Children & Youth

Our Summer and March Break Camps provide children and youth with the opportunity to develop positive social skills, discover new experiences and create good memories.

Summer Day Camp runs Monday to Friday in July and August for children ages 4 to 12.

Summer Slam Camp and March Break Camp are for youth ages 13 to 17, and focus on skills development, positive risk-taking, recreation and education through experience.

Many of our camp activities take place outside of the GTA to provide experience with new environments for youth.

To learn more about Summer Day Camp, contact:
Christine Chow, Director, Seniors and Children & Youth Services e. Christine.Chow@dixonhall.org

In partnership with seven community organizations, Growing Up Healthy Downtown (GUHD) is a program that focuses on improving the health and well-being of young children ages 0 to 6 by offering support and skills-based workshops for their parents or caregivers.

Program topics include how to prepare affordable healthy meals, positive parenting, social skills development, and more.

To learn more about this program, contact: Ronnie Thompson
e. ronnie.thompson@dixonhall.org

Our Mentoring for Violence Prevention (MVP) program uses sport to provide mentorship to young people and to address issues around youth violence.

Youth have the opportunity to join a team and experience the benefits of taking part in positive, productive and anti-violence activities. During practices and throughout the season, team members and their peers are encouraged to discuss real life issues and to seek help whenever they need it.

To learn more about our MVP Program and/or how to join a team, contact:
Peter Wetuvanga, Youth Worker Supervisor (e. Peter.Wetuvanga@dixonhall.org)

A special thank you to our generous program sponsor Tippett Foundation.

A leader in downtown East communities when it comes to working with high-risk youth, our Youth At-Risk program offers a dedicated safe space and access to a Youth Worker who’s available throughout the week for one-to-one counselling, as well as intervention and support.

To learn more about this program, contact:
Kenneth Slater, Youth Worker Supervisor
e. kenneth.slater@dixonhall.org

Designed specifically for young women, our girls and young women’s programming offers activities that are aimed at promoting resiliency, self-care, coping skills, stress and anger management, healthy relationships, physical and mental health, healthy eating, and positive risk-taking.

One-to-one support and counselling services are also available at our Girls Only Drop-in Centre.

To learn more about this program, contact:
Christine Chow, Director, Seniors and Children & Youth Services e. Christine.Chow@dixonhall.org

Our Keeping Youth Motived Committee (KYM) is made up of 12 young, aspiring future leaders who plan events for youth in the community and lead by example. All of KYM’s events are youth-led, youth-focused, and are aimed at highlighting and elevating young people in our community. They range from art-based, to sport-focused, to community beautification.

To learn more about the KYM Committee, contact:
Christine Chow, Director, Seniors and Children & Youth Services e. Christine.Chow@dixonhall.org

A new project that is supporting youth and their families, in community home and school. The program explores life skills, tailor made supports, and excursions.

Trevlyn Kennedy is the manager, her email is
e. trevlyn.kennedy@dixonhall.org

These flyers serve as a resource for parent/caregivers seeking guidance on initiating and conducting discussions about sexual health with their teenage children. The flyers discuss the importance and benefits of these conversations and provide tips on how to navigate the conversation with recommendations of what important topics and details to include.

Additional Resources:

1. Action Canada
2. Teaching Sexual Health
3. NSPCC
4. Western Health Resource Kit
5. KidsHealthHub.ca
6. Louis Pressbook “Medical Terminology: An Interactive Approach”.
7. Cheo
8. Planned Parenthood
9. Hassle-Free Clinic
10. Booklet: Sexually Transmitted Infections

Recognizing the rapid growth of digital media and technology, we developed several resources to support families explore the impacts social media, gaming and digital consumption have on fostering healthy family experiences. These posters are designed to educate parent caregivers on the impacts of digital media on children, emphasizing their effects on children’s health and development, and the importance of safe, mindful screen use. These resources encourage parent caregivers confidently educate their children to build healthy digital habits together.

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