirations effectively.

Muslim Empowerment and Unity

The LeadHER Initiative is designed to address the mental health needs of Black youth. It will provide a safe space for Black Muslim girls to gather, facilitated by mental health professionals and community leaders who share similar experiences and identities.

Preston Heights Community Group

The City-to-City program offers leadership development to youth by exploring a variety of spaces, environments, and themes. Youth within the program will also experience life skill development around cooking, first-aid, resume development, and volunteer opportunities.

Rhythm & Blues Cambridge

The Young Black Men Thrive program will establish a safe and supportive environment where participants can openly discuss strategies to break generational patterns and trauma responses.

Rohingya Centre

The Rohingya Youth Mental Health Program will address health and social inequities as well as stigma that create barriers to accessing services and community resources for the Rohingya youth. This program aims to reduce barriers and provide culturally appropriate community resources for Rohingya youth.

The Healing of The Seven Generations

Healing of the Seven Generations programs will focus on culture and tradition to promote healing and wellness and move youth away from the justice systems:

• Land Based Summer Camp which will provide a sense of community belonging and provide a safe space to share stories and experiences.
• The youth mentoring program which will provide employment opportunities for Indigenous youth.
• The Back Pack Program will provide a sense of community belonging and assist with basic needs.

The Wisahkotewinowak Collective

The Indigenous Food Share Strategy supports youth to develop and implement a strategy for sharing Indigenous foods with the Indigenous community. Youth will also gain skills in growing, processing and storing foods and medicines for distribution. The project will build relationships with new and existing partners to increase pathways for food distribution so that Indigenous youth are gaining hands-on experiences of growing food in culturally aligned ways within our community setting.

White Owl Native Ancestry Association

White Owl Native Ancestry Association will support teaching and mentorship of traditional arts and crafts and food skills development through two programs:

• The Regalia and Cultural Arts program will seek to teach regalia building, traditional beadwork, quill work, leatherwork, basketry, and other forms of crafting. Youth will create and build with each other in a peer supported network.
• Food Security and Food Sovereignty program gives youth access to food share program, multiple gardens and the ability to learn traditional food skills in workshops.

Youth Smile-Link

This youth-led program fosters skill development and community connections through workshops, personal development sessions and community involvement opportunities. Youth Smile-Links creates a supportive environment that promotes cultural diversity while addressing the common struggles faced by local youth, such as finding volunteer opportunities, resume help, and assisting with personal development.

Please note that the deadline for the Building Safer Communities (BSC) Call for Funding Proposals has been extended to Wednesday, March 27th at 11:59pm.

Interested organizations are invited to apply online(External link). Funding decisions will be made by BSC’s Youth Decision Making Team.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/iftar-building-safer-communities-youth-discussion-tickets-859710054917?aff=oddtdtcreator

Submit your funding proposal

The Building Safer Communities (BSC) project is pleased to announce an open call for applications for one-time project funding.

$850,000 is available to be distributed among Waterloo Region organizations who support African, Caribbean and Black-identifying (ACBi), First Nations, Inuit and Métis (Indigenous), and racialized youth.

This one-time project funding will support upstream mental health and addiction crisis prevention activities for ACBi, Indigenous, and racialized youth between the ages of 12- 25. Activities must demonstrate an impact on increasing protective factors and/or decreasing risk factors for mental health and addiction, or on reducing police interactions. For more information on eligibility, please refer to the BSC Application Guidelines.

Interested organizations are invited to apply online. Applications will be accepted until March 22, 2024. Funding decisions will be made by BSC’s Youth Decision Making Team.

APPLY NOW

What is the Building Safer Communities Project?

Aligning with Region of Waterloo’s Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan, Building Safer Communities aims to reduce legal system involvement among African, Caribbean and Black-identifying, First Nations, Inuit and Métis, and racialized youth. BSC supports community partners to improve safety and wellbeing through culturally appropriate mental health and addiction support and crisis response for youth in Waterloo Region.

We are so happy to announce that 102 applications were received for the Youth Decision Making Team!

The selection committee (comprised of local Black and Indigenous youth workers and Indigenous advisor) will now be working hard to review, discuss and select up to 20 youth to be a part of the team!

The successful youth will be notified Friday March 8th 2024