What is YES?
Youth Engagement Scarborough (YES) is an exciting new grant program designed to empower youth to lead dynamic, community-driven arts projects in Scarborough! Through this program, you'll receive funding to cover project costs, one-on-one mentorship from a working artist, and hands-on project management training. If you're a passionate young leader eager to inspire and connect with your community through art, this is your chance!
Whether you've been creating for years or are just starting your journey, we want to support you. If you have a digital media piece or a creative idea you've been dreaming about, this program will give you the funding and mentorship to bring it to life—all while collaborating with and engaging other youth.
The program will culminate in an exciting YES Showcase, where you’ll have the opportunity to share your project with an audience in a way that is meaningful to you and your community.
Ready to turn your ideas into reality? Join us and make your mark!
Applications will be open later this year for our next cohort. In the meantime, see below for participant call-outs for projects by current YES project leaders!
The Mental Mixtape: Borderlines & Basslines
We're seeking Black Scarborough youth (ages 15-29) to submit original poetry, prose, or lyric essays (max 1500 words) exploring the intersections of music, migration, memory, and mental health. We want stories about how music shaped your identity, reflections on crossing borders and finding rhythm, and narratives exploring sound as survival and healing. Selected writers will receive an honorarium, publication in a digital + limited-edition print anthology, and participation in two free creative workshops focused on editing and craft.
Contact Information: Chidera Udochukwu-Nduka, Project Facilitator Email: chidera.creative@gmail.com Submission Deadline: February 16, 2026. Instagram callout can be found here.
The Unspoken Black Girl
Seeking health professionals with experience supporting Black girls and women navigating eating disorders, as well as writers interested in collaborating on a powerful, character-driven story. Contributors will help ensure the portrayal of mental health, body image, and cultural pressures is authentic and responsible. additionally any Black girls that have experience with having an eating disorder. Writers should be passionate about telling nuanced stories about Black girlhood, identity, and healing. This project aims to center truth, vulnerability, and resilience.
Contact Information: Shadé Ogbogu. Email: shadereogbogu@gmail.com
YES is funded in part by Canada Service Corps, a national movement that empowers youth aged 12–30 to gain experience and build important skills while giving back to their community. Learn more at Canada.ca/CanadaServiceCorps