The Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition (GNSC), along with the Community Resilience Coalition of Guelph and Wellington (CRC), received a 2024 Community Grant to launch Fostering Resilience Champions, a youth leadership program that helps local young people build life skills and stronger connections in their community.
The grant helped create a youth leadership group with ten young people from GNSC and Shelldale Family Gateway’s summer camps. From January to May 2025, the group took part in four leadership workshops led by staff and youth mentors. Together, they also completed a training program called Building Connections for Summer Fun and Mental Wellness, which helps camp counsellors learn how to create welcoming spaces for kids.
This program was a huge success! At the beginning, only 2 out of 9 youth saw themselves as leaders. By the end, all 9 said they understood what leadership means and felt confident in their ability to support others. In surveys, every participant said the workshops were helpful and that they planned to use the life skills they learned. One youth said, “I love the way this was organized and the people running it. It was a great environment and group to be in.”
Fostering Resilience Champions not only helps these youth individuals grow but through their involvement this confidence and new found skills has had ripple effects throughout their peer groups and the larger community. The program will continue to encourage local youth to get involved, and to thrive in these caring, inclusive spaces where all kids can feel safe and grow.