Getting involved is easy!  If you live in the area bordered by Bloor Street, Ossington Avenue, The Railway lines and St Clair Avenue, just contact us to register.  After-school programs run from October to June and you need to apply in early October by calling 416.656.8025.
 

Click the Word icon at left to download the Youth calendar.

Girls Night Out (GNO)
Provides girls with a safe space to discuss and explore issues relevant to their lives through a variety of media projects including photography, art, and music. The program is a forum for young women in Grade 7 and 8, to express and act on their interests and issues of concern. GNO incorporates fun fitness and lifestyle components such as regular cooking sessions, outings, popular education, creative writing, and theatre, which encourage young women to develop social and leadership skills and build self-esteem.

• Girls 13 & 14 years old.
• Tuesdays 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
• Staff Contact: Angelica Botic

Youth Leadership Program
The leadership program provides youth opportunities to take on roles of leadership within the Centre and the wider community through workshops, outings, youth-led special projects and events. Youth will make choices and determine the skills they wish to develop, as well as the issues they want to address within the program.  Connections will be made to youth in other communities and the experiences they share on a local, national and international level.

• Youth 15 – 18
• Thursdays 5:30 – 7:30 pm
• Staff Contact: Angelica Botic

Sassy
The Sassy girls group provides a supportive and enriching environment for girls at Carleton Village and Perth Avenue public schools. The program aims to develop communication and conflict resolution skills, provide anti-oppression training, social supports, and build self-esteem through the use of popular education, arts, and workshops. In addition, girls identify a social issue and develop a community project. In previous years, group members have developed and implemented workshops on anti-racism and bullying for primary school students.

• Girls 11, 12 years old
• Wednesdays 12:00 pm –1:00 pm Carleton Village Public School
• Staff Contact: Courtnay McFarlane

Wize-Up
Wize-Up is an after-school program, which provides homework assistance, and academic support, as well as a range of other fun activities to build literacy and numeracy skills. Group building activities, games and cooking encourage participants to apply their academic skills. Participants work on creative arts projects, take part in social and recreational activities and outings.

• Youth 10 - 12 years old
• Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
• Staff Contact: Courtnay McFarlane

Youth Action Squad (YAS)
Youth Action Squad assists youth in gaining leadership and life skills through a range of group activities and projects.  Planned activities (group outings, fundraising events, cooking and recreational activities) will build skills (communication, conflict resolution, self-esteem) as well as encourage community involvement. Youth will develop and facilitate in-school workshops for their peers, which incorporate skills learnt, and knowledge gained through YAS. This year, participants will learn about human rights in relation to local, national and global children and youth issues.

Hand Drumming
Students will learn to play traditional songs from Central and West Africa.  The history and the background of the songs that will be taught will be explored to help students learn their significance to African culture.  No musical experience or instruments required.

• Youth 11 – 18
• Wednesdays: 4:00 – 5:30 pm
• Staff Contact: Courtnay McFarlane
   

Special Events Youth Services organizes a number of special in-program and community-wide events over the calendar year.  Events are developed, planned, and implemented by program participants with the assistance of program staff.  Events provide youth the opportunities to develop a range of skills and make positive connections to their peers and the broader community.

• African Heritage Month
• ASP BBQ
• Artistic Effusion (AE) CD Launch
• AE Open Mic
• Connect the Dot - Dufferin Mall Youth Day

Volunteer Opportunities:

Youth Services encourages service learning and community involvement for participants.  To this end, we provide a range of opportunities for youth to volunteer in our programs or special events.  Volunteer placements in Youth Services can be one time or ongoing with priority given to volunteers who are youth. Placements are also provided for high-school co-op students or post secondary students in a relevant field of study.

Information about available positions can be provided by program staff.  Formal registration and orientation is done by the Volunteer Coordinator.
 

• Staff Contact: Courtnay McFarlane

Partners:

• Toronto District School Board
• Toronto Catholic District School Board
• Toronto Community Housing Corporation
• The Stop Community Food Centre
• St. Stephen’s Community House
• Green Here
• Caribbean Dance Theatre
• Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre
• Toronto Public Health – Girls Unlimited Network
• Toronto Coalition of Youth Centres
• Ryerson University Department of Social Work
• George Brown College, Seneca College
• University of Toronto – Department of Public Health Sciences
• The Punjabi Community Health Centre
• St. Stephen’s Youth Employment Centre, YES
• The Remix Project
• Trinity Square Video
• Schools Without Borders
• Beatz to Da Streetz
• Aluna Theatre

Funders:

• CHB Ministry of Health
• HRSDC
• Community Service Grant (City of Toronto)
• Drug Prevention (City of Toronto)
• Major Recreation (City of Toronto)
• Graffiti Transformation (City of Toronto)
• Toronto District School Board
• Toronto Community Care Access Centre
• Toronto Community Foundation
• Trillium Foundation
• Laidlaw Foundation
• RBC
• St. Stephen’s Community House
• St. Christopher House
• Youth Employment Services
• University of Toronto