Nanaimo Youth Resilience Strategy

The Strategy outlines six focus areas to prevent youth from engaging in gun and gang violence. The six focus areas include:

• Safe Youth Gathering Spaces – safe, free youth gathering spaces within existing facilities.
• Youth Outreach – to expand youth outreach to provide basic needs.
• Connecting Youth to Land and Water through Snawaylth (Teachings) – connections to land and water to strengthen mental, emotional, spiritual, and cultural resilience.
• Youth Mentoring – connect youth at risk with diverse role models and significant, caring adults.
• Enhancing Existing Programs – improve existing programs by adding new components that fill gaps and build protective factors.
• Media & Communications – develop key messaging to highlight successful youth programs and to address discrimination and stigma against youth.

In July 2023, the City launched the Nanaimo Youth Resilience Grant application process, including a website, press release, email update to stakeholders, and an information session. 23 applications were received and scored based on five criteria. The top-scoring applications addressed the six focus areas and included opportunities for partnerships and coordination of activities.

The recipients of the Building Safer Communities funding are:

• Big Brother Big Sisters - Mindful Mentoring: Nurturing Resilience in Youth
  • A multifaceted program integrating yoga, mindfulness meditation, and cognitive therapeutic techniques.
• BGC Central Vancouver Island – Nanaimo South Youth Hub
  • Drop-in youth spaces at Fifth Street and Nanaimo Aquatic Centre providing registration-based options, navigating services, case management, and activities for the most vulnerable youth.
• Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society – Connections
  • Interactive workshops empowering youth to build a sense of belonging and create positive networks and coping strategies.
• City of Nanaimo– Parks, Recreation & Culture Youth Initiatives
  • City staff support a drop-in space with enhanced opportunities for recreational programs targeted to youth at risk.
  • Rec Prescription Video
• Nanaimo Food Share – Food for Youth
  • Providing food security, cooking, and growing educational opportunities in safe youth gathering spaces.
• Nanaimo Hornets Rugby Club – RugbyWorks
  • Incorporating mentorship and positive socialization activities by providing a visible presence in neighbourhoods, leveraging social media, and volunteerism.
• School District 68 – Uy’ Sqwalawun (Good Heart & Mind)
  • Drop-in youth spaces at Woodlands Secondary, Pleasant Valley Elementary, and Georgia Avenue Community School with opportunities to connect with local Indigenous teachings, art, recreation, music, and caring adult mentors.
  • Youth Resilience SD68 Impact Video
    
• Snuneymuxw First Nation – Youth Resiliency & Snawaylth
  • Drop-in space at Snuneymuxw Gym with socio-emotional learning opportunities, life skills, and traditional teachings.

The funds were distributed throughout three years starting October 1, 2023.

A Steering Committee composed of multi-sector representation met monthly to guide and support the implementation of the Nanaimo Youth Resilience Strategy.  

During the 2025-26 school year, three psychology students from the Community-Based Applied Interdisciplinary Research (CBAIR) course at Vancouver Island University (VIU) selected the Nanaimo Youth Resilience Strategy for their research study. Their interest was to explore how research can benefit the community by examining youth perspectives and understanding the strategy’s impact on participants.

Listening to Youth: A Look at the Nanaimo Youth Resilience Strategy, used community-based participatory research by interviewing youth and participating in the Steering Committee meetings throughout the last two quarters of the project. The outcomes of their research are included in the documents below: 

• Listening to Youth: A Look at the Nanaimo Youth Resilience Strategy Report
• Hearing From Our Youth Summary
• Listening to Youth: A Look at the Nanaimo Youth Resilience Strategy Project Poster

More about the research and outcomes are also highlighted in the following blog: VIU students explore effectiveness of community youth programs

For ways youth can get involved, please visit: Youth Engagement

For more information on each individual project and organization, please visit our Get Involved page at: Nanaimo Youth Resilience | Get Involved Nanaimo

For more information, please contact:

Social Development
socialdevelopment@nanaimo.ca
250-755-4423

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