Eleven projects led and organized by youth in Peel are receiving $20,000 in Youth in Action grants jointly funded by United Way and the Region of Peel. The projects include community events that bring residents together, and workshops, day camps and retreats to educate youth or develop leadership skills. All projects aim to have a positive impact on local residents and neighbourhoods, improving the quality of community life. This is the first year of this grant opportunity for youth between the ages of 14 and 24.

The Youth in Action grant was developed by United Way’s Young Leaders Council, a group of volunteers between the ages of 20 and 35 years old who are committed to creating a legacy of volunteerism and spirited giving within Peel Region.

“Youth leadership and activism is beginning to explode within Peel Region,” said Vanessa Mui, Co-Chair of the Youth in Action Review Panel and Executive Member of United Way’s Young Leaders Council. “They are passionate and ready to act on issues that deeply concern them and impact their community. We are excited to be working with them and harnessing their contagious energy.”

The projects selected for funding will provide excellent opportunities for youth leadership and engagement. In keeping with Canada Revenue Agency guidelines, the grants will be directed to several local registered charities that will provide financial oversight to the groups of youth developing and implementing the projects.

The following projects will receive Youth in Action grants:

Intergenerational Computer Project (Brampton): A grant of $1,200 to COSTI Immigrant Services will bring together youth and seniors to learn from one another and share in meaningful activities. Youth will teach the seniors how to use computers to access the internet and email, and the seniors will share hobbies such as knitting, chess and crafts.

Sigma A Beats Program (Brampton): A $2,000 grant to the Peel District School Board in conjunction with Roy McMurtry School Youth Detention Facility will help youth create an anti-violence message through hip hop music. Youth will engage with music teachers and a hip hop lab to learn the fundamentals of music production and express their personal struggles through hip hop music.

Youth Opportunities (Brampton): A grant of $1,650 to Brampton Safe City will provide sports camps in a safe, supervised environment for youth between the ages of 11 and 14, who may not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in organized sports activities. This project aims to promote the importance of community, safety, and equity in our youth population.

Mentoring & Learning Youth Serving Youth (Brampton, Mississauga): A grant of $1,960 to the Learning Disabilities Association of North Peel will enable older youth to mentor younger youth with learning disabilities. The youth will support each other in the areas of social skills, career choices and academics.

Youth Making a Difference Workshop (Brampton, Mississauga): A $1,760 grant to Rapport Youth and Family Services will empower and educate youth on how they can make a difference in their community. The one-day workshop, targeted at high school students, will feature guest speakers, encourage community involvement, and provide information on volunteerism.

Unsaid (Brampton, Mississauga): A grant of $1,800 to the East Mississauga Community Health Centre will
educate youth and the public on how racism and homophobia intersect and the impact these issues have on youth and the community. The grant will fund a webpage and art installation project featuring various media and art forms including videos, drawings and paintings depicting how forms of discrimination are linked. The project aims to promote positive dialogue and awareness of homophobia and racism and their impact on youth. The community will be encouraged to contribute and provide feedback to the website.

Project Connect: Uniting Malton and Cawthra through Group-Based Volunteering (Mississauga): A grant of $2,000 to the Social Planning Council in conjunction with Volunteer MBC will engage youth in positive peer interaction through youth volunteerism within their community. The project will target areas identified as having low levels of volunteerism.

Project ONE: Operation INSPIRE (Mississauga): A grant of $1,880 to the Gateway Centre for New Canadians will provide mentoring to youth while teaching them the basics of urban/hip hop dance. The project aims to inspire creativity, and build self-confidence and self-discipline in youth.

Peel Environmental Youth Alliance – Connect Sessions (Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga): A grant of $2,000 to Ecosource will help youth interested in environmental issues build leadership skills through capacity building workshops and peer to peer mentorship opportunities. Monthly Connect Sessions will encourage and inspire youth to stay motivated as they work to create positive environmental changes.

Maincourse 101.com Online Cultural Blog (Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga): A grant of $1,750 to Mississauga Safe City will provide information as well as journalistic and online media internship opportunities for youth through a cultural online blog. The blog, maintained by employees of Goodboy Clothing, will feature stories from within the community and serve as a resource to educate and inspire local youth.

Meals with Love (Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga): A $2,000 grant to Interim Place in conjunction with the Community Environment Alliance will support this youth-led project to provide nutritious meals packed in environmentally-friendly hampers to low income families and individuals in need. In addition to delivering the food hampers, the youth will provide educational presentations to promote good eating habits. The pilot phase of this project was executed in August of 2009. The grant enables the project to initiate its second phase.

Media Contacts:

Liz Leake
Communications and Marketing Director
905-602-3624 lleake@unitedwaypeel.org