.png)
What if all young people saw themselves as changemakers?
Build students' sense of identity, belonging and agency
The You(th) Explore program offers educators 50+ hours of learning resources aligned with Canadian curricular standards that are appropriate for middle and high-school students. Our resources are both tactile and digital in order to meet the needs of diverse learners. Most importantly, they are designed to be culturally-sustaining and locally-relevant*.
*Learn more about our approach to program design at this link.
Student-facing
program components
.png)
Program
workbooks
Physical workbooks with activities that activate students' creativity, critical thinking and sense of empathy.
Video
lessons
Video library with activities guided by UpstartED's team and with a curated list of concept-specific videos.
Tactile
materials
Analog tools (pens, post-its and other materials) to prototype ideas and build out solutions.
The program tackles three key questions:
Who am I? What impact do I want to make? How do I begin making an impact?
-
What are my values and where do they come from?
-
Who are my ancestors and what are their stories?
-
What are my limiting self-beliefs and how do I overcome them?
-
How do languages, cultures, customs and the land shape who I am?
-
How do I manage my emotions?
In Module 1, students reflect on...
-
What is the history of my community? What stories are being told about it?
-
What social, environmental and economic challenges face my community? Do they resonate with my values and interests?
-
How can I act as a changemaker?
In Module 2, students reflect on...
-
What are the root causes of the challenges in my community?
-
Who is affected by these challenges and how?
-
How do I build a solution that is inclusive, sustainable and ethical?
In Module 3, students reflect on...
Our educators receive all the necessary resources and support to implement You(th) Explore inside their classrooms
You(th) Explore has been designed as a tool that educators can use to enhance their curricula and/or existing programs. Rather than being 'just another add-on', the You(th) Explore program content and outcomes align with curricular standards across Canada. In addition to accessing all the necessary resources and support to implement the program, participating educators receive a toolkit with prompts for self-reflection to promote their own personal growth.
Empowering Educators
We love helping our educators succeed. All our educators access the following:
Dedicated advisor to help with launching, implementing and measuring the impact of the program.
Program Success
Advisor
Curriculum-Aligned
Lesson Plans &
Assessments
Lesson plans and assessments that offer adaptations and modifications for diverse learning needs.
Data & Insights:
Program & Classroom Outcomes
An impact report with quantitative and qualitative insights into student outcomes and classroom culture.
Pan-Canadian
Community of Practice
A community of practice bringing together like-minded educators across Canada to share ideas.
.png)
Hear from...
Andrew Laviolette
.png)
Career Teacher (Grades 7, 8) from
Robert Service School in
Dawson, Yukon
The content that I went through with my students was not only aligned with what is required of me to teach, but it also allowed them to spend time with important life concepts. It was great to help students move towards their best selves and I learned alongside them since this was also new to me!
The You(th) Explore program enriched me as a person
and teacher.
Discover projects led by young changemakers who participate
in our programs
What better way to inspire other students to see themselves as changemakers than by showing them the work being done by others their age? Take a look at what projects students are working on thanks to UpstartED's programs.