Hooked on School Days from February 14 to 18 - Centraide launches the Projet Réussite Jeunesse to reach and help youth in difficulty

MONTREAL, Feb. 15, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - To mark the 19th edition of the Hooked on School Days, the Centraides of Quebec are launching the Projet Réussite Jeunesse with the support of the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation. This project will fund community actions that keep students motivated to stay in school and help youths in difficulty build their self-esteem.

This initiative steered by Centraide will provide over $550,000 to community agencies and projects across the province starting this year. The funding will go to community outreach, homework assistance, educational activities, and workshops to help young people feel connected and to reduce their stress.

Increased youth need due to the pandemic and a lack of human and financial resources in the community gave rise to this new project, which aims to help agencies provide more support for students who are experiencing learning problems, who are coping with mental health issues, or who have left school. They will also be able to partner with all stakeholders involved in student success and well-being.

Another goal of the project is to reach out to vulnerable youths, particularly through financial assistance. The school dropout rate is twice as high in Quebec's disadvantaged communities. In some neighbourhoods, nearly 40% of young people leave high school without a diploma.

COVID-19 has hit teens hard and triggered psychological distress particularly in students in Secondary Cycle Two. According to one survey, 45% of youths in this age group report moderate to severe anxiety symptoms. What's more, students with existing vulnerability factors are less able to adapt to the academic demands of the pandemic.

"School closures have disrupted the lives of students, who have had to deal with long periods of isolation and loneliness. These changes have negatively impacted their learning and mental health. The Projet Réussite Jeunesse will continue to let us reinforce how agencies can respond to current and emerging needs," said Claude Pinard, President and Executive Director of Centraide of Greater Montreal.

"The initiative launched today, which we want to deploy for many years, is a continuation of our partnership with the Centraides of Quebec to help isolated and marginalized youths through their 2020 Emergency Fund. Our support aims to allow agencies to maintain, reinforce or develop projects and partnerships that will alleviate the effects of the pandemic, reduce inequalities, and help young people develop their full potential," said Patricia Rossi, Vice-President, Partnerships at the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation.

About Centraide

In Quebec, 11 Centraides raise and invest money in their territories to act effectively on poverty and social exclusion. They support approximately 1,500 community agencies and projects that help and bring comfort to over one million vulnerable people in the province. Quebec's Centraides are also members of United Way Centraide Canada, which includes 77 Centraides and United Ways across the country.

About the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation

The Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation's mission is to prevent poverty by helping to create conditions that will enable all young people living in Québec to develop their full potential. To fulfill this mission, it provides long-term support for organizations and networks that are working together to improve their capacity to develop sustainable initiatives aimed at advancing those conditions.

SOURCE Centraide of Greater Montreal

Annick Gagnon, Public Relations Advisor, Centraide of Greater Montreal, 514-288-1261, [email protected], centraide-mtl.org