Peer relationships, support and connections

Helping Young People Succeed

Community-based 1:1 peer mentoring and support for youth ages 6-15, delivered by carefully screened and trained volunteer youth mentors.

Who We Support

Our 1:1 Peer Mentoring Program is for children and youth ages 6 to 15 in communities across Toronto and York Region who would benefit from guidance, encouragement and a consistent, caring peer relationship.

It supports young people who may be experiencing challenges at school, at home or in the community, and need a positive role model, meaningful support and someone in their corner to help them grow, succeed and thrive.

Read our stories and learn more about the impact of peer mentorship.

“Peer mentors are more salient and effective role models because of the proximity in age — old enough to be someone to look up to, but young enough to be relatable and a true friend.” - MENTOR, Peer Mentoring Supplement

How the program works

YAY’s 1:1 Peer Mentoring Program is free for children, youth and families. Young people must be referred by professionals, schools or social workers.

Mentees are matched with carefully screened and trained volunteer youth mentors based on criteria such as gender, background, shared interests and location to help us make strong matches and relationships. Matches meet weekly, both in person and virtually, with mentors committing to at least 10 hours per month for 1 year. Because our model is youth-to-youth and community-based, it creates mentoring relationships that are relatable, consistent and grounded in real life.

Consistent peer mentoring relationships help young people build confidence, resilience and stronger social-emotional skills, while improving well-being, connection and engagement in school and life. YAY also provides ongoing case management, parent support, resources, regular communication and community-based activities, programs and events to help each match stay supported and successful.

Our Youth Peer Mentors

YAY mentors are driven youth volunteers ages 16 to 29 who are carefully recruited, screened and trained to be caring, consistent and effective peers. Our youth-to-youth peer mentorship model creates relationships that are relatable and grounded in shared experience that creates a deep impact.

The majority of our mentors are college / university students or young professionals who want to make a real difference in their community. They give back by offering their time, guidance and encouragement to a young person who needs a positive role model and someone in their corner.

Mentors are not therapists, babysitters or tutors. Their role is to build a good relationship, set a positive example and be there consistently for their mentee. Mentors provide friendship, guidance and positive encouragement to help their mentee gain confidence and self-esteem while sharing meaningful experiences in the community that build life skills, connections and belonging. Youth mentors are not required to provide tutoring. YAY mentees can request academic support via our 1:1 Virtual Tutoring Program.

Match + Parent Support

YAY surrounds every mentoring relationship with ongoing support to help it grow strong and stay on track. This includes regular monitoring, case management, parent support, resources, communication, community-based activities and 24/7 emergency support throughout the match.

Training & Support

Youth Youth Assisting Youth provides our mentors with comprehensive training to ensure that you have the knowledge and skills they need to be an effective youth mentor for a young person facing challenges. We also provide ongoing case management support and resources for the duration of the relationship.