New Youth
From SettlementAtWork
| Organization: | OCASI |
|---|---|
| Contact: | jsahak@ocasi.org@ocasi.org |
| Started in: | 2008 |
- Website
- http://NewYouth.ca
In order to meet the needs of immigrant and refugee youth throughout the province of Ontario, OCASI, in June 2008, with the financial support of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, launched a new web portal specifically geared to providing accurate, timely and youth-friendly information and resources and establishing an online community. NewYouth.ca was created in response to focus groups held by OCASI, showing that newcomer youth weren't accessing settlement services. The aim of the site was to bring settlement information directly to young newcomers using a variety of channels. By utilizing content that was written in clear and appropriate language, multimedia technology and online social media tools, NewYouth.ca aims to enhance accessibility of settlement services for newcomer youth while at the same time providing them with a venue to ask questions and receive accurate information and referral from qualified peers and professionals.
Since its inception in 2008, NewYouth.ca has undergone significant changes. As with all social service users, it is often best to approach audiences where they are already choosing to congregate and where they feel comfortable. Youth in immigrant and refugee communities are highly comfortable with internet communications technologies and utilize them regularly and with great ease. For this reason, a more concentrated effort was made to utilize online social media tools to connect with newcomer youth. In addition to social media, informative videos were also added to the site. Content on the site was also updated. New content was added which spoke directly to the rights and responsibilities of young immigrants and refugees. Using research articles that identified the needs and demands of newcomer youth, issues that were previously not addressed on the site were addressed.
For the following year, there will be noticeable changes to the site and to the tools which are used to interact with newcomer youth. New videos will be added to highlight topics newcomer youth find difficult in their integration process. In addition, a monthly newsletter will also be produced and added to the site. This newsletter will keep users informed about the latest news and issues affecting new youth in Ontario. It will also give service providers working with newcomer youth an opportunity to share some of their challenges and success stories. Of course, updating and adding new content on the site will be an ongoing process. We are also planning to form a Youth Advisory Committee that will influence the direction of the site in the future.
For more information contact:
- Jai Sahak
- Content Coordinator, NewYouth.ca,
- tel 416-322-4950 ext. 255,
- email jsahak@ocasi.org
