SOS Children's Villages Canada and Scotiabank's ScotiaRISE initiative create brighter futures for nearly 800 youth in Jamaica and Mexico

Three-year YouthRISE project creates employment, entrepreneurship and education opportunities for disadvantaged young people, supporting them to become thriving adults

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 8, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, SOS Children's Villages Canada announced the launch of YouthRISE, a three-year project with a goal to reach some of the most disadvantaged young people in Jamaica and Mexico, enabled by funding from Scotiabank's ScotiaRISE initiative. 

The YouthRISE project will provide nearly 800 youth with the essential support, skills and opportunities they need to overcome barriers to education, post-secondary participation, and workforce integration—helping them transition to becoming independent, self-reliant and thriving adults. YouthRISE connects with the focus areas of ScotiaRISE, Scotiabank's $500 million commitment and social impact strategy to support educational participation, career development, and the removal of hurdles to fully participating in the economy.

Globally, around 269 million young people are neither in education, employment or training, with young women twice as likely as young men to be in this situation. That's nearly one-quarter of the world's youth. These figures, as reported by the United Nations, underscore the urgent need to address the issues young people face, which deny them the education and skills they need to succeed in today's job market and over the long term.

For children and youth without parental care, or who are from vulnerable families, they face even greater challenges. That's why YouthRISE focuses on the most disadvantaged young people in Jamaica and Mexico, including those who have lost parental care, live in poverty, experience abuse or neglect, or belong to other marginalized populations such as youth with special needs.

"Education is a basic human right that children and youth should not be denied simply because of their circumstances," exclaimed SOS Children's Villages Canada President and CEO Thomas Bauer. "This partnership between ScotiaRISE and SOS Children's Villages Canada, supported by SOS Children's Villages teams in Jamaica and Mexico and local partners, will create opportunities that these vulnerable young people deserve to build a better future for themselves and their families."

"Through ScotiaRISE, Scotiabank is proud to invest in the YouthRISE initiative to provide the critical support and access to education that removes challenges in their path and empowers youth in Mexico and Jamaica to achieve their full potential," said Meigan Terry, SVP and Chief Sustainability, Social Impact and Communications Officer at Scotiabank.

Designed to address the specific local needs in some of Jamaica and Mexico's most impoverished communities, the YouthRISE project has three focus areas:

• Remove barriers to career entry, employment and entrepreneurship, and career advancement for disadvantaged youth.
• Improve education and increase digital skills for emerging career opportunities.
• Advance community-based social awareness and action towards addressing discriminatory practices and climate change.

Over the next three years, YouthRISE will offer nearly 800 young people access to essential learning tools, digital technology and employability resources, including individualized career coaching and mentorship, skills-building and entrepreneurship training, unique networking tools, and internship opportunities. Scotiabank employees will also be volunteering to share their expertise with the youth participants and support them in their career entry and advancement journeys by providing employability training and mentorships.

Lizeth, a 22-year-old young woman from Huehuetoca, Mexico, shared that opportunities like the one SOS Children's Villages offered her are rare in her community. "From the very first time, I felt really good with SOS Children's Villages because they invited me to join the youth committee, and I really liked that because they value the voices of young people." Lizeth has since participated in the national youth committee of SOS Children's Villages Mexico, engaging in activities focused on youth empowerment.

25-year-old Moesha from Barrett Town, Jamaica further added, "Today, I stand with confidence as a social work graduate and a practicing social worker – a dream realized. Many others have also achieved their goals, thanks to SOS Children's Villages," proving that, when given the chance, young people will create brighter futures for themselves and their communities.

The YouthRISE project is facilitated in large part by YouthCan!, a global program for youth employability and entrepreneurship launched in 2017 by SOS Children's Villages and global partners from the private sector to promote decent work for young people without parental care or at risk of losing it. In 2023, 17,800 young people across 50 countries received holistic support through YouthCan! To learn more about YouthCan! and to support SOS Children's Villages Canada's work, visit soschildrensvillages.ca.

About SOS Children's Villages Canada

SOS Children's Villages Canada, founded in 1969, is a member of the world's largest charitable federation focused on supporting children and young people without parental care, or at risk of losing it. Protecting children and their rights for over 75 years, SOS Children's Villages now operates in more than 130 countries and territories.

Locally led, we work to strengthen families under pressure so they can stay together. When this is not in a child or young person's best interests, we provide quality care according to their unique needs. We speak up for each child's rights and advocate for change so all children can grow up in a supportive environment.

Visit soschildrensvillages.ca to learn more and join us in ensuring that no child grows up alone.

About ScotiaRISE

ScotiaRISE is Scotiabank's ten-year, $500 million commitment and social impact strategy aimed at improving high school and post-secondary participation and removing career barriers. ScotiaRISE also invests in programs that address newcomer economic inclusion, Indigenous culture and language reclamation, and urgent and basic needs, such as improving access to basic supports like food and water, shelter and medical care. Since the program's inception in 2021, ScotiaRISE has invested $102 million in funding globally for 200 organizations, helping individuals and disadvantaged groups at 1.6 million critical moments in time¹.

Read the ScotiaRISE Social Impact Report to learn how ScotiaRISE helps individuals, families and communities become economically resilient.

Media contacts

Stacey Jewer
Director of Communications, SOS Children's Villages Canada
[email protected] 

¹ Critical moments in time are instances where an individual or group received support, training and/or resources through a program supported by a ScotiaRISE investment. Critical moments are reported proportionate to the funding provided by ScotiaRISE for the specified period of time, program or total investment received to date, as applicable.

SOURCE SOS Children's Villages Canada