The Provincial Outreach Ambassador Program is a leadership program that aims to develop a network of LGBTT2IAQ youth leaders and youth voices in communities across Ontario. Provincial Outreach Ambassadors were invited to a leadership conference in Toronto in February/March 2013 and provided with regular online capacity building workshops.
The program is a one year commitment of 10 hours per month. The year culminates in each Provincial Outreach Ambassador developing or participating in a project that benefits their local community, and creates space for LGBTT2IAQ youth to thrive without fear or compromise.
Provincial Outreach Ambassadors are also the Youth Line’s eyes, ears, hands, and feet across the province. Responsible for ensuring outreach materials reach community organizations, recruiting volunteers/members/donors, and reaching out to their communities. These special volunteers help ensure that youth across the province can access our service. The 2013 Ambassadors Team has been selected. We will begin recruiting for the 2014 Ambassador Team during the later portion of the year at which point you can complete and submit an application online or by fax or mail.
We are committed to reflecting the diversity of the communities we serve. Youth Line actively seeks to invest in the leadership development of trans youth, racialized youth, indigenous youth, youth with disabilities, rural youth, and youth living in Northern Ontario. For more information on the Provincial Outreach Ambassador Program at the Youth Line, please email outreach@youthline.ca or call 1-888-687-9688 ext 229.
Madeleine is a high school student from Almonte, west of Ottawa. She’s a biology, psychology and sociology geek who hopes to go into either nursing or counselling. She’s also known to be a bit of a trekkie from time to time.
The goal for her project is to have the Ontario health and physical curriculum be updated to make sex ed relevant to people of all sexual and gender orientations.
The LGBT Youth Line Ambassador Program brings youth from all around the province together so they can all gain skills that they can take home and use to make meaningful changing in their communities.
Brian is a Pure nutty soul that loves to help others by being there for them and being an ear for their fear, He hopes for the better in all of us. He is currently enrolled in Loyalist College for TV and New Media hoping to start his own PSA’s to inform the world of our beauty. Brian is helping out with the group “Say Out Loud” hoping to brighten the horizon at the youth group. On a fun note his Squirrely nature may hide your things and let you know that your game starts here with a box of pocky. He Quotes “if you train your dog properly you will get a Unicorn!”
The Provincial Outreach Ambassador Program is away to teach you brand new things within the GLBYQ+ world. This program also helps you get ideas on either starting your own youth group or improving your group already.
Originally from Mexico and then Hamilton (ON), Andreína is now a student at Laurier Brantford. She is working to connect several LGBT groups in Brantford, and arrange for youth to attend Toronto Pride. Her special interests are trans* rights and immigrant rights. She loves Harry Potter, cats, and Zumba.
Kaylie Sorrenti is a 19 year old elected representative on the London Youth Advisory Council and a trans* activist. Kaylie is interested in finding ways to create more funding for Alphabet Community Centre to deal with issues of overextended staff, and lack of services.
POAP is an opportunity to work with other youth advocates to make Ontario a better place for LGBTQ2+ folk. It’s a chance to extend your resources and knowledge to help other people create positive change in their communities.
Kamilla Riabko lives in the capital of Canada – Ottawa! She is a student at Carleton University and is working on her Bachelors of Social Work. She is highly involved and very passionate about all her work that she does with Child and Youth Mental Health and the LGBTQ+ Community! She currently sits on the Youth Advisory Committee for Project Acorn – a youth LGBTQ+ summer camp, is a facilitator for Youth Net – a youth mental health advocacy program, a Child and Youth Worker for CLUB 310 – an after-school program for Children and a Mentor for Carleton Universities’ First in Family Program – a student mentorship program.
Kamilla hopes to create a program in Ottawa, where a group of LGBTQ+ youth can get together for weekly discussions and support about how queerness affects mental health, mental illness and access to LGBTQ+ and youth-friendly resources. Trained facilitators will organize the program with a safer space for participants to engage in discussions. Guest speakers and community members will be invited to help enrich discussions on topics of group’s choice.
I’m basically the eyes, ears and mouth of Youth Line in Ottawa. I’ve also partnered with them to help me start a new initiative in my community!
Jamie is 26 and from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. He’s currently a LGBTQ2+. He’s currently working at the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth and he is on the Sudbury Gay Pride Committee.
My experience with POAP was awesome fun, energetic and I’m glad to have met such wonderful people from different walks of life to share their experiences in their community
Anthony is a counsellor, student, and continuing education course advisor from Thunder Bay, ON. If he’s not outside hunting or fishing, you can probably find him studying, lip syncing, or dancing (Sometimes all at once!). He’s very passionate about public health, equal access to mental health resources, and has plans to go to medical school.
The main focus of his project is to establish opportunities for LGBT+ youth in Northern Ontario, as well as establish a full year inclusive space for youth.
To him, Youth Line’s Ambassador Program is a way for empowering marginalized youth by giving them a voice in how they want to shape their community.
Colm Holmes is a young man from Windsor Ontario. He is a graduate of the University of Windsor and an AIDS Service Organization worker. He has a great deal of passion for human rights, especially LGBTQ rights as well as those of People living with HIV/AIDS. Colm wants to give back to his community as much as possible and hopes to honor both the youth in his community as well as those who came before him. He also has a great interest in promoting Trans* inclusion, he hopes to one day be considered an activist.
Colm’s Youth Line Project is to bring a Queer Film Festival to Windsor-Essex where all members of the LGBTQ population can unite and enjoy a soiree; together with Windsor Pride Community Centre he believes he can accomplish this goal. Follow Colm on twitter @colm_h for information regarding his project.
POAP is an amazing opportunity where 10 diverse, dynamic, youth from across the province got to meet and share space in a way of transferring information, knowledge, as well as becoming friends. The knowledge and information could then be used for each youth to bring back to their community and use to be active agents in positive change.