Empowering Racialized and Newcomer Young Women Across Canada 

Young Women’s Leadership Network (Platform) is helping newcomer, refugee, and trauma-affected youth find safety, confidence, and voice through civic learning. With support from the Rideau Hall Foundation’s Catapult Canada grant, the organization is expanding its proven Heal, Lead, Learn model to help young women and gender-diverse youth heal from trauma, build leadership skills, and safely engage in public and online spaces. 

Healing and Learning Through Civic Engagement 

The Civic Learning Project combines trauma-informed workshops, healing circles, and digital literacy training to support 100 participants directly, with hundreds more reached through virtual learning. Each session helps youth develop civic awareness, advocacy skills, and online safety strategies, while fostering peer connection and confidence. By centering racialized and displaced youth voices, Platform empowers participants to turn lived experiences into leadership and advocacy. 

“This grant allows Platform to expand our trauma-informed Civic Learning model to newcomer and refugee youth who have long been excluded from traditional education,” says the team. “Through healing circles, digital literacy, and civic engagement training, we’re helping young people reclaim agency, rebuild connection, and lead change in their communities. We’re equipping the next generation of civic leaders to transform exclusion into empowerment.” 

Why This Work Matters 

Across Canada, more than 815,000 youth aged 15–29 are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), with racialized and newcomer youth overrepresented in this group. Refugee youth graduate on time at less than half the rate of their non-immigrant peers, often due to interrupted education, language barriers, and trauma. Many also face isolation and online harassment – 1 in 3 racialized youth report experiencing hate or harassment online, while 2 in 3 say they lack the skills to respond safely. 

Platform’s Civic Learning Project responds directly to these realities. It bridges education and empowerment, creating accessible, non-formal spaces where learning, healing, and leadership intersect. Participants gain both practical digital skills and the confidence to participate safely in public life – crucial steps toward inclusion and opportunity. 

Strengthening Civic Education with Support from the Rideau Hall Foundation 

With support from the Rideau Hall Foundation’s Catapult Canada initiative, Platform is expanding its civic learning model to reach newcomer and refugee youth nationwide. Catapult funding supports program delivery, translation, facilitator training, and digital resource development tailored to the needs of racialized, displaced youth. 

Beyond funding, Catapult connects Platform to a national network of organizations working to make learning more inclusive and accessible. By investing in Platform’s Civic Learning Project, the Rideau Hall Foundation is helping racialized and newcomer young women gain the tools, confidence, and community needed to lead.