Our Work

Education, Employment, Empowerment Diagram

OUR VISION IS A BETTER WORLD FOR YOUTH

A better world tomorrow begins with the opportunities youth have today. We partner with a diverse network to support solutions for greater youth inclusion. We remove barriers to education and employment. We provide space for youth to become empowered leaders.

We believe that with the right opportunities and support, youth can create a better world for themselves.

LEARN

Education is the key to unlocking a brighter future. Education fosters greater awareness, knowledge, and skills. It also opens doors and creates new opportunities. We work with students, parents, teachers, institutions, and governments to improve education quality. We also improve access for all youth, regardless of background or circumstances. From primary schools to PhDs, we are helping youth fulfill their educational dreams.

WORK

Young people have the potential to transform the economy. Their entrepreneurial ideas and ambitions are changing the way we do business. They are helping to make it cleaner, greener, and more responsible. We work with youth, the private sector, institutions, and governments to equip young people with the skills and opportunities they need to succeed. Together, we can make economies more inclusive for all.

LEAD

We want to inspire the next generation to be confident, engaged, and empowered leaders. Around the world, youth are already demonstrating a new kind of leadership. We work with students on Canadian campuses and youth overseas to continue to foster greater civic engagement. We provide opportunities for leadership, exchange, and life skills development. We invest in youth today for a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable tomorrow.

Who We Support

Youth gain hands-on training during a motorcycle mechanics course in Sri Lanka.

Youth

There are more than 1.8 billion youth in the world today. They want to build a better future for themselves, their families, and their countries. Yet they face incredible obstacles to realizing their potential.

Globally, 263 million children and youth are out of school. An estimated 24% of these out-of-school children and youth live in conflict-affected countries. Nearly 43% of the global youth labour force are either unemployed or working yet living in poverty.

Youth want to make meaningful contributions to the world around them. Yet their contributions are overlooked as they face marginalization and exclusion within their societies.

We focus on ensuring they have access to quality education. We help them secure fair and fulfilling employment. And we encourage them to show leadership in the reduction of poverty and inequality.

A young woman shares her experience working with Uniterra to promote gender equality in Tarapoto, Peru

Young Women

Young women confront persistent gender stereotypes, an unfair share of family obligations, discriminatory laws and practices, and pervasive gender-based violence. They have inequitable access to resources and opportunities that begins in childhood and continues into adulthood.

Globally, many more women than men are unable to read or write. They earn, on average, 24% less than men. Not only is this an unjust reality, but it limits the full social, political, and economic participation of women locally and globally.

At the same time, young women are demonstrating their capacity to overcome the barriers they face. They are showing leadership within their homes, workplaces, and communities.

Across our programming, we take a gender-inclusive approach. We address the specific needs and leverage the contributions of women, with a focus on young women.

A WUSC staff member welcomes a young student to Canada through the Student Refugee Program

Young Refugees

Refugees are often abruptly forced to put their lives on hold as they leave careers, school, friends, and family for greater safety and security. Others are born into their refugee status, growing up in refugee camps and contexts.

For the 51% of refugees under the age of 18, countries of asylum are unable to meet their educational needs. This has resulted in millions of out-of-school refugee youth. Refugees are often unable to legally work in their country of asylum. This leaves them with few opportunities to earn an income.

Education can empower young refugees to build a brighter future for themselves and their families. Education provides young refugees with the knowledge and skills to make positive contributions in their country of asylum. It can also facilitate better integration in a resettlement country. Education is also key to helping youth one day rebuild their country of origin.

We focus on closing the education gap for young refugees, particularly young girls. We also work with postsecondary institutions to create pathways to resettlement in Canada through the Student Refugee Program.

A group of students from Botswana, studying in Canada, pose for a photo.

Other Marginalized People

People face marginalization for many other reasons beyond age, gender, and refugee status. These include race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, and geographic location. This further excludes them from economic opportunities and social networks of support.

We take an inclusive approach that expands our reach to some of the most marginalized. We invest in the capacities and capabilities of all marginalized people through education, employment, and empowerment opportunities that reflect our commitment to leaving no one behind.

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Where We Work

WUSC works in over 25 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas

Our Approach

Our goal is to create inclusive, sustained, and positive impact at scale for all youth.

SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS

We seek to improve the socio-economic conditions of youth and their families. We remove barriers that prevent youth from accessing quality education. We improve their access to skills-training and employment-related services. We build confidence and nurture leadership among our youth network.

STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS

Everyone has a role to play in global development. We convene and mobilize diverse stakeholders across sectors to create positive change. Together, we develop comprehensive solutions to pressing global problems. We seek to ensure greater inclusivity and sustainability of partnerships and initiatives.

IMPROVE SYSTEMS

We seek to increase the scale and impact of our efforts. To do so, we focus our efforts on creating lasting changes at the systems-level. We work with national and international institutions and networks. Together, we influence, enhance, and implement policies that improve lives. We remove barriers between actors to improve effectiveness and extend benefits to all.