About Us
Y4Y Québec is a non-profit organisation committed to addressing the issues facing English-speaking youth (ages 16-30) across Québec. All Y4Y projects and initiatives prioritise the for-youth, by-youth approach to community development and cultural vitality.
In addition to many youth-focused programs and initiatives, Y4Y takes pride in publishing multiple policy documents concerning the situation of English-speaking youth throughout the province, holding outreach events that strengthen community at the local level, bringing information to important stakeholders in government, supporting youth leadership locally, and having fun while doing so!
Vision
We aspire to create a strong sense of belonging to the community so that all youth will feel a part of Québec society.
In other words, English-speaking youth will have a vehicle to take a leadership role in their community, to inspire their peers to become involved and active members of society, to liaise with and engage the French-speaking community, and to mobilise the broader English-speaking community around issues that impact the community’s vitality.
Here is how we are making our vision a reality at Y4Y Québec
Delivering a platform
to share information on resources, training and networking opportunities, and employment/career services for English-speaking youth (ages 16-30) via outreach to communities throughout Québec.
Supporting English-speaking youth
in accessing support resources and networks through the help of regional ambassadors throughout Québec.
Offering networking opportunities
for English-speaking youth in Québec, to include opportunities for engaging with the Francophone majority community.
Providing a vehicle
for youth to take leadership roles in their communities and inspire their peers to represent the linguistic minority, with the goal of optimising employability, the acquisition of French language skills as well as social and economic integration.
Creating a strong sense of belonging
to the community so that all youth will feel a part of Québec society.
Mission
Y4Y Québec is committed to addressing the issues facing English-speaking youth (ages 16-30) in the Québec province.
Values
+ Respect | Respect our employees, our partners, our funders, and the youth we work with.
+ Communication & Mentorship | We ensure that our communications are effective and promote a culture of mentorship.
+ Team Spirit | Helping each other and working together.
+ Well-being | The well-being and safety of our employees and the youth we work for is very important.
+ Integrity | We act with honesty and integrity. We strive to know and uphold the highest ethical standards.
History
Read Full History
In December 2016, a group of English-speaking youth came together and reflected on their status within Québec’s political landscape. At a time when many of our friends and colleagues have expressed feeling like second-class citizens, and feeling as if they would be better welcomed in a predominantly English-speaking province, we felt something needed to be done to strengthen the links that join English-speaking youth across Québec - to make this multi-faceted linguistic community feel at home. A plethora of community organisations offer services in English to young people, and with a youth network, we could promote these services, all while offering our own programming and advocacy work to strengthen our community.
In March 2017, a broad discussion was launched around the question of how English-speaking youth can organise. A core group of ambitious young people formed a committee to exchange ideas. With the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage and the help of Youth Employment Services Montréal (YES), we began to create a non-profit association. After all, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and other provinces all have active youth associations that represent the linguistic minority communities living there. We recruited young people with diverse backgrounds before forming an interim board in November 2017, which consisted of Malcolm Lewis-Richmond, Shae-Lynn Roberts, Jonathan Patton, Melanie Robertson, Alexander Gordon, Jonathan Seifert, Hayley Campbell, Gabriela Navarrete-Rolls, and Kenny Streule. The interim board launched a youth consultation process with the help of community partners to validate our hypothesis that a youth group in Québec was needed. We became incorporated on January 20, 2018, and celebrated our official launch on March 23, 2018. At this meeting, we elected our first Board of Directors, including Malcolm Lewis-Richmond, Jonathan Patton, Melanie Robertson, Gabriela Navarrete-Rolls, Hayley Campbell, Nicholas Gertler, Ziona Eyob, Alexander Gordon, and Shae-Lynn Roberts. Y4Y Québec opened its office and hired its first Director in June 2018, and has continued to grow ever since!
Y4Y is always seeking new opportunities to collaborate with community and cultural organisations, student associations, government bodies and individuals whose missions may intersect with ours. If this sounds like something you are passionate about, don’t hesitate to get in touch!