Future North’s

Model for Youth Led Projects

“Working from within the system to transform the youth experience”

Youth-directed

“Igniting the passion within”

Everyone has an inner passion or burning frustration that keeps them up at night. By tapping into this inner passion that youth already have, you are ensuring that your youth-led project will burn with excitement and intrigue.

Shared Leadership

“Youth are not the only participants”

The agency or business who is supporting a youth-led project MUST identify a mentor/ support who can work closely with the team and has adequate authority and time to guide the work of the project by utilizing their expertise and resources.

Entry-level Work for a Livable Wage

“Valuing lived experience through recruitment and compensation”

Compensating youth and recruiting youth based on their lived experience allows an organization to get access to innovation and the inside scoop and allows youth to remain committed to the work.

Mutual Network Connections

“You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours”

Bringing on youth interns to lead a youth-led project allows an agency access to an entire network of other young people. Conversely, youth are often kept out of executive networks and the “behind the scenes work” that happens inside agencies and businesses. Open doors for each other and watch the magic happen.

Culturally Responsive and Dynamically Diverse

“Moving away from tokenism and diving into co-leadership”

In order to truly make space for young people to be change-makers and leaders in their community, it is crucial that agencies and businesses explore how embedded white supremacy may be within their organization and provide the resources, reflection and space to truly work to dismantle and transform these systems.

How to get involved if you are a youth partner

  • Complete our intake survey here
  • Join our youth expert panel
  • Check out our youth engagement strategy here
  • Contact our Community Engagement Coordinator to learn more about opportunities to work with us
  • Check out our bulletin board for opportunities and to share your project ideas with our team

Recent Youth News

How to get involved if you are a community partner

  • Become a “youth ally”. Connect with us to find out more!
  • Connect with us to find out how we can support you to take
    on student co-op placements and youth interns
  • Check out our bulletin board for opportunities and to share
    your project ideas
  • Utilize our Youth Engagement Strategy and toolkit
  • Join one of our 4 action teams

Recent Community partner News