OUR PROGRAMS

We offer children and youth a turning point.

We empower young people to activate positive change in their lives and in their communities. Students return to classes more engaged, with stronger participation rates, ready to learn, challenge themselves, and take positive risks and are more likely to further their educational journey.

Take a look at our currently offered programs below. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact us at info@thriveyouth.ca.

Thrive Youth Intensives

These free, one to two week online workshops bring our artist-educators into 4-8th grade classrooms and community service groups in Ontario, Nova Scotia and British Columbia to dare learners to discover their inner leader. Local arts professionals work in the classroom alongside DAREarts Educators and school teachers to engage students in collaborative and hands-on visual arts, dramatic arts or song-writing activities. Bring us to your classroom or community group!

Learn Create Explore (LCE) – Grades 4 – 8

Formerly All the Arts, LCE is our longest running program with a 25-year history. 20 students are selected from 15-20 different schools to come together and form a Thrive Youth cohort. One day each week, instead of going to school, they come to Thrive Youth where they learn, grown and explore in a safe and supportive environment. 

Students benefit from exposure to creative mediums including: graphic design, culinary arts, drama, dance, theatre, fashion photography, illustration in publishing, spoken word, and post-production in TV & film. Each day has specific learning outcomes rooted in our leadership development curriculum and Theory of Change Model.

Students develop and exercise the fundamental skills of leadership: communication, self-expression, self-regulation, collaboration/ teamwork, time-management, conflict resolution, problem-solving and critical thinking. 

Build to Change (BTC) – AGES 12 – 14

This program will be piloted in 2022 and will serve as a stepping stone for youth ages 12 to 15 to build the skills needed to transition from our facilitator-structured Learn Create Explore programming into our youth-structured YLI programming. During this 10-session program, participants will experience a more facilitator-led version of our YLI program, where the project planning will be rooted in structured decision-making and group learning with continuous input and influence from participants. 

Youth Lead Impact (YLI) – AGES 14 – 18

Youth Lead Impact (YLI) is focused on providing experiential learning opportunities for youth from under-resourced communities that build their self-efficacy and create the space for them to take action on the issues that matter to them most. In this program, students choose a social issue they’re passionate about and an art form that interests them and they create a community intervention. Offered online and in-person, this 10-week program is a skills lab meets innovation incubator, connecting youth ages 14-18 with the opportunity to build their project planning, conflict resolution, communication, digital literacy, organizational and collaboration skills through project-based learning, guided by supportive staff, professional artists and industry experts.

 Learn more.


FIRST ROOTS Wellness

Thrive Youth First Roots Wellness is delivered in collaboration with remote FNMI communities. The program uses the arts as a vehicle for children and youth to explore personal stories and cultural traditions, foster inclusion, and improve both physical and mental health. A team of Thrive Youth educators join with local educators, community leaders and artists to offer at least one week of workshops exploring wellness, cultural connections to family/land and leadership skill building through two or more art forms chosen by the community.