Youth & Education

Our work with youth begins with a deep belief: that every young person deserves the chance to be seen, heard, and supported—to feel a sense of possibility, purpose, and belonging.

Too often, systems meant to help youth are fragmented or out of reach. We’ve seen this firsthand—brilliant, resilient kids navigating school systems that don’t quite fit, or facing challenges that require more than just academic support. That’s why our approach to youth and education stretches beyond the classroom. It’s about building a web of care around young people. One that includes creative outlets, mental health supports, mentoring relationships, and spaces where they can take risks, dream big, and grow into who they are meant to be.

This belief guides where and how we invest.

We support alternative education environments where young people are given time, space, and real-world experiences to develop both knowledge and character. We stand behind the creative energy of programs like Yellow Door Theatre Project in Niagara-on-the-Lake, where youth gain confidence and community through the performing arts, and RE-create in Hamilton, where art becomes a bridge to healing for street-involved youth.

We support Royal Oak Community School, a small, heart-forward school rooted in child-centred learning. We walk alongside organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters Orillia & District, offering mentorship and steady presence, and Alternatives for Youth in Hamilton, helping youth navigate substance use challenges with compassion and agency. We partner with emerging groups like the Otter Art Club, who show up for young people week after week, creating space for creativity, connection, and growth.

Across all of these places, the same pattern emerges: when young people feel safe, valued, and engaged, they begin to imagine new futures for themselves—and for the communities they belong to.

We believe that if young people are surrounded by caring adults, creative opportunities, and integrated support, they build the confidence and capacity to shape their own futures. And when they thrive, communities do too.

Our role as a foundation is not to tell youth what they need—but to listen, to learn alongside them, and to invest in the people and programs already doing this work with care and courage.

We are especially interested in models that connect systems—where education overlaps with housing, wellness, arts, and food literacy as an example. Where young people are not asked to leave part of themselves at the door. We’ve seen the power of these intersections in places like Home Horizon, and we are asking: what would it look like to build more of these pathways regionally?

Looking ahead, we’re exploring the creation of a Youth Systems approach—leveraging multiple elements of a system within a community to have a greater place based impact. We’re supporting pilot programs that blend education with wraparound care. And we continue to believe in the quiet power of relationships—of showing up, over time, and building trust.

Because that’s how change really happens. One person at a time. One community at a time. And always, in relationship.