The Ontario government is investing more than $13 million to support community- driven and youth-led projects to improve the well-being of children, youth, and families facing economic and social barriers.
The funding will flow through the 2020 Youth Opportunities Fund, a province-wide initiative that creates opportunities for young people and empowers and supports parents, guardians and caregivers.
The 2020 Youth Opportunities Fund will provide financial support to 43 community organizations that will benefit youth aged 12 to 25, and their families. Projects receiving funding this year include:
- Black Moms Connection  focusing on economic empowerment for Black mothers across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
- Immigrants francophones d’Afrique pour l’intégration et le développement (IFAPID) to support newcomers from Francophone African nations to navigate financial systems in Canada.
- Earthling Art Collective  to provide development and mentorship opportunities for youth leaving care and the justice system in Thunder Bay.
- Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment & Training  to help Indigenous youth in the GTA access employment and training opportunities in the skilled trades.
The Youth Opportunities Fund provides funding through the following three granting streams:
- Youth Innovations  Provides youth facing multiple barriers with the resources they need to design and deliver new and inspiring solutions to issues that matter to them and their communities.
- Family Innovations  Invests in local, community-driven groups delivering culturally relevant projects that empower and support parents, guardians and caregivers who face barriers and challenges to child and family wellbeing.
- System Innovations  Supports organizations that are strengthening the quality and responsiveness of systems so that they may work better for young people facing multiple barriers.
DID YOU ALSO KNOW:
- Youth Opportunities Fund grants are administered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
- Applications for the 2021 Youth Opportunities Fund grants will open in fall 2020.
