The Native Youth Centre is an innovative regional hub for Indigenous youth empowerment.
The Need
Urban Indigenous youth, Canada’s fastest growing population, are the strong, resilient, gifted leaders of tomorrow. Today’s youth deserve better outcomes than previous generations, and yet in many cases, these young people don’t get to realize their full potential.
History has put Indigenous youth today at a disadvantage. The challenges they face are significant: they are confronted with higher rates of homelessness, mortality, overdose, early pregnancy, and mental health concerns, while also facing lower educational attainment, employment, and income rates than their non-Indigenous peers.
Despite these obstacles, we see the resilience of Indigenous youth, and their ability to succeed. When we provide space for them to feel a positive sense of belonging, and to connect with culture and community – where they know that their voices are not only heard, but that they matter – these young people thrive.
UNYA sees 26,000 youth visits annually. We have played a transformational role in the lives of many Indigenous youth in Vancouver, but there is so much more we can do. By increasing our capacity through the Native Youth Centre, we expect to double the number of Indigenous youth we are able to serve.