What happened in March? 

YAC Members on the Connections Café Podcast 

On Saturday, March 1^st, Youth Advisory Commitee (YAC) members, Megan and Moira, were guest speakers on the Youth for Change Podcast Series, Youth Connections Café. They passionately discussed the topic “The Importance of Accessibility in our Communities”, sharing their lived experiences and emphasizing the importance of accessibility services and accommodations to foster more inclusive communities.  

Michael Jacques Inspires CLO’s Youth Advisory Commitee 

On Tuesday, March 11^th, Michael Jacques, a Re:Action4Inclusion (R4I) alumnus and past president of Community Living Ontario’s (CLO) Board of Directors, along with his father, Marcel Jacques, delivered an inspiring presentation to CLO’s YAC members. The YAC members eagerly listened as Michael described his experiences with the R4I youth movement, advocacy work, and writing two books. Afterwards, the youth advisors had the opportunity to ask Michael questions, such as his strategies for doing effective advocacy work. 

Raising Youth Voices with Autism Ontario 

On Monday, March 24^th, five YAC members – Moira, Megan, William, Alexa, and Grace – participated in another youth consultation group in partnership with Autism Ontario. This session focused on the topic “How to engage and educate neurodivergent young people”. The YAC members discussed how and where they find information (e.g., websites and social media) and what types of content are most appealing to them. The Autism Ontario staff were very appreciative of the youths’ insights and plan to use their ideas to improve the organization’s website and social media pages.  

What happened in April? 

Reaching out to Families and Youth in Mississauga 

The annual Mississauga Central Resource Fair, held on Tuesday, April 15^th, proved to be another great outreach opportunity for the Re:Action4Inclusion youth movement. The fair, which was held at Applewood Acres Secondary School, had 37 agencies/services providers and 200 families in attendance. During the event, Leshona Lennard, CLO’s Youth and Community Engagement Coordinator, partnered with Anish Lad and Jessie Chen, the Student Links Coordinators for Peel Region, to share CLO’s youth-focused initiatives with students, parents, and teachers. Many families visited the booth and showed interest in the YAC’s advocacy work. Additionally, several attendees expressed their gratitude for CLO’s youth advocates who are working hard to make Ontario schools and communities more inclusive.  

What happened in May? 

Now Accepting Applications for the Community Action Projects Grant 

On Wednesday, May 7^th, Community Living Ontario launched the Community Action Projects Grants for youth! This new initiative empowers youth, ages 14–29, to turn their passion into action by promoting the authentic inclusion of young people with disabilities in their communities. Selected applicants will receive up to $2,500 in funding to bring their local project to life and create meaningful change.  

To be eligible for this initiative, your project must:   

1. Be led by at least 5 youth (ages 14-29). At least 2 youth should identify as having an intellectual disability. 

2. Raise awareness and promote the authentic inclusion of youth with intellectual disabilities within your school or local community.  

3. Be connected to a secondary school, youth-serving organization, post-secondary association or club, or Community Living member organization within Ontario.    

4. Identify at least 1 adult ally who will act as a support person for the project. 

5. Identify one youth in the group to be the Project Lead.  

Completed Application Forms are due on Friday, June 13th, 2025, at 11:59 pm. Visit reaction4inclusion.com for the full project guidelines and budget template.   

For more information, please email Leshona Lennard (Youth and Community Engagement Coordinator) at llennard@communitylivingontario.ca. 

Empowering Youth Leaders Across Ontario 

Between March and May 2025, youth across Ontario participated in Re:Action4Inclusion’s Youth Leadership Workshops. We held a total of 14 workshops in 8 cities for 215 youth. During the sessions, participants engaged in powerful conversations about leadership, accessibility, and belonging and explored what it truly means to build inclusive communities. After each workshop, youth left feeling energized and equipped with practical strategies to champion inclusion in their schools and communities. One teacher expressed their gratitude for the workshops stating: “I thought the content was extremely meaningful, and reflective of true qualities and skills all good leaders should have… It was a fabulous presentation, and I look forward to hearing more about future opportunities for our students to get involved in Re:Action4Inclusion.” 

Workshops were held in partnership with: 

• Bishop Smith Catholic High School (Pembroke) 

• CLH Developmental Support Services (Midland) 

• Community Living Prince Edward (Picton) 

• Community Living York South (Markham) 

• Eden High School (St. Catharine’s) 

• Huntsville High School (Huntsville) 

• North Star High School (Amherstburg) 

• St. Joesph’s Catholic High School (Ottawa) 

• theROC Youth Services (Picton) 

These workshops are part of Re:Action4Inclusion’s “Youth Leadership Workshop” Series. We aim to teach youth, ages 14-29, how to lead positive change in their schools and advocate for more inclusive, accessible communities. We are offering 3 workshops: How to Be a Good Leader, Accessibility in the Community, and Building Authentic Spaces. If you would like to bring any of these workshops to your school or youth group, visit our website, or email Leshona Lennard (Youth and Community Engagement Coordinator) at llennard@communitylivingontario.ca.  

Recap of the Community Symposium at Richmond Green High School 

On Monday, May 5^th, Leshona Lennard (Youth and Community Engagement Coordinator) and Aimee Bin Liu (Student Links Coordinator for York Region) attended the York Region District School Board’s (YRDSB) annual Community Symposium at Richmond Green High School, in Richmond Hill, Ontario. The event was attended by over 50 teachers and staff across the YRDSB. Leshona and Aimee informed the attendees about CLO’s youth initiatives – the Youth Leadership Workshops, Community Action Projects Grant, and Student Links Mentorship Program – and they were grateful to hear about these skills-building, leadership opportunities for their students.  

Sharing Re:Action4Inclusion’s Initiatives with Autism Ontario 

On Wednesday, May 7^th, two YAC members, Moira and Nathan, presented to Autism Ontario’s Content Advisory Group. The session was attended by 17 Autism Ontario staff from the events department, management team, and training and education teams. The three presenters shared about the structure of the R4I youth movement and our past and current initiatives. The staff were impressed with the amazing work the YAC has done over the years and eager to share our initiatives with their networks. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Autism Ontario to raise awareness about inclusion. 

Supporting a New Youth Advisory Commitee in Hamilton 

On Tuesday, May 27^th, Leshona (Youth Coordinator) and Moira (YAC Member), facilitated an information session about Re:Action4Inclusion (R4I) for staff at the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB). The staff are seeking to establish a Student Advisory Council for students with disabilities to share their experiences with the school board and advocate for change! During the session, Moira and Leshona discussed R4I’s history, mission, and past and current initiatives. They also shared best practices to support this new venture and strategies to help the staff get started! We look forward to continuing our work with the HWDSB and supporting their future youth leaders.