It's a unique approach, but two Etobicoke youth workers think they can give students a helping hand to post-secondary education by offering them a real chance to make changes in their own communities. Willing to put their money where their mouth is, organizers are optimistic that significant educational opportunities can be made in communities that need it the most.
Working through Albion Neighbourhood Services in Etobicoke, Xavier Mclaughlin and Bryan Cando-Hernandez have won a $75,000 grant from State Farm Insurance's youth advisory board to carry out their program called United We Stand, which will take in 75 "youth at risk" and help them to find solutions to issues preventing young people from entering post-secondary education. With the help of 16 city facilitators composed of influential community members and city workers, the students will get the chance to put together proposals on how to improve educational opportunities in their neighborhoods and will be given the money to act on their plans.
"One of the biggest issues is the disinterest in school that certain parts of Etobicoke are suffering from, especially in the Jamestown community," said Mclaughlin, co-creator of the program and youth worker with Albion Neighbourhood Services.
He got the idea to try and engage youth about education in a non-educational setting when he was on a trip to Ottawa with some of his youths. One young person he referred to as 'MJ' really seemed to be learning a lot on the trip although he wasn't doing very well in school. Mclaughlin was inspired by the progress MJ was making and decided to try to find a way to get youth excited about education, especially with those who may not be interested in what they're being offered in high schools.
He spent the next several weeks brainstorming exactly how to do that, when a letter about a grant opportunity from State Farm Insurance was given to him by the other driving force behind United We Stand, Bryan Cando-Hernandez. He realized that he had found his chance to get some funding for the program he had been pondering.
"We sat down and started to hammer out ideas about how we can get youth interested in education outside of a formal educational style," said Mclaughlin.
The result of their efforts was an 18-page proposal that they submitted to State Farm, and by December of last year they received a response. They had won the grant.
With a large sum of money at their disposal, the two young men were able to start getting their program off the ground. They are now accepting applications from youth across the GTA and even as far away as Niagara Falls that want a chance to be involved and make a difference.
"Their final presentations will be in groups presenting to the rest of the 75 youth in the program," said Mclaughlin. "Using the funds made available, we will be acting on their recommendations."
The program is set to start in April and will run on a bi-monthly basis until Feb. 2010.
For more information on how to sign up as a participant or as a volunteer facilitator, call Albion Community Services at 416-746-9143 or e-mail Xavier Mclaughlin at xavier@albionservices.ca.