Partner profile: Teen Resource Centre

The Teen Resource Centre and Pathways to Education team, cheering on St. Malachy’s High School graduates in 2020. Source: TRC Facebook

At any given time, the Teen Resource Centre (TRC) is serving approximately 240 young people between the ages of 13 and 24. The centre has become the go-to organization for youth services in Saint John, specializing in educational attainment and NEET youth prevention.

“It sounds complicated, but it isn’t,” says Executive Director June Breau Nason. “Youth come to the TRC because they know this is the place where they can find opportunity.”

BCAPI members served on the working group that established the original vision and service model for the TRC and was instrumental in its founding back in 2002. The BCAPI network has stayed “on speed dial” for Breau Nason ever since.

“Our organization is best known for our Drop-in program for youth aged 13-18,” says Breau Nason. “The program has a dual purpose: it is where young people in south-end Saint John can gather to connect with their peers and the community at large – and it also offers as-needed access to a suite of other services such as mental health, addictions, housing, food security, and case management.”

In 2016 the national Pathways to Education program expanded to Saint John and selected the TRC as the host organization.

“Pathways is a best-in-class tutoring, mentoring and student advocacy program that has had enormous success since its start in 2005 in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood,” says Breau Nason. “Since its start here, we have seen the graduation rate for teens attending the TRC triple.”

Working together, the Drop-in and Pathways programs are a game changer for Saint John’s youth – and more services are being added to the mix, as needs and opportunities are identified.

“Youth come to the TRC because they know this is the place where they can find opportunity.”

June Breau Nason, TRC Executive Director

In 2018, the TRC partnered with the Saint John Learning Exchange, the Human Development Council, and other organizations to deliver the federally-funded UYES! (Urban Youth Employment/Education Services) Program. Providing wrap-around services for youth aged 15-30, the program allowed young people to further their education, prepare for meaningful employment, and take part in community projects to build confidence and a sense of belonging. The TRC’s role in the project was to reduce barriers for participants, and to provide the community connection component.

“UYES gave us the opportunity to partner with other highly respected Saint John agencies, and the chance to work with an older cohort of youth,” says Breau Nason. “The program’s impressive results and extensive learnings are a foundation on which we can – and already are – building upon.”

What came next was the Integrated Youth Service (IYS) hub, a multi-province initiative jointly funded by Heath Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Indigenous Services Canada.

“The TRC was approached to serve as the Saint John host agency for the IYS hub because we already provide youth with access to mental health supports and other services,” says Breau Nason. “All we needed to do is expand to provide these supports to an older cohort.”

IYS youth are young people who might not be engaged in community, education or employment.

“It is widely understood that if young people are engaged, they are more open to interventions designed for skill development and confidence building,” says Breau Nason. “This is core to our service offering here at the TRC, making IYS a good fit for us.”

As young people age-out of the Drop-in program, which serves those aged 12-16, they can now transfer over to the IYS hub, which serves those aged 15-25. Young people attending programs at the Learning Exchange can also make use of the services available at the hub.

“Our kids have forced us to always strive to be better at what we do,” says Breau Nason. “To meet their needs we have upped our game with strategic partnerships that have created a powerful service network in Saint John. Honestly that’s what fuels me when I look outside my window, because it’s not great out there. We are needed, and we must rise to the occasion – because we have incredible opportunities for success, right here in Saint John.”