It has always been the prerogative of every generation, in every community, in every corner of the world to lookout for its youth. It is a commonly regarded notion that youth in all cultures face unique challenges and opportunities that can shape their lives for years to come.

The community of Regent Park has a long been associated with the stereotype of being a low-income area, however it is currently it is going through a major revitalization, transforming from a public housing project to a mixed use and mixed income community. And while the transition is not yet complete, some of the old social problems have persisted – namely the issue of youth gangs and violence. One way the Regent Park community is addressing this issue is through the Youth Outreach Worker Program.

The Youth Outreach Worker (YOW) program is an initiative focused on providing one-on-one mentorship and support to youth and their families to access and navigate resources in the community.  The program is a provincial initiative for at-risk youth, ages 12 – 24 years old, living in marginalized neighbourhoods. Additionally, YOWs have the flexibility to facilitate intervention activities and services.

Beyond these conventional supports, assistance with education and career opportunities, facilitating better communication with their families, conflicts with the law, or struggles through different stages in their lives, YOWs are able to do one-on-one short-term therapeutic counseling.  As Maimuna Hassan and Foad Karimian the two Regent Park Youth Outreach Workers state, one of the key aspects of their work is the flexibility they have to get out from behind their desks and go where young people hang out to build more trusting and sustainably authentic relationships.

The Youth Outreach Worker program is funded by the provincial government and is part of a wider set of policy initiatives by Children, Community and Social Services. Beginning in 2006 the program has reached nearly 128, 000 young people. The program employs a total of 97 youth works across 50 agencies in Ontario, and in 2013 – 2015 had a budget of $295 million “to create jobs and mentorship opportunities for about 30,000 youth, and promote entrepreneurship and innovation.” (https://news.ontario.ca)

Much of the impetus for this program derives from the Review of the Roots of Youth Violence, which identifies that “the roots of violence involving youth have not been comprehensively understood, articulated or addressed.” In the findings of the report, as the roots of violence involving youth, the research points to these factors: Poverty, Racism, Community Design, Issues in the Education System, Family Issues, Health, Lack of a Youth Voice, Lack of Economic Opportunity for Youth, Lack of Economic Opportunity for Youth.

The report concludes on these four pillars:
* •    A repaired social context to make Ontario’s social context work for all Ontarians by addressing the roots of violence involving youth, including poverty, racism, poor housing, youth mental health, education, the need for supports for families and youth engagement, and issues arising in youth justice.
* •    A youth policy framework to guide and coordinate policies and programs for youth by reference to developmental stages and outcome goals.
* •    A neighbourhood capacity and empowerment focus to strengthen communities through initiatives such as schools as hubs, supporting resident engagement and stable funding for agencies that serve disadvantaged communities.
* •    Integrated governance to drive and coordinate work across the Ontario government and to work effectively with the other orders of government and with the strengthened communities.
While it is clear that the Youth Outreach Worker program is integrated into a wider set policy initiatives of the government of Ontario’s Youth Action plan, including the findings and recommendations of the Review of the Roots of Youth Violence and part of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services Ontario, it is equally as important to note that the core work of the Youth Outreach Workers is primarily located on the ground and at the community level (where young people actually are).

By Dimitrije Martinovic
Dimitrije is a staff at FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE.