Young Leaders Emerging

Young Leaders Emerging is a leadership and civic participation program for Black and racialized youth. It provides a supportive space to explore identity, build confidence, strengthen leadership skills, and design responses to issues affecting young people and their communities.

Who it is for

Black and racialized youth who want to learn, lead, participate in community life, and explore education and career pathways.

  • Program experience

  • Identity, culture, and belonging

  • Leadership and communication

  • Anti racism and social justice learning

  • Community research and issue analysis

  • Public speaking and facilitation

  • Project planning and teamwork

  • Mentoring and community connections

  • A youth led community action project or showcase

  • Current status

  • The Young Leaders Emerging (YLE) is a community program for young, Black and racialized people, committed to racial and social justice.

    The program offers a space to learn, exchange ideas, support, care, build capacity, increase resilience, and work together in anti-racist and anti-oppressive action.

    YLE members will work collaboratively to interrogate and decolonize current practices in the economic justice movement and will look at how they can be part of creating inclusive social justice spaces where Black and minoritized people feel safe, valued, and able to challenge current narratives around economic improvement. As part of this program, YLE members will co-design protype projects that aim to empower Black and minoritized young people to create, navigate and occupy space in the field of social and economic justice with confidence and self-esteem.

    All YLE sessions will be facilitated by the AFIWI team with support of external facilitators.