Peel CAS Youth Success Champion advocates for children in care

On March 6 our very own Youth Success Champion, Simone, was featured on Global News Toronto in Susan Hay's “Making A Difference” segment! She shared her story about coming into the care of Peel CAS more than a decade ago and bringing it full circle to give back to our organization as a Youth Success Champion. 

Did you know that in the month of February we had 83 youth program registrations through our Trailblazers Youth Centre? Congratulations to all of the teams involved for helping to ensure children and youth have the tools and resources they need for future success. 

Check out some of the program highlights: 

Wells Fargo -Financial Literacy

On February 1st, The Trailblazers Youth Centre announced the first-ever implementation of a dynamic one-day financial literacy course facilitated by the expert team from Wells Fargo. This marks a unique and intensive opportunity for all youth aged 15 and above to learn important life skills in a focused and impactful session. The course condenses a 5-week program into a single day, making it an ideal option for busy young people. During the course, participants explored the dimensions of financial literacy, stability, education, and self-efficacy in an engaging and interactive environment. The workshop is based on the Junior Achievers Canada Curriculum, covering key topics such as earning money, saving for life, budgeting, credit choices, and becoming a savvy consumer. It's a valuable opportunity for young people to gain practical knowledge and skills that will help them make informed financial decisions and plan for their futures.

One Day Red Cross Babysitter's Course

On February 16th, youth aged 11-15 spent their PA-Day gaining essential knowledge and expertise in childcare. Participants learned valuable skills for education, employment, and self-efficacy, as well as the art of running a small babysitting business. They also learned how to supervise younger siblings or other children responsibly and gained essential first-aid skills. The course covers everything from finding clients and earning money to caring for children of all ages, creating safe environments, fire safety and prevention, emergency response, decision-making and leadership skills, and basic first-aid skills. 

Creative Connection: Self- Regulation

According to Dr. Stuart Shanker's self-regulation theory, Creative Connection's Self-Regulation 5-week group session is designed for youth aged 8-12 and 13-17 to help them manage their behavior, identify stressors, restore energy, and reflect on and reduce stress. During the sessions, participants explored the five domains of self-regulation to identify their individual stressors and gain self-awareness. This will enable them to promote self-advocacy and take charge of their mental and emotional well-being.

Multi-Sports Activities

During our five-week session of multi-sports, we had a group of youth ranging in age from 8-11 and 12 and above. The youth had the opportunity to play several sports, including soccer, basketball, hockey, volleyball, badminton, and more. In addition, we also focused on social skill development. At the beginning of each class, we spent 15-20 minutes discussing resilience and talking about current events in the community, such as Tamal Heritage, Black/ African History Month and its trailblazers, as well as New Lunar events. Towards the end of each program, we wind down the session by asking the children about their preferences for the next session and checking on how they're feeling.

Learn More About our Trailblazers Youth Centre Here