how we work
We focus on solutions.
Choices for Youth strives to provide at-risk youth and emerging adults with programming and services that meet their present and long-term needs. Our work is informed by the lived experience and expertise of young people, feedback from program participants, input from community partners, and guidance from national programming and research.
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We approach our work with the belief that every young person has immense potential, and that with the right set of supports they can achieve their goals.
vision
A world free of social and economic barriers, where young people feel able and encouraged to pursue their aspirations and potential.
mission
Choices for Youth is a professional services, youth-focused, non-profit, charitable organization that creates spaces and conversations, and operates programs and social enterprises to help vulnerable youth secure stable housing, employment, and education while improving health and family stability.
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With a focus on prevention, intervention, and support, we help youth and their families break cycles of poverty and homelessness and transition to healthy, stable, and independent lives.
operating principles
Choices for Youth combines trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and harm-reduction practices with an empowerment philosophy and Housing First for Youth Framework. This ensures that all activities meet the needs of young people, promote flexibility and innovation in our response to breaking down barriers they may face, and are all designed to be evaluated in partnership with young people accessing the programs and services.
APPROACH
As an organization that has been working with the at-risk youth population for close to 30 years, our approach is defined by a combination of a number of core philosophies and practices that are research-backed, low-barrier, and solutions-oriented.
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Our approach to programs and services encompasses the following:
Click the icons above to take an in-depth look at how they guide our work.
our values & Culture
It's who we are.
As our organization grows and the needs of youth change, our values and cultural commitments remind us to focus on those we serve, and to build positive environments around all of our supportive programming.
inclusion statement
Choices for Youth strives to be a model for diversity and inclusion, and our Board Members, staff, volunteers, and program participants reflect the many faces, cultures, identities, abilities, and walks of life that make up our province. We are a learning-centered organization that values the perspectives and contributions of all people, and strive to incorporate the needs and values of diverse communities into the design and implementation of inclusive programs.
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We respect, value, celebrate, and welcome racialized people, all sexual orientations, women and trans* people, Aboriginal and First People, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people with mental illness, and those from all social strata.
We identify as allies with:
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- The feminist community
- The LGBTQ2S* community
- The Indigenous community
- The disabilities community
- The movement to end racism
- The movement to end violence against women
- The movement to protect religious freedom
- The movement to end poverty
- The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
- The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, including Housing as a Human Right
core values
Act with empathy and kindness
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Choose to see the potential
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Cultivate safe, inclusive spaces and promote diversity
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Work hard, with boundless ambition and strategic excellence
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Inspire hope and create opportunities that empower
cultural commitments
START WITH WHY
Putting young people first
Being champions for social justice
Connecting to our individual sense of purpose
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CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER
Feeling like family
Building relationships based on trust and respect
Understanding one another through conversations
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BE AGILE
Responding to changing needs
Striving to learn continuously
Fostering innovation
Interested in joining the Choices for Youth team? Click below!