Youth Programs

Birchmount Bluffs Neighbourhood Centre (BBNC) is committed to supporting area youth to overcome barriers and achieve successful life pathways.  We offer a Youth Employment Program (YEP) at our main site and a satellite Youth Drop-in Centre.

Youth Drop-in Centre

BBNC's Youth drop-in Centre offers a safe, welcoming space where youth of diverse identities come to connect, and unleash their leadership abilities.  Our centre serves southwest Scarborough area youth.  This includes students of several area schools and youth of the Scarborough Village and Eglinton East-Kennedy Park priority neighbourhoods.

Run by a dedicated staff team, our centre features a lounge with access to couches, computers, and a kitchen.  We offer many youth-led programs and our services include pre-employment supports, info and referrals, volunteer opportunities and informal counselling.  We also use an integrated model of service, providing access and supports to youth with diverse disabilities.

Drop-in Program

Our informal drop-in program offers a relaxed space where youth aged 14 to 24 can chill, enjoy recreation and self-expression in an oppression-free setting.

Mondays to Fridays, noon to 6pm.

Youth Unleashed (Youth Advisory Council)

A Youth Advisory Council that provides youth leadership to the drop-in.  Aspiring youth leaders jumpstart new projects and take on key youth issues, promoting civic engagement and youth empowerment.

Fridays 4pm to 6pm.

Leading Ladies

A cool after-school program where teen girls access a safe space to expand leadership skills and healthy peer relations.  The girls also take on social issues, run hip events, and create cool projects for the centre.

Thursdays 4pm to 6pm.  Girls Aged: 14 to 18.

Arts Based Youth Expression

Centre youth explore their lives using media arts, spoken word, photography and drama.  An example is "REAL TALK", a current project where youth develop an anti-smoking campaign using drama as a creative tool for educating peers on smoking risks.

Tuesdays 4pm to 6pm.

Community Involvement and Volunteering

A high number of high school youth contribute to their community while completing community service hours through the centre.  Our youth leaders also collaborate with youth networks on civic initiatives that advance the voices of Toronto youth.

BBNC Youth Drop-In Centre is located at:

2849 Kingston Road (at St. Clair Ave. E.)

Hours: Monday to Friday 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm.  Call us at 416-264-1007.

Employment Services

The Youth Employment Project (YEP)

The Youth Employment Project is an innovative youth project of Birchmount Bluffs Neighbourhood Centre, whose objectives are to decrease barriers and increase access to pre-employment services.

With the support of several community partners including Service Canada and The City of Toronto, BBNC offers 4-week long, full-time Life skills and Pre-employability workshops to unemployed youth aged 15-30 years, on a monthly basis.

In the YEP program participants learn a wide range of skills, including:

• How to obtain and maintain a job
• The ins and outs of resumes and cover letters
• Interview techniques that work
• Stress management skills
• Interacting with co-workers ..... and much more!

Registration

To be eligible for the program, participants have to be:

• Unemployed
• Between 15 and 30 years
• Not in or returning to school
• Not receiving EI
• Eligible to work

The Youth Employment Project also provides:

Friendly and Helpful Staff
You have access to a trained Career and Employment Counsellor and a Lifeskills Facilitator.  We are always willing to give a helping hand in all matters that are of concern to you.

Weekly Allowance
A weekly allowance is paid to participants who attend the program.

Up-to-date Postings
We offer a variety of job postings that range from full-time to part-time, and our postings are updated weekly.

Computer Lab
Our computers are available for you to use for creating your cover letters and resumes, for using the internet for job search, and for sending or checking emails.

One-on-One Counselling
Staff are available to assist you one-on-one with employment and career counseling, goal setting, referrals etc.

Resource Materials
To assist you with your job search, we provide up-to-date resource materials on a wide range of employment-related topics.

Other Available Services For Employment Search

• Internet access
• Use of fax machine
• Access to a telephone
• Free photocopying
• A variety of different computer software

Give us a call for more information and start dates at 416-686-5849.  You can also Click here to see the current program dates, times and costs.  This file contains info for both the Youth and the Just For Kids programs.
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