Stepping Up: A Strategic Framework to Help Ontario’s Youth Succeed, released Tuesday, provides a list of concrete outcomes that will aid policy development for 18 government ministries that serve youth."Concrete outcomes", huh? That sounds great. Where can we get a peek at these allegedly solid solutions?
Let's ask the impressively titled Lekan Olawoye, chair of the Ontario Premier's Council on Youth Opportunities and executive director of For Youth Initiative.
"It boils down to supporting a young person so that the drive to take risks is channeled into things like falling off a skateboard or moving to South Korea — not picking up a gun."Say what? Our new policy is to offer "support" for skateboarding?
I have to say I was expecting something a little meatier from a guy who has a Masters Degree in social work. Are you really telling us the west end Bloods & Crips are trading in their Saturday Night Specials for skateboards & frequent flyer miles?
C'mon, Lekan... give us something we can get behind. Give us details.
“I’ve called mothers, and supported mothers, to bury their children. That stuff is not OK.”Wait a minute. You've supported mothers... to bury their children? What does that even mean?
So, anyway... we've got that "support" thing and skateboards & South Korea. Please tell me this guy is volunteering his time... 'cos I'm not seeing any valuable insight here.
**********
RELATED: If you build it...
...social workers will come...
According to York South-Weston MPP Laura Albanese, the 2013 Ontario budget is proposing that $295 million over two years be used to push entrepreneurship and innovation and to link about 30,000 youth to jobs and mentorship opportunities, like those offered at FYI.Amazing.