YouthProject

The Youth Project

Mission Statement: To make Nova Scotia a safer, healthier, and happier place for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth through support, education, resource expansion, and community development.

Serves LGBTQ youth 25 and under. A positive centre for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender youth located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. LGBYP offers a place for youth to hang out, make friends, get resources and information, provides free counselling, youth leadership opportunities, and much more. For much more information, visit the official Web site at http://www.youthproject.ns.ca

Events are open to youth 25 and under. All events are drug- and alcohol-free; no exceptions and no tolerance. The Youth Project welcomes all youth, and is always in need of volunteers.

Contact information:

• youthproject@youthproject.ns.ca
• Location: 2281 Brunswick St, Halifax NS, B3K 2Y9
• Phone: (902) 429-5429

The Youth Project also hosts a prom/dance for youth and can often have special DragQueens guests like: BrookePrescott, LadySchapeau, AmberWayves, VeronicaFoxx, RoxburryInn, and more. To find out more details about LGBYP and their services call (902) 429-5429

2002-01-07 Bylaws of the Society, which determine how the organization is governed, meeting requirements etc. Fresh ones may always be obtained from the RJSC.

History

1990

Announcement of the first meeting on May 10, 1990 by TomParsons?.1

1993

MauraDonovan was a student in the Bachelor of Social Work program at Dalhousie about to begin her second field placement. Witnessing the widespread challenges LGBTQ2+ youth experienced, Donovan decided to see if she could start a support program for her field placement. They were at risk for everything – homelessness, suicide, not finishing high school, poverty, addictions, gay-bashing, HIV. Even pregnancy, because getting pregnant was a way to prove you weren’t gay.” said Donovan.2

January 7, 2002

First Bylaws filed. Founding Board: KathyMcKay?, SeanForeman, JohnOlding?, MichaelVernon?, NancyWright?

2005

Coordinator of Support Services PatrickDaigle

Book published: Homophobia Hurts. By LeighannWichman with contributions by SandraBornemann?, JillDavis, GregNepean, SheenaJamieson?, and YouthProject youths. Art by TimHumphries?. 113 pages. the cover and a couple pages are scanned here.

March 27, 2014

Article in The Coast, Youth Project turns 20 by SimonThibault interviewing SheenaJamieson?,

October, 2018

KateShewan? is very publicly suspended from all duties (except payroll)3 as Executive Director4 . The Youth Project said it has hired an external investigator to look at the "workplace environment and office culture. As a result of that investigation, executive director Kate Shewan has been suspended and KymSweeny? has been appointed to the position on an acting basis. The paragraph about the external investigator and Shewan’s suspension, was removed from the website a few days later.

November 24, 2018

Extraordinary General Meeting for a status update, a kind of workshop and board "appointments". Covered in WayvesMagazine article here: http://www.wayves.ca/node/357

December 10, 2018

KateShewan? returned to responsibilities as Executive Director "the group said an impartial investigation into a September, 2018 complaint of workplace harassment against Kate Shewan concluded the complaint was unfounded.

March 22, 2019

Shewan steps down as ED to become Director, Finance and Administration at Nova Scotia Barristers Society

February 15, 2020

Special General Meeting to elect a whole new Board. WayvesMagazine article here.

2023/24

Board of Directors: Michelle Munro, Rebecca Clancey, Shannon Clancey, Michelle Willow, Krys Mathers, Rachel Sparling, Mike Vickers, Craig Besaw, Marcie Casler, Ellis Pickersgill

Editorial

Someone writes: For some reason, the exlusion of older people from the Youth Project meetings makes its members averse to associating with people even three or four years older. It's pretty scary how age-ist our community's youth is.

Another Perspective from a former Youth Project member now all grown up: Some young people may be reluctant to create social networks with older people, for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons might be sweeping generalisations like the one above. Power dynamics exist between age groups that sometimes make connections difficult. Local author AnneBishop has written a great book called Becoming An Ally to address this very issue (among others). See more info at http://www.BecomingAnAlly.ca

well i'm not a youth but i do believe that they need to be with people their own age, especially when they are coming out, no body wants and old guy or gal grabing them and pulling a power trip. Unless they are into older ,in that case they are already into the bars under age.

The Youth Project is always re-vamping their programs and services to better meet the needs of all youth who access it, and have lots of involvement from adult staff, volunteers, facilitators, board members, guest speakers and more.

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