Focus on Youth (FOY) is a ministry‑supported program delivered by the Lambton Kent District School Board, with support from local non-profit community organizations. The program provides paid employment and leadership development opportunities for secondary students while supporting their growth as confident, capable, and engaged learners.

The program is designed to support students who may benefit most from additional opportunities for job readiness, mentorship, and workplace experience. Using a strength-based approach, students are identified and nominated through school and board-level teams based on their interests, abilities, and potential for growth.

The program is designed as a supportive pathway from preparation to real-world experience:

Job Readiness Training

Builds essential employment skills, including resumes, interviews, communication, and professionalism.

Paid Work Experience

Provides structured, hands-on learning that builds confidence, responsibility, and transferable skills.

Mentorship & Support

Students are supported by caring adults and community partners who guide their growth and development.

Leadership Development

Encourages student voice, agency, and responsibility through real-world roles and reflective learning.

Board priority: Safe, caring, and inclusive learning environments that support student well‑being.

Focus on Youth supports student well‑being by fostering meaningful relationships, leadership development, and a sense of belonging through paid, supported employment and intentional learning experiences.

FOY program alignment

• Focus on Youth is a protective, strengths‑based program that builds confidence, belonging, and positive identity.

• Paid employment provides structure, responsibility, and purpose.

• Job‑readiness workshops explicitly address mental health and well‑being strategies, helping students manage stress, build resilience, and navigate workplace expectations.

• Mentorship and supportive adult relationships reinforce connection and engagement.

Board priority: Removing systemic barriers and advancing equity for students most affected by disadvantage.

Focus on Youth prioritizes equitable access to employment and leadership development, recognizing students’ strengths, potential, and lived experiences as essential to their growth and future success.

FOY program alignment

• Students are nominated through school‑ and board‑level teams using a holistic, strengths‑based lens.

• The program prioritizes access for students who may have had fewer opportunities to participate in employment or leadership experiences.

• Lived experiences, identities, and perspectives are recognized as strengths that contribute to leadership and learning.

• Nomination processes are confidential, equitable, and non‑stigmatizing.

Board priority: Amplifying student voice and leadership in meaningful, authentic ways.

Through Focus on Youth, students engage in authentic leadership and workplace learning that builds voice, responsibility, and confidence.

FOY program alignment

• Students take on real workplace roles with meaningful responsibility.

• Leadership development is embedded through training, mentorship, and experiential learning.

• Students are supported to reflect on their learning, growth, and future goals.

• The program emphasizes agency, accountability, and personal development.

Board priority: Preparing students for post‑secondary pathways, work, and civic life.

Focus on Youth builds transferable employment and leadership skills that support future success in school, work, and community life.

FOY program alignment

• Job‑readiness workshops build concrete skills such as resumes, interviewing, communication, and professional behaviour.

• Students gain transferable skills that support engagement and success beyond the program.

• Employment experience strengthens confidence and readiness to re‑engage with school and future planning.

• Learning is framed within a whole‑child approach that connects achievement, well‑being, and future pathways.

Board priority: Schools as community hubs supported by meaningful partnerships.

Focus on Youth is delivered through strong partnerships between school boards and community organizations, creating meaningful employment opportunities that support student growth.

FOY program alignment

• The program operates through a tripartite partnership:

  • Ministry funding

  • School board leadership and coordination

  • Local not‑for‑profit community organizations

• Partnerships provide employment placements, mentorship, and real‑world learning contexts.

• Collaboration reflects shared responsibility for student success and well‑being

Board priority: Promoting positive behaviour, mentorship, and inclusive environments.

By supporting students as employee‑learners and emerging leaders, Focus on Youth promotes positive, inclusive school climates rooted in respect and responsibility.

FOY program alignment

• Students build professional skills, responsibility, and self‑regulation.

• Positive adult mentorship supports social‑emotional development.

• Leadership and employment experiences reinforce respect, accountability, and inclusion.

• Program experiences contribute to stronger engagement and positive connections with school.

Board priority: Clear communication with students, families, and communities.

FOY program alignment

• Nomination processes through school‑ and board‑level teams

• Transparent program expectations and learning components

• Plain‑language communication for students and families

• Alignment with board strategic priorities and student success goals

• Open to secondary students identified through school-based nomination

• Designed to support students who would benefit from additional opportunities in employment and leadership development

• Participation includes both workshop attendance and summer employment placement

Focus on Youth is designed to be clear, accessible, and easy to understand for students, families, and communities. Students are nominated through school‑ and board‑level processes, and program expectations, learning opportunities, and supports are communicated in straightforward, plain language. This ensures students and families understand how the program works and how it supports student growth, while clearly aligning with board priorities for student achievement, well‑being, and future success.