$2.25M invested into System Innovations grants
Three collaboratives were awarded grants by the Ontario Trillium Foundation through the Youth Opportunities Fund’s System Innovations grant stream. These grants represent a $2.25 million investment toward improving the lives of young people and families in Ontario.
System Innovations grants support collaboratives in key systems like health care, education, and employment to examine and improve service delivery for youth. These collaborative, community-led projects reimagine services with the goal of eliminating systemic barriers, with a focus on Black and Indigenous communities.
Led by individuals who share the identities and lived experiences of the youth they support, these projects drive the research and development of community-based solutions that improve access to key services and reduce barriers for youth people.
Awarded grants
- With a $500,000 grant over 2 years, Future Black Female and their collaborative members will develop a place-based bridging strategy to improve access to education, training, and job opportunities for Black youth, aged 16-25, in the Niagara Region. Their project will examine gaps in current systems; assess the ways Black youth are disproportionately affected; and create a strategy to connect the education system to the labour market.
- With a $1,249,900 grant over 5 years, the Workforce Development Board Windsor Essex and its collaborative members aim to improve career pathways in emergency services for young women, aged 15-25, in Windsor-Essex. Their project will identify barriers faced by young women pursuing these careers; develop more transparent, equitable, and accessible hiring practices; and implement system-level changes to strengthen recruitment processes.
- With a $500,000 grant over 2 years, REST and its collaborative members will develop a cross-sectoral strategy to respond to and prevent rising rates of homelessness for Black youth, aged 15-25, in Halton Peel. REST aims to assess gaps across the education, justice, and child welfare systems and address the impacts of structural racism.
Explore other grants awards through the Youth Opportunity Fund
Quick facts
- The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Ontario government with a mission to build healthy and vibrant communities across the province.
- Annually, through Youth Opportunities Fund, OTF invests $13 million in community-led projects that play an essential role in creating safe spaces, empowering youth and families, supporting career pathways, and addressing issues faced by our communities.