Some Assembly Arts Society’s accessible and innovative Roundhouse Youth Theatre Action Group (RHYTAG) program and its yearly 10-month projects engage inner-city youth from diverse backgrounds including BIPOC individuals, LGBTQ2SAI+, newcomers, youth with lived experiences of poverty, homelessness, substance use and/or mental health issues. The RHYTAG program brings together these youth to work with diverse professional artists and youth support workers in the creation, development, production, and public performances of a play that promotes awareness, dialogue and reduces harm associated with issues facing youth. Since 2002 this program has had a profound and positive impact on youth participants. The youth are set up for success in this program that nurtures, heals, inspires, educates, and celebrates youth. Before a youth participates, they are assessed with how best to support them throughout the program. A starting baseline is established for skills such as teamwork, self-awareness, and commitment. Some Assembly's partner Vancouver Coastal Health provides youth support with mental health and substance-use clinicians, LGBTQ2SAI+, health programs, deaf-blind well-being programs and immigrant services. There is no cost for youth to participate, prior theatre experience is not required, and food and honoraria is provided. Many past participants say the money helps to pay for food for their family. The youth also get references for post-secondary, future jobs and are welcome back to gain further skills. Many program alumni participate in Some Assembly’s mentorship program for skills development and knowledge transfer, to help mentor new and younger youth. Some are currently hired as professionals for Some Assembly’s programming with youth and one is on the Board. Some Assembly’s policy ensures safe working conditions for everyone by following WorkSafe BC policies and procedures. Some Assembly fully respects and follows the Human Rights code and ensures only people who are properly qualified are employed with a current criminal check. Education regarding prevention of abuse, harassment and neglect is provided with relevant training regarding protocols and child/youth abuse reporting procedures. Some Assembly’s program staff take an active role in developing and promoting the program environment as a safe, respectable, creative and comfortable environment. A Meeting Agreement is facilitated for youth and artists to state what they require for a safe and respectful working environment. This is used as a code of conduct. Youth participants gain life skills including healthy communication, respect for self and others, anger-management, teamwork, empathy, mindfulness, motivation and time management. The youth gain theatre art skills while being mentored and working alongside theatre professionals who have over twenty years experience, working with at-risk youth. Youth participate in activities that relate to all aspects of putting together a theatre production: script writing, acting, music, design, backstage, outreach, film and community dialogues and post-show workshop facilitation to promote dialogue about the issues addressed in the play. The youth steer play content about issues and concerns that are relevant to them while the professional artists steer the artistic format making for a professional quality production that highlights youth experience and expression. Past plays have dealt with challenging youth issues including meth/ecstasy use, depression, homophobia, bullying, suicide, abuse, racism, sexual assault, transgender issues, lack of hope for the future due to the pandemic. This program fosters youth leaders who role model positive choices, which translate in the play as it seeks to find solutions to the challenges presented. The youth participants excel from participating in the program. They say they feel more confident with gained theatre and life skills, and that they feel more of a sense of belonging in the community. Some say their experience in the program is life changing. One parent said the program literally saved her daughter’s life. Some Assembly’s program engages approximately 1200 youth audience members each year with the presentation of the play that is free with facilitated community dialogues and post-show workshops that promote further dialogue about issues addressed in the play. Successful peer-to-peer education takes place at the performances with primarily at-risk youth in the audience from schools, alternative programs, recovery groups and treatment centres. They say they feel part of a larger community seeing Some Assembly's plays because they connect to their peers on stage who mirror and validate their concerns, ideas and experiences. Many of the youth audience members say they don’t feel alone anymore with their challenges from seeing the play. They say they appreciate that the plays offer solutions to manage the challenges. They say the plays give them hope. Vancouver Coastal Health clinicians are at play performances to support audience if required. Resource material is included in each show program. Since 2002, thirty-five plays have been created and performed by resilient youth with pride to over 44,000 community members who travel from throughout British Columbia to see the plays. Some Assembly's RHYTAG program is well planned and achievable, consistently meeting all objectives since 2002. The proven dedication and ability of Some Assembly, administrators, artists, and clinicians ensures success in the program and a profound and positive ripple effect with Vancouver's inner-city youth. Some Assembly’s plays have been celebrated and opened by City Counsellors, Commissioners and First Nations Elders. Some Assembly is the recipient of the City of Vancouver Youth Award for outstanding contribution to the youth community, and the Deryck Thomson Award for exceptional contribution to community building and well-being. “Some Assembly offers opportunities to diverse youth that they may never have realized were even options. It allows us to explore ourselves in a safe, supportive environment and creates a strong caring community. It challenges you, uplifts you, allows you to learn, grow, and create truly incredible art. I love working with this company and can’t wait to be involved in the new project.” – Youth Participant We are asking the CLICK Foundation for funding support for our program’s new large community-engaged theatre project ‘Breaking Vicious Cycles’ that will bring together diverse at-risk youth and professional artists to create and present a multi-media theatre production for young audiences that explores anxiety cycles, expectations on youth, and strength-based supports. The project’s inspiration stems from conversations with diverse at-risk youth including BIPOC, newcomers, youth with lived experience of homelessness, poverty, mental health and/or substance-use struggles. Youth spoke about the anxiety they feel, so they usually choose avoidance when expectations are placed on them from school, parents, etc. Often spending hours on their phone, they ‘lose’ a sense of who they truly are, and the anxiety increases. This timely project will explore the managing of expectations, the unravelling of vicious cycles, and strength-based supports for youth to gain resilience, connection to themselves, others, and healthy communities. In a safe and respectful environment, diverse artists are collaborating with 120+ youth to create this theatre production with script research, script writing, poetry, acting, music, movement, costumes, set, props, lighting, and film. The youth who participate in script research are from age 10-18, those who participate in creative development of the play are 13-18. Youth participants are supported by an expressive arts therapist, Vancouver Coastal Health counsellors/clinicians, mentors, and skilled artists experienced working with vulnerable youth. Play creation involves workshops with guided activities to promote trust, self-regulation, mental health management, awareness, team-building, compassionate dialogue, empathy, and problem-solving. The complexities of expectations will be explored, stages of vicious cycles including anxiety and avoidance/phone addiction, and the development of healthy coping strategies. A variety of youth-inspired art activities will explore awareness of one's process dealing with expectations, being true to oneself, and strength-based supports for youth to gain a connection to oneself, others, and healthy communities. Emerging and professional Indigenous artists, who are past youth participants, will help mentor youth participants and educate the project’s team about engagement with appropriate protocols and practices regarding Indigenous communities. Using the power of theatre for positive transformation, youth as project writers/actors provides relevance that will resonate with the young audience as they see themselves represented on stage. With confirmation from artists, partners, Vancouver Coastal Health clinicians/counsellors, and a growing number of interested youth, play creation begins in August 2025. 1200+ youth audience members have the opportunity, to attend the project’s free play performances with youth-led community dialogues during BC Youth Week at the Roundhouse Performance Centre, May 6 – 9, 2026. Youth facilitated post-show workshops with audience groups promote further dialogue about play content. The play will be filmed and digitally accessible with virtual community dialogues throughout BC and Canada.

Grade 7 Students from Queen Alexandra School will attend a three-day outdoor camp at Jubilee on Monday, June 2- Jun 4, 2024. The camp aims to provide an educational experience for students relating to Low Ropes, Voyageur Canoe, Kayaking, and nature activities such as shelter Building, nature hake, slingshots, and a beach study. Upon completing the day trip, students will complete follow-up in-class activities such as reflecting and journaling about their experiences. They will also integrate what they learned at camp into school science lessons and PE activities.

AIRS is a charitable organization that provides equitable access to arts programming for children in under-served public elementary schools in Vancouver through long-term artist residencies. AIRS works collaboratively with the Vancouver School Board to create a designated ‘studio’ space in the school and supports an experienced community engaged artist in bringing meaningful, hands-on and socially relevant art making experiences for children across the whole school, one day a week throughout the year. The studio space becomes a shared hub of creativity, building excitement and community within the school. Artists design and facilitate programming that builds confidence in students own creative abilities and allows them to express their own thoughts, feelings, experiences and ideas. Students are introduced to a variety of artmaking processes that they would otherwise not experience (such as painting, printmaking, textiles, filmmaking, ceramics) depending on the artists expertise. Each program is designed in consultation with teachers at the school; it is site specific, community oriented and remains open and responsive to the needs, and creative direction of the students themselves. AIRS artists utilize a trauma informed and anti-oppression approach that creates culturally safe and inclusive spaces that respect the needs of diverse, equity denied students. Examples of studio projects this year include clay tile stories of inner strength, photographic portraits of resilience, life size paper-mache puppets depicting complex emotions, and prayer flags of stitched garden stories about what we grow in community. Each class in the school works with the artist in the ‘studio’ over the course of 6 weeks, moving through 12 classes over the year. The program culminates in a year end exhibition that is open to the wider family community, celebrating and making visible the value of each child’s voice, and expression within the life of the community fostering belonging and inclusion. AIRS program is a proven and integrated program and collaboration with the VSB, that is built on a strong respectful relationship over 9 years. In 2023, AIRS incorporated as an independent society and was granted charitable status in September that same year. AIRS program is currently running in 18 underserved schools in Vancouver. These are Beaconsfield, Bruce, Cunningham, Douglas, Grandview, Henderson, Maquinna, Moberly, Mount Pleasant, Nightingale, Queen Alex, Renfrew, Seymour, Thunderbird, Tecumseh, Trudeau, Waverly and Wəkwan̓ əs tə syaqwəm Elementary, reaching over 4,000 students. Schools are identified and chosen in consultation with VSB district staff each year and based on school declaration of interest, staff commitment, student need and available space. Continuity is important in deepening program impacts for individual students and school community. (Longitudinal research shows that consistent multi-year access to the arts narrow and sometimes close the gap between youth at risk and their more socio-economic privileged peers in terms of academic achievement, graduation, employment and civic engagement.) Each year we work hard to secure funding to support ongoing programming at schools that wish to continue and expand if and where funding permits. We are hoping that CLICK will help provide matching funds to enable one of these schools, Waverly Elementary, to access AIRS program for 2025/26.

LOVE's Media Arts Program (MAP) is a free after-school initiative that runs once a week throughout the school year, and is designed to support equity-deserving youth aged 13-18. The Program focuses on creative expression through media arts, such as photography, video production, digital storytelling, graphic design, and writing. Through hands-on projects, youth are encouraged to express themselves creatively, Improving their mental health and wellness through the use of creative tools, reducing isolation by connecting to their peers, building important skills such as team work, leadership, accountability, problem solving, etc., all in a safe, supportive and collaborative environment. Each session provides food, drinks, bus tickets, art supplies and there are 3-5 field trips planned per year.

Elevate is a year-round mentorship and leadership program for boys in grades 7-9, targeting the critical and vulnerable transition to high school. Many boys face similar struggles during the transition from elementary to high school, compounded by family trauma, addiction, unstable housing, and systemic neglect, all of which put them at significant risk. Based out of Britannia Community Services Centre in partnership with Vancouver Police Foundation, Elevate provides consistent weekly programming across three pillars: leadership, life skills, and community. Activities include financial literacy workshops, entrepreneurial challenges, cooking classes, career exploration, self-defense training, and out trips. We will also conduct regular one-on-one check-ins and work closely with community youth workers, school staff, and administrators to ensure these boys stay on track both inside and outside of school. What sets Elevate apart is its community-driven design, born from needs observed on the ground. It fills programming gaps and continues through school breaks, when unstructured time increases risk. At the heart of the program are trusted mentors who already have established relationships with the youth. Mentors have lived in the same community, attended the same schools, and faced similar struggles, fostering relatability and trust. Additionally, female mentors will help counter harmful gender norms and support social-emotional learning. Elevate’s holistic and community-driven approach will help create a safe space for the youth to open up, prevent them from falling through the cracks, and give them the tools to develop into well-rounded, responsible young adults. Through consistent, year-round engagement, the boys develop skills and tools for their social, emotional, physical, and academic growth, while fostering a sense of purpose.  This program directly aligns with the Vancouver Police Foundation’s focus on youth empowerment, community safety, and early intervention. Together, we can break the cycle of risk and help male-identifying youth build brighter futures.

Roots & Rhythms: Indigenous Cultural Sharing for Youth is a grassroots community-engaged initiative that will take place during the 22nd Annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival, from October 31 to November 8, 2025. This program features a series of 4 Indigenous-led cultural events presented to youth living in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES); an inner city, low-income postal code. Produced by Heart of the City, a combination of performances, low-barrier workshops, and knowledge sharing will take place at neighbourhood schools including Lord Strathcona Elementary, Admiral Seymour Elementary, Crosstown šxˇwəq̯ˇəθət Elementary, and χpey̓ Elementary. Roots & Rhythms provides unique cultural and creative engagement for youth by connecting with local DTES Indigenous performers and cultural carriers from different generations and backgrounds. Vancouver’s DTES is home to a significant population of low-income, Coast Salish and Urban Indigenous community members. Youth in these communities often face systemic barriers to accessing programming and mentorship. Roots & Rhythms aims to bridge this gap by supporting safe and inspiring spaces where youth can engage with Indigenous artists and cultural practitioners. Drumming holds a sacred place in Indigenous cultures, serving as a powerful tool for healing, connection, and cultural preservation. Storytelling, dancing, and singing are also practices vital to Indigenous cultures across Turtle Island, honouring ancestors and nature, and passing down knowledge. By centreing Indigenous voices, this program empowers youth and promotes cross-cultural understanding and community pride. Guided by principles of mutual recognition, respect and shared responsibility, Roots & Rhythms supports long-term relationship-building between local Indigenous knowledge keepers and community members in a meaningful way. These events nourish community relations, build and strengthen skills, and actively facilitate the transfer of knowledge to youth. Featured confirmed artists/cultural carriers: 1. Cultural Sharing with Elders and knowledge keepers: Carnegie Community Centre Indigenous Elder-in-Residence Leslie Nelson will share teachings, songs, and stories that emphasize intergenerational learning and the importance of Indigenous traditions; 2. Traditional Grass Dancing & Drumming Workshops: Led by 2Spirit Indigenous artist Larisa Healey and Pavel Desjarlais of the professional dance group Dancing Spirit. Members come from different Indigenous Nations located across Turtle Island and share authentic, joyful, and knowledgeable performances, and provide fun and accessible learning. Workshops introduce youth to the rich traditions of grass dancing and drumming practices; 3. Musical performer: TALON is a 20-year-old Piapot Indigenous hip-hop artist from Vancouver’s DTES. His music explores personal experiences growing up in the DTES and offers a raw and empowering perspective on resilience, struggle, and healing. TALON’s performances highlight the power of storytelling and self-expression. Roots & Rhythms Goals: 1. Provide accessible Indigenous cultural experiences for youth in the DTES; 2. Highlight and support the artistic contributions of local DTES Indigenous performers and cultural leaders; 3. Strengthen community connections through intergenerational cultural sharing; 4. Offer a meaningful and engaging introduction to Indigenous song, dance, and storytelling for elementary students. Roots & Rhythms: Indigenous Cultural Sharing for Youth is an investment in cultural preservation, youth empowerment, and community connection. With the support of this grant, we can continue to create inclusive and engaging cultural experiences that celebrate the rich Indigenous heritage in the Downtown Eastside, and inspire future generations.

PantoLand + PantoTown are our five-day summer workshops for kids and tweens inspired by our East Van Panto. Children work with accredited teachers and guest instructors, learning their favourite Panto songs and dances, dressing up, making props and creating their own characters, songs and scripts. We foster a creative environment where young arts enthusiasts encounter and engage their own creative interests with professional performers and instructors. The camp allows kids to develop skills they otherwise would not have the opportunity to explore. PantoLand + Town is led by an incredible teaching team, with extensive experience teaching drama in the public school system. We also offer additional learning opportunities with world-class local artists as guest teachers, including professional musicians, dancers and drag artists. This year the kids will work with Lisa Mariko Gelley (Artistic Co-Director of Company 605), Amanda Sum (Juno nominated musician), Raven Grenier (Dancers of Damelahamid) and drag artist Minor Disappointment. Since 2014, PantoLand has been offered to kids aged 5-10. In 2021, we pioneered PantoTown, a new camp for tweens aged 11-13, based on feedback received from parents that there is a real gap in accessible and affordable arts programming for tween-aged youth in Vancouver. In 2023, we ran camps for both age groups for the first time and successfully relaunched the program bigger and better than before. The programs are a huge success and we receive amazing feedback from faculty, parents and participants each year. “I write to thank you for all the work you have done to create and support PantoLand. The program is super impressive! You've gathered such a wonderful group of artists and facilitators: that they can co-devise with the kiddos to generate such a smart & fun show with kids within one week blows my mind.” -Parent Feedback 2024 The camps are run by Theatre Replacement, and developed out of our beloved holiday production, East Van Panto, which began in 2013. Over the last decade our audiences audience have grown to over 17,000 annually, approximately 7,000 of whom are children. 15 local children perform each year as part of the show; the inclusion of the kids brought a necessary energy to the production and — according to audience feedback — significantly improved the viewing experience for the children in the audience. Kids enjoy seeing themselves reflected back from the stage. It also upholds the Pantomime tradition in which professional actors share the stage with members of the community. As soon as kids began appearing onstage, we received dozens of requests from children and parents in the community, inquiring how they could become involved in the Panto. These camps are a way to open up the magic of the East Van Panto to more kids each year.

The Writers' Exchange is a vibrant community that empowers under-resourced kids and youth to become confident, excited readers, writers, and young authors! Our programs provide safe, engaging spaces where participants from ages 6-18 boost their literacy skills and social-emotional competencies, build connections with positive adult mentors, and enjoy nutritious meals—ensuring they can fully participate without barriers. Activities are designed around kids' interests, making learning fun and engaging while fostering creativity and self-expression. Summer programming plays a critical role in sustaining literacy gains, supporting children and youth who attend our after-school and high school programs, and reaching new participants in need of safe, structured learning opportunities. In 2025, we are expanding our summer programs to meet increased demand following the closure of Kidsafe, which left 400 families without essential summer support. We are stepping up to ensure more kids have access to high-quality literacy programming, social-emotional support, and nutritious meals while school is out. Our summer programs will serve 210 kids—70 more than last year—at multiple locations, including Queen Alexandra Elementary, Vancouver Technical Secondary, and our main program site at 877 E Hastings. To help meet this need, we are exploring partnerships with Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House and Red Fox to co-run programs that provide half-day literacy support alongside life skills or recreation programming—removing barriers like multiple registrations and transportation. We also continue to partner with the Vancouver School Board to run programs in schools, and collaborate with RayCam Community Centre, Vancouver Public Library, and Thunderbird Community Centre to enhance programming with storytelling workshops, outdoor learning, and hands-on creative projects. A Summer of Literacy, Creativity, and Exploration Each summer, kids dive into creative literacy projects that reflect their interests and lived experiences. In 2024, 140 participants reimagined global folk tales with culturally relevant characters, wrote restaurant reviews that were published in an interactive community map, and storyboarded and animated short films through a hands-on workshop with Giant Ant. Check the kids’ amazing work out here: - https://vancouverwe.box.com/s/owdnber1zyj13066lx9td97q32cwdf49 - https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1DxHjRbKM5D_6Etw3KG4AjAsNltSLmi4&ll=49.25432886056615%2C-123.02078044999999&z=12 This year, kids have asked for more hands-on, real-world storytelling experiences, and we are excited to deliver! 1. Food Writing Adventures – Inspired by their love of snacks, kids will become food writers, visiting local restaurants and markets, reviewing their favorite eats, and publishing their work through literacy-focused activities. 2. Outdoor Literacy Explorations – Programs will integrate field trips to outdoor spaces, where kids will write nature-inspired poetry and stories. 3. Publishing & Community Celebration – Every participant will become a published young author! Their favorite piece of writing from the summer will be featured in a professionally designed digital chapbook published on Issuu here: https://issuu.com/writers_exchange and celebrated at a community-wide showcase with caregivers and supporters like you. A Holistic Approach: Literacy, Mentorship & Food Security Many kids count on the Writers' Exchange for consistent access to nutritious meals in the summer when school meal programs are unavailable. With 87% of participants experiencing food insecurity, meals are not just a nice-to-have—they are a necessity for engagement. Our food program provides breakfast and lunch daily to ensure every child can focus, participate, and thrive. Food is also a major motivator for older youth, encouraging regular attendance and deeper connections. We also recognize that mentorship plays a key role in engagement and long-term success. Our summer team includes over 30 trained literacy volunteers, many of whom are former program participants who now return as mentors. These alumni form instant connections with kids, reinforcing a sense of belonging and creating a full-circle mentorship model. To reduce barriers to volunteering, we offer honorariums to volunteers from equity-denied backgrounds, ensuring diverse representation and relatable role models. Family & Community Engagement Summer is a time for strengthening community bonds, and we create meaningful opportunities for families to connect. We host regular family events to build trust and foster a sense of belonging, including a much-loved community BBQ that drew 108 participants last year. Caregivers repeatedly express how much they value these spaces, where they can see their children thriving, celebrate their successes, and connect with other families. We also engage caregivers and youth in Sharing Spaces, where they lend their voice to programming and governance. The Need for Support With Kidsafe’s closure, a major gap in safe, supportive summer programs has emerged. Writers’ Exchange—originally founded by Kidsafe in 2011—is stepping up to help fill that gap. In 2025, we are expanding to serve 210 children, a 50% increase from 2024, ensuring more under-resourced kids have access to literacy-rich, nourishing programs. Since becoming an independent charity in 2016, we’ve partnered closely with Kidsafe to provide summer literacy support. Our deep relationships with the same schools, families, and communities mean that students referred by teachers, youth workers, and caregivers can easily access our programs. This increased demand comes at a time when rising food costs are already straining our resources. We are requesting a renewed and increased grant of $3,000 from CLICK to support our expanded food program. This funding will help ensure that Vancouver’s most under-resourced kids have a safe, welcoming space to grow—academically, emotionally, and physically—with full bellies, trusted mentors, and meaningful learning all summer long. With your support, we can provide more meals, more mentorship, and more unforgettable summer experiences that set kids up for long-term success. Thank you for helping us make this summer the best one yet!

"The Chase" is the fourth installation of a four year collaborative relationship Leaky Heaven has with a group of children living in Stamps Place Public Housing Complex in the Downtown Eastside. We are a professional non-profit theatre company with a long history of community collaboration. For 20 years we have had a studio at the Russian Hall on Campbell Avenue and the children from Stamps Place are our nearest neighbours. With them we have created 2 performances Dream Machine ( 2022); Slip Slap Trip Wack (2024); a series of child -made short films (2023) and a 10 week program called Slapstick Skool featuring classes with professional artists ranging from Stage Combat, Pranks, Gadget Construction, Pie in the Face techniques to how to dress your dog as another animal. (semester 2 of Slapstick Skool begins in May 2025.) Following the interest of the children we are now organizing our next collaboration called Chase a collaborative silent film based on chase sequences from Our Gang films of the 1920's and devised through a series of children's games situated in the housing complex. The children will work with us to create scenarios, scout locations and direct each other in games and film sequences. As with Slip, Slap, Trip, Wack we will provide skill building sessions in art-making and performance; offer mentorships from professional artists; provide meals for particpants. (Last years project we were able to hire some of the mothers to prepare delicious Syrian meals. The project runs for 10 weeks in the Fall and once we have finished the filming sessions we have plans for a community screening and we are in conversation with Silent Movie Mondays a silent film series at the Orpheum where we hope to screen the film and invite the children and their families to watch the silent film created in their neighbourhood at the historic Orpheum.

Strathcona Elementary and neighboring schools will join together to walk the streets around Strathcona celebrating pride in June, 2025. The parade will end at Maclean park where there will be live music, button station, Karaoke singing, and rainbow cupcakes to be handed out.

We are requesting funds to support the dinner and dance that celebrates the 2025 graduates of Britannia happening in June. This is one of the most expensive events that the school hosts as an extracurricular activity each year. The cost is not covered by school fees and many of our families struggle to pay the ticket price. A number of organizations support various grad events throughout the year, but an event this like requires multiple sources of revenue to make it a success.

The program is for the grade 6 and 7. This will be Indigenous cultural learning. The grade 7 with will make the drums and the grade 6's will make rattles. The school Indigenous staff with the support of the classroom staff with support the students in this process.

Kids Kitchen is an extension of the youth centre that teaches youth how to prepare and cook a meal and dessert for 100+ youth. Our diverse space is designed to meet youth where they are at and create dinner/baking crews who are interested in cooking and expanding their culinary skills for participants who are participating in youth programs on a busy Friday (3:30-9pm) and Saturday (4-8pm) nights! Kids Kitchen nourishes a positive learning environment for youth, food skills, and belonging.

The Strathcona Backpack Program has operated for 12 years in support of children living in the Strathcona neighbourhood. Each week, program participants receive a food hamper of fresh produce, eggs, bread, tofu, and non-perishables. Items in the hamper are chosen carefully to ensure that families are receiving fresh, nutritious foods that support healthy child development. Items are also chosen to be child-friendly and culturally appropriate for the participant families. This program is currently supporting 160 families living in the V6A area code with children attending school. Each hamper is sized according to the family size and is valued between $75-$100 worth of food. The program runs 11 months of the year and breaks for August, Winter and March Break. In addition to providing weekly groceries to families we have a community engagement area where families can connect with community groups such as Science World and the Dental Clinic. The market also provides a snack and hot drink and this is where participants can share their cultural celebrations such as Ramadan, Lunar New Year, Solstice and Indigenous Peoples Day.

Outreach is a district-wide senior secondary alternative program located on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Tsleil Waututh, and Squamish Coast Salish people. The program was created to provide a safe, welcoming, and successful learning environment to Indigenous students who face barriers and/or systemic obstacles in mainstream classes. Non-Indigenous applicants who are interested in contributing and participating in a program with an Indigenous mindset will also attend this program.

Kiwassa has partnered with Templeton Pool to offer swimming lessons to our Nest program (our school aged out-of-school program offering free care for marginalized children aged 5-12). They charge us for the lessons, but we offer them to our families for free, as we believe it is so important to support our children in learning the valuable life skill of swimming! We have a staff pick up the children from school, provide them with a snack, and walk them over to the pool, get them ready for the lesson, and then support the swim teacher in the pool. The program supports 18 children, 6 per day, 3 days per week. This round they are offering us 10 weeks of lessons. Additionally, Kiwassa is undergoing HVAC construction as our building does not offer AC. During this time, our programs will be disrupted, so we will be offering a daily bike club to support the children in learning how to ride a bike. We are purchasing used bikes from thrift stores and accepting donations so that the children can have their own bike and helmet to use and practice with, and the hope is that we raise enough money so that they can take the bikes home and keep them once the program ends. We will support beginner to intermediate bike levels, with several staff supporting.

Land Guardians is a free, hands-on program supporting urban Indigenous and equity-denied youth to connect with land-based teaching, learn about science and ecology, and develop the skills, confidence, and resilience to become community leaders. The program is based at EYA’s programming site in Strathcona Community Gardens – a 1.4-hectare green space in the Downtown Eastside with a native plant nursery, plant medicine garden, and eco-classroom. Now in its seventh year, Land Guardians is an ongoing partnership between EYA and four Vancouver School Board alternative schools: Cedar Walk and Aries - managed by the Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA) - Outreach, and EVEC. Through weekly 4-hour sessions (20 hours total) youth will engage in hands-on land-based learning activities, teachings, and ceremonies led by Indigenous staff, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers on the following topics: - Plant and animal relations - Consent-based harvesting of plants - Reciprocity with the land - Harvesting camas and silverweed with Cease Wyss - Harvesting cedar and weaving baskets with Elder Leonard Williams - Decolonizing our understanding of weeds and invasive plants - Ecological connections between native plants and wildlife - Native plant identification and propagation - Invasive plant identification and removal techniques - Native plant planting techniques Each program is coordinated and facilitated by an experienced BIPOC youth educator with support from two volunteer BIPOC Youth Peer Mentors. Activities related to Indigenous Knowledge Systems are led by local Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers from diverse communities who visit each program two to six times, including Leonard Williams from the Quatsino Nation, Matthew Williams from the Squamish Nation, Henry Williams from the Squamish Nation, and Cease Wyss (T'uy't'tanat) from the Squamish Nation. EYA educators are trained in trauma-informed practices and how to create welcoming spaces for vulnerable youth. As fellow BIPOC youth, educators act as positive role models and help participants see ecological science as an accessible educational path and career choice. Activities are flexible by design to encourage youth to learn at their own pace and discover their strengths and interests. The high educators to participants ratio ensures each youth is fully engaged. Participants receive a $20/day honorarium based on attendance and lunches, bus tickets, and rain gear are provided.

We are seeking your continued support for the Vancouver Youth Choir Bursary and Subsidy Program. This program eliminates barriers, ensuring that the highest level of artistry is accessible to all young singers with a passion for music. Founded in 2013, VYC has grown to over 600 members aged 5-24, with a projected membership of 700 for the upcoming season. Currently, 415 of our singers are children and youth under the age of 19 living in the city of Vancouver, and we project this number will grow to 480 next season. More than 70% of our members are from equity-deserving groups, many of whom are first-generation immigrants to Canada. This diversity enriches our community but also underscores the financial constraints faced by numerous families. Our commitment to accessibility has expanded significantly in response to growing economic challenges. While we historically provided full bursaries to one in five of our members, we now support one in three singers through our bursary program—and the need continues to grow. The increasing cost of living in Vancouver has made arts participation even more difficult for many families, especially those in inner city neighbourhoods. To ensure physical accessibility, we operate rehearsal locations on both the Eastside and Westside of Vancouver, all easily accessed by public transit. This geographic accessibility is particularly important for our younger singers and families from inner city neighbourhoods who may face transportation barriers. For many children in Vancouver's inner city neighbourhoods, opportunities for music education are increasingly rare. School music programs continue to be cut back, and private lessons remain financially out of reach. Our bursary program ensures that every child who wants to sing has that chance, regardless of their family's financial circumstances. Our goal for the upcoming season is to ensure no child under 19 is turned away due to financial constraints. The CLICK grant would be directed exclusively toward bursaries for children and youth living in inner city neighbourhoods, ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to experience the transformative power of music and the profound sense of belonging that comes from finding your place in a community that values your voice.

MISCELLANEOUS Productions Society will offer eight FREE dance and co-creation theatre in Vancouver inner-city QBIMRPOC/BIMRPOC child communities - Vancouver School Board-VSB elementary schools - specifically Strathcona Elementary School with a focus on BIPOC and GLBTT2IQNB children. When we first conducted outreach to the Vancouver School Board for this project, this inner-city school requested *26 full-day sessions* - this project is for eight of those workshops.

We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities regardless of their families’ financial situation. According to Statistics Canada, lower-income families, particularly those in lone-parent households, are more likely to experience financial barriers that prevent their participation in extracurricular activities. The same study found that children who participate in extracurricular activities tend to have higher academic achievement and are more likely to complete high school and pursue post-secondary education compared to those who do not. Another study found that Canadian Youth who did not participate in recreational physical activity were significantly more likely (3.19 higher odds) to experience depressive symptoms (National Library of Medicine, 2020). Research shows that extracurricular activities are necessary for a child’s development, improving success at school, in interpersonal relationships, with building essential life skills, and in their mental and physical health – but these programs are often expensive and inaccessible for lone-parent families, especially single mothers. Happy Healthy Children (HHC) addresses this by removing financial barriers for single mothers living in poverty. We cover the costs of activities for their children, including activities such as sports, music lessons, tutoring, art programs, summer camps and more. Mom2mom provides direct financial support that ensures children living in poverty can engage in experiences that promote their physical and mental well-being. In 2024, 122 extracurricular activities were supported through Happy Healthy Children and 97% of mom’s reported that Mom2Mom’s support and resources have positively impacted their child(ren)’s life/lives.

Kiwassa’s Nest Summer Break Camp program offers free full-day camp programming for 24 (up to 33 registered) inner city children ages 5-12 for families that lack the financial means to participate in structured out of school time learning. From 8:30am-5:30pm Monday to Friday, Kiwassa’s Nest Program Summer Camp provides a stable and supervised environment where children can feel safe, build trusting and respectful relationships with adults, and participate in learning and play. Whether through visual arts, cooking, literacy support, sports, theatre and dance, or out trips into the local community (including Science World, Playland, museums), children are participating in activities that foster individual leadership, build social and emotional competencies, and enhance critical thinking skills. Support from CLICK would allow us to provide a continuum of all-day programming to children in our program during Summer Break (from June 30th to August 29). Specifically, children would be at Kiwassa Neighbourhood House from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. receiving breakfast/morning snack and an afternoon snack and participating in artistic, recreational and cooking workshops, gardening opportunities, activities and excursions. This would relieve the burden on low-income working families who lack the supports and resources to ensure their children are participating in engaging and developmentally appropriate activities during school closures. In this way, we are breaking down barriers getting in the way of children thriving and learning outside of school hours, while providing them with a safe, healthy space.

Red Fox delivers two weekly Drum Group programs at Strathcona Elementary School. Since 2010, we have fostered cultural knowledge and pride and community connections among Indigenous youth at Strathcona. Red Fox delivers Active Play programs at Strathcona Elementary School, Ray-Cam Cooperative Centre, Britannia Community Centre and Collingwood Neighbourhood House during the school year and at McLean, Pandora and Trout Lake parks during spring and summer breaks. We have been delivering most of these programs since 2007. The foundation of Red Fox is our youth leadership continuum in which we mentor youth who face barriers to help deliver the activities under the supervision of Red Fox staff members, 60% of whom are graduates of our training. Most Indigenous youth face additional barriers due to systemic and historic oppression, and need long-term support to succeed. Both the Drum Group programs and the Active Play programs are supervised by Indigenous staff and Indigenous youth act as Junior and Youth Leaders at these programs.

The Britannia Graduation Ceremony takes place in June 2025 at the Italian Cultural Center inVancouver. The Ceremony is funded by students grad fees of $60, by ticket sales to families and by grants and donations from our school's supporters. Many students are not able to pay their fees due to financial hardship. Many of our families live in subsidized housing as our catchment is Vancouver's Downtown Eastside which includes the V6A postal code. The Graduation Ceremony is a very important and meaningful event for our students and their families as it celebrates the successes of academic, athletics and community service achievements.

I would like to provide students with reading material over the summer break. As the new teacher-librarian, circulation and enthusiasm for reading has increased this year. I would like to further nurture a love for reading by providing students with books at home for summer break. During the last week of school, I would like to provide students with an opportunity to select 2 to 5 books each to take home for the summer to build their personal libraries at home.

The YMCA Lord Roberts After School Kids Club provides a safe place for children and to stay after school while their families work. At Lord Roberts we serve a high number of vulnerable children in single parent households, or families living under the poverty line. Our program aims to enhance the well-being and development of vulnerable children by launching a pilot program that provides a hearty healthy and nutritious snacks to the children in our prorgam. In our childcare prorgam we offer a small snack like a cookie, or crackers and cheese. This pilot would offer a much heartier large snack to these children, to ensure they go home with a full belly. Many may not have dinner when they get home. By offering healthy food options during after-school hours, the program addresses food insecurity, a critical barrier that can hinder children’s academic performance, social engagement, and physical activity. This initiative addresses barriers to success by ensuring children have access to healthy food, promoting better focus during homework help, and enabling them to participate more fully in physical activities.

The Vault Studio Program provides at-risk youth in the Downtown Eastside and Grandview-Woodland communities with opportunities to develop musical, technical, and communication skills. Participants engage in singing, songwriting, beat creation, podcasting, and drum lessons while learning studio operations and music production. The program fosters creative expression, collaboration, emotional growth, and professional development. With the program’s upcoming move to a new centre at Commercial and 1st in the heart of our youths’ community in July 2025, accessibility and opportunities will expand significantly. Currently offering drum lessons, beat creation, and digital audio training, the new space will introduce instrument training, vocal coaching, videography, filmmaking, and audio-visual podcasting. This growth will allow for deeper engagement and the addition of tertiary prevention efforts, building on the program’s strong foundation in primary and secondary prevention.

Robotics Club is a free in school program intended to help students learn robotics and coding in a hands-on manner by creating projects such as remote controlled cars, electronic cranes, and other similar items. We also intend to compete in robotics competitions, both in school and in Vex Robotics. The program is designed to benefit youth aiming to enter STEM industries who may not be able to afford to otherwise learn robotics skills.

Studio 101 is an Eastside Arts Society program dedicated to supporting diverse and engaging artistic experiences for 240+ Vancouver Eastside youth annually. Many Eastside schools have limited exposure to professional artists and arts experiences beyond the classroom. Studio 101 brings school children into participating Eastside Culture Crawl artist studio spaces for free, hands-on workshops. For many participants, it is their first time connecting with professional artists. The program provides students with insights into the various phases of the creative process, while promoting creative confidence and fostering an appreciation of the visual arts. his year, the program will return fully in-person December 1-5 to offer classroom activities and small group visits to artists’ studios for immersive hands-on workshops. Elementary students from grades 4-7 from Britannia Elementary, Seymour Elementary, Strathcona and χpey̓ Elementary schools will take part in workshops to create ceramics and mixed media items. In 2024, Eastside Arts Society piloted a weeklong artist residency as a new element of the Studio 101 initiative, in response to ongoing barriers and challenges with organizing field trips at χpey̓ Elementary which limited the program to in-classroom activities. In response to these circumstances and the school's Indigenous focus, Studio 101 commissioned an Indigenous visual artist to engage in an artist residency for one week, providing multiple in-class workshops and engaging students in a large-scale mural project. EAS is seeking funding to continue this expanded initiative, and sustain the Studio 101 initiative to ensure long term impact of this program facilitating valuable arts experiences for students in East Vancouver.

Little Sprouts is an early- gardening and nature exploration program for children, 6 and under, and their accompanying parents or caregivers. Families have opportunities to meet up to four times a week (2 mornings and 2 afternoons) at the Britannia Secondary community garden, where ESFP has a plot. Staff, summer students, and guest gardening/nature-based facilitators engage with the children and adults in gardening/nature-based activities, such as preparing the bed, weeding, planting, watering, composting and harvesting. They also participate in garden/food-related arts and crafts, such as making bird feeders, making plant art and painting rocks. Regularly scheduled guest speakers/facilitators engage with the children to enhance their learning about nature and gardening. Examples are bee keeping and pollinators (Hives for Humanity), the marine eco-system (Ocean Wise).

Staff comes to the school to teach students how to grow food and prepare it for creating different recipes.