Who Are We?

NewYouth.ca launched in November 2009 and is a project of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI). This website is an information and referral website for newcomer (immigrant and refugee) youth across Ontario, Canada. The project is funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

The website is a place for young newcomers to find reliable information and services to access. You can read articles or watch informative videos on newcomer youth-related issues, find services and programs near where you live, and find newcomer youth-related events to attend. You can also comment and ask questions about specific topics, which will be responded to by the OCASI youth website team.

The site offers a variety of resources for youth living in Ontario’s multicultural communities. There is information on a variety of topics, such as making the transition fro m school to work, finding and keeping a job, and locating affordable healthcare services and finding language classes, as well as sharing strategies on how to lead a balanced, healthy, and exciting lifestyle.

We have been continuously asking newcomer youth across Ontario what kind of information they would like to see on the site. The results are the 6 major categories on the website - Daily Life, School, Law, Work, Health and Immigration. These categories have been flagged by newcomer youth as the most important issues relevant to their settlement needs. If you have any suggestions for the site, feel free to message us at youarehere@ocasi.org

We are also making a strong effort to make the language and information we provide anti-oppressive and inclusive, while being accurate and reliable. We are also very committed to using clear and simple language, and provide multi-lingual resources whenever possible.

Have questions about the website?

We can be reached at jsahak@ocasi.org

 Our Wonderful Writers!

	Anna Humphrey is a freelance writer and editor who works with youth- and family-serving organizations. She also writes fiction for teens and is the author of Rhymes With Cupid (HarperTeen, 2010) and Mission (Un)Popular (Disney-Hyperion Books for Children, 2011). She lives in Toronto with her two small children, two big fat cats and one medium-sized husband. Check out her site.
	Adebe DeRango-Adem is a writer, recent MA graduate, youth worker, espresso drinker, and Culture Editor of Race-Talk.org, a blog dedicated to writing on race politics and pop culture. She has served as a former research intern at the Applied Research Center, a racial justice think tank in New York City, where she conducted studies and wrote on the intersecting issues of race, culture, and immigration in Canada and the United States. Toronto's first Junior Poet Laureate, Adebe is also the author of ex nihilo (Frontenac House, 2010), her debut poetry collection that was recently longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, the world’s largest prize for writers under 30.
	Madeline Cheng Madeline is a graduate of York University’s sociology program, taking a special interest in the areas of crime and poverty. Her passion in social justice has led her to become actively involved with various social organizations and advocacy groups. She enjoys swimming, photography, learning different languages, and reading.
	Adriann Moss is a graduate from Ryerson University’s Masters in Immigration and Settlement Studies program. During that time, she was able to draw on her interests on subjects related to newcomer youth settlement and strategies for inclusion, focusing on using arts-based methods, such as the urban arts. She recently came back from a hectic and amazing work experience as an Refugee Status Determination Officer with the UNHCR in Delhi, India. There, she met the most wonderful and courageous individuals who have, undoubtedly, shaped her views and discourses on issues related to justice and human rights. Along with her itchy travelling feet (which have taken her to many exciting places around the world), she has a very large soft spot for 80’s throwback synth pop. Watch out on the dance floor!
	Ursula is a graduate of Concordia University's Journalism and Political Science programs and has lived in Japan, the United States and Canada. She has worked for various not for profit and advocacy organizations and is particularly involved in environmental and animal protection. Ursula enjoys reading, writing, travelling and celebrity gossip.
	Alyssa is an Afro-Caribbean Canadian queer independent writer, editor and radio commentator. She is currently doing her Master's at Cornell University in Africana Studies (Black Studies). She loves traveling and meeting interesting people, running, reading interesting novels and books of poetry, and dancing.
	Rossana is born and raised in Toronto, she is an avid coffee drinker, bike rider, and chicken-wings enthusiast. In addition to contributing to the OCASI youth website, she also works as an international programming administrative coordinator at Free the Children. Rosanna graduated from McGill University with a degree in International Development Studies.
	May is currently a student at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. She is one of the Toronto City Summit Alliance's DiverseCity Fellows for 2008-2009. She is also a member of the Grant Review Team for ArtReach Toronto, a youth arts funding organization. In her spare time, May enjoys parks, video games and reading.
	Lorenzo is currently completing his BA Honours at York University in International Development Studies. He has been living in Toronto for about five years. He is orginally from Colombia.

Aisha studied Political Science and English Literature. She's interested in social justice work, the impact of globalization, and migration and settlement. She is a Youth Settlement Counsellor at Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services. She also has a Master of Social Work, and is a Reg