Half a Century of YAY
On July 21, 1976, Youth Assisting Youth was registered and officially incorporated by the provincial government. The original idea for YAY was actually seeded in the early 1970’s by a group of educators, social service professionals and community leaders who were looking to find a way to address the needs of young people in the Scarborough community.
Their innovative solution to this problem was simple, clever and effective – it was also completely unique. The concept of pairing responsible high school students with young children on a one-to one basis was never tried before and, as it turned out, was extremely successful. In 1976 YAY received a provincial demonstration grant of $30,000 to begin the project, along with 14 other pilot projects that were launched across Ontario. YAY’s first Executive Director, Jeff Goldman, was then hired and tasked with turning this idea into reality, and he did just that. YAY was among three agencies which received a grant for the renewal of their pilot program, and the only agency recommended for increased funding.
From the beginning, the program was built on collaborations with schools, social workers, principals, guidance counselors, families, and community partners, all of whom helped to identify youth in need of additional support and those capable of providing it. However, what ultimately made YAY remarkable was not the particular method of its operations but the idea behind it. Our mission was simple but powerful: help young people change their worlds and communities for the better through their own shared efforts.
This idea, as it turned out, would have a profound impact on thousands of young people. By listening to their needs, YAY provided assistance and encouragement to those in need while allowing more mature youth volunteers to share their experience and gain valuable leadership skills. In helping others, our mentors discovered new strengths within themselves, while mentees found additional motivation to reach their goals. Today, just as it was fifty years ago, this message of hope and support is more important than ever, as social isolation and a lack of positive connection are a severe barrier for young people.
Over the past five decades, the idea of youth volunteerism as a prevention and empowerment strategy has been developed and expanded upon in order to provide support, resources, encouragement and opportunities for as many young people as possible. Today, we continue our commitment to making a difference in the lives of thousands of young people, as well as their families, through our community-based, relationship-driven programs. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our partners, staff, volunteers, donors, board members, volunteer mentors and mentees for their belief and contributions to YAY’s lasting legacy.
We’re looking forward to the next fifty years of empowering young people to make changes in their lives and communities for the better. We’re excited to see what the future holds for YAY, as we continue to build on our rich legacy and establish new relationships, pathways and opportunities for youth across Canada.
