Choices For Youth

Our Objective

"Choices For Youth" is an Urban Multipurpose Aboriginal Youth Center (UMAYC).   Choices is a youth mentorship program which encourages active participation of Aboriginal youth in the design and delivery of programs and services for Aboriginal youth.  Such activities include educational, cultural, social, and recreational.  The program is funded through the National Association of Friendship Centers.

Choices provides a positive, safe environment for urban Aboriginal youth with an equal opportunity for personal growth, peer advocacy, and youth empowerment. 

Promoting healthy lifestyles is an integral part of the program's goals.  Choices provides youth with a healthy meal every night which they help prepare and help with clean up afterwards.  This encourages youth to make positive choices for themselves as they help plan the meal, learn to be comfortable around each other, work as a team, make new friends, hang out, and most of all, have a good time.

Goals and Values

Besides promoting healthy lifestyles, Choices for Youth also strives for the youth to learn:
       Respect for themselves and for others
       The value and importance of a good education
       Leadership by getting actively involved with the Youth Council
       To Bring youth together in groups for meetings re fundraising, activities, etc.
       To provide younger youth with role models
       To provide youth with opportunities to make positive choices which empower
            them to work towards their life goals
       That youth have a voice in the community
       Team work to form unity among youth
       Motivate participation in healthy activities