What SEDI can offer organizations across Canada

1. Training of Trainers in the SEDI Youth Series  

2. Community Strategic Planning

3. Organizational Training – Connecting Organizational Capacity with Service to Youth with Barriers

4. Teacher Training

5. Program Design for Youth with Barriers (entrepreneurship, mentoring, financial capability)

6. Youth Video Production / Workshop Development

7. Conference Presentations for youth with barriers to become self-sufficient

Serving Youth

SEDI has established itself as a strong national charitable organization committed to alleviating poverty in Canada.   Our unique structure as a non-direct delivery agency allows us to specialize in creating innovative educational programs in the areas of self-employment, financial capability, and asset building.   We create the programs – then youth-serving organizations do the delivery.   This structure allows organizations to work with the local youth in a way that is best for them, while also utilizing the programs we designed and specialized.   Ultimately, SEDI helps community groups maximize their delivery performance of training youth in their area on financial capability, asset-building, and entrepreneurial awareness.  

The other aspect of SEDI's youth series that makes us stand out from the crowd is that we are here to help people for the long run.   We don't offer financial panaceas or miracle growths – but we do offer the tools young people need to understand the ‘daunting' world of finances, their employment options, and financial management strategies.   The old adage goes that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day.   If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.   At SEDI, we are hoping to provide youth with a lifetime of knowledge so they aren't dependent on aid or government services, but instead are autonomous and empowered in their own financial decisions and future, with a strong stake in the Canadian economy.   Our work is designed to have long-term results in individual's lives because education and proper financial management are assets that last a lifetime.  

Our ultimate goal through our youth work is to influence federal policy to include greater promotion for financial capability and asset building as important tools to escaping poverty.   So far we have been successful.   SEDI has already created a template that is being used federally for youth entrepreneurship.   By influencing public policy we effect positive social and economic change.   Through our growing credibility in the work we do, we have compelled government agencies throughout Canada to adopt our strategies.   Our work at SEDI is driven by the big goals that we have for Canadian youth.  

If you work with an organization and are interested in learning about what SEDI can do for you, contact Casey at ccosgrove@sedi.org.

The current youth projects we are working on include:

Youth Ink. – Creating Entrepreneurial Awareness in Ontario

Through a variety of stakeholders and delivery mediums, Youth Ink. is designed to create entrepreneurial awareness in Ontario.   Youth Ink. activities include community forums, training of trainers, and direct delivery programs to youth.   Our community forums are organized, marketed, and co-facilitated by a local group that has an interest in youth entrepreneurship.  

‘Youth Ink.' is a two-year project that encompasses 14 communities. This project will bring together multiple stakeholders to organize community forums on the topic of youth entrepreneurship.   We anticipate the involvement of 150 community organization staff to be involved in building the capacity to deliver an entrepreneurship awareness experience to the youth they serve in their community.   Ultimately, 1500 young people in Ontario will be given the opportunity to further explore entrepreneurship as a career option.   The initial Youth Ink. community forum and training of trainers are facilitated by SEDI.   SEDI will also oversee all local youth work delivered by local community organizations and schools on an ongoing basis once the project is in place.  

CIBC Project

The CIBC project is a three-year initiative between SEDI and CIBC that train youth serving organizations to build capacity to deliver financial literacy programs for youth with barriers in the GTA and several other communities across Canada. This project includes:

•  The creation of a financial literacy series by SEDI that is designed for delivery to youth, more specifically to youth in communities that are most at-risk of not achieving economic self-sufficiency.

•  The design and printing of a facilitators guide for use by facilitators on an ongoing basis.

•  The training of staff at 100 youth serving organizations to deliver financial literacy tools to youth in their community

•  The delivery of at least 5 train-the-trainer sessions in communities outside the GTA.  

•  Providing ongoing support and follow-up with trained facilitators over the three-year project period.  

Ontario Works – LEAP Project

LEAP is part of an Ontario Works Employment Assistance strategy.   The ultimate aim of the project is to respect people's dignity; enhance self-esteem; and foster independence, self-reliance, community contribution and participation.   LEAP focuses on parents between the ages of 16 and 21 and encourages them to complete high school because for young parents, completion of high school is an essential first step to achieving economic self-sufficiency.   LEAP also aims to positively impact children's growth and development, by improving parenting skills and at the same time supporting the provision of flexible child care while the parent is in school.

Financial Capability for Youth Project

Funded by the Ontario Trillium foundation, the Financial Capability Project is a three-year program that aims to provide financial capability training and resources to 110 youth-serving organizations.  The ultimate goal of the project is to alleviate poverty and youth debt in Canada through financial capability.   As part of the Financial Capability Project, SEDI will work to enhance the skills of youth-serving community organizations so they can teach financial capability to their at-risk youth clients.