Education/training
YouthConnect.ca opens doors for youthThere are plenty of great resources "out there" to help young people reach their full potential. But what are they, and how do you access them? LAUREN BRESLIN |
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 [ 2006-12-06 ] |
Children and Youth Services Minister Mary Anne Chambers (centre) says the YouthConnect.ca Web site gives youth the opportunity to identify what services may be of value to them.
There are plenty of great resources "out there" to help young people reach their full potential. But what are they, and how do you access them?
Fortunately, the Ontario government has made it easier for young people to locate the information they need to get ahead. A new website that launched last summer, called YouthConnect.ca, is an online directory of government and community services, organizations and programs for youth aged 12-17.
Developed by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, YouthConnect.ca is a single entry point to a wealth of online information designed to help young people through the often difficult years known as adolescence. The website is a first-stop-shop -- a kind of virtual gateway -- linking users to more than 100 youth-related resources, from finding a job, to studying and training, travel and safety, healthy living and recreation.
MUCH-NEEDED
According to Children and Youth Services Minister Mary Anne Chambers, YouthConnect.ca was a much-needed initiative.
"There is an incredible number of services and initiatives for youth that are funded through just about every Ministry," Chambers says. "So we needed to have a reliable, comprehensive and current source of information on what's available to support our youth."
YouthConnect.ca is also part of the Youth Opportunities Strategy, a five-point plan developed by the Ontario government to deliver more efficient and effective services to youths province-wide. In February, 2006, the McGuinty government announced a $28.5 million investment over the first three years of this strategy to help youths achieve brighter futures.
"But if young people don't know what kinds of supports are available, then they won't access them, and they won't benefit from them," says Chambers. "So this website gives youth the opportunity to identify what services may be of value to them."
YouthConnect.ca is divided into six parts -- Education, Recreation, Help, Work, Health and Coming of Age.
For each topic, visitors will find a list of frequently asked questions, followed by a number of links. Teens exploring job information, for example, will find answers to such questions as, "How do I find a job?" or "How do I get a social insurance number?" The featured links in this section include summer employment sites, internship opportunities and exchange programs. Some of the links also offer resume-writing help or job-searching tips. Visitors with higher education on their minds will find info about studying and training opportunities, getting financial help, finding a tutor and studying overseas.
WEALTH OF RESOURCES
General information to help ease the transition from adolescence into adulthood also features prominently on YouthConnect.ca. "How do I get a drivers licence?" or "Do I have to register to vote?" are just some of the questions catalogued in the Coming of Age section.
Youths looking to foster a healthy lifestyle, or those seeking help with personal challenges, will also find a wealth of resources on YouthConnect.ca, from diet tips to mental health care, work safety, sexuality and staying active. "YouthConnect.ca is pulling together not just the services sponsored by the government, but we are also encouraging other agencies that work with youth to be part of this," Chambers says.
At this point, the website appears to be running strong.
According to Chambers, it's a great page to bookmark and consult any time youths or parents need questions answered.
"YouthConnect.ca offers youth opportunities to grow and to develop and to achieve success with the assistance of the supports that are available to them," Chambers says.
"This website will help them to know what's out there, so I would encourage young people to use it, and to tell others about it."
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