“The MINA Project”
2023 – 2026
The MINA Project challenges career and employment inequities and systemic barriers faced by racialized and low-income youth in the Greater Toronto Area through programs that provide career exploration, mentorship, career coaching, employability skills training, and individual personal learning.
Programming includes a hybrid model of in-person and virtual:
1. Customized career-related workshops
2. Field trips
3. Experiential learning opportunities
4. Soft skills development
5. Access to meaningful practical work experience
The MINA Project was developed based on findings from the Toronto Foundation Fallout Report, which found that the youth unemployment rate tripled to its highest level ever for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) youth. Additionally, the programs align with Ontario’s post COVID 2022-23 Catch Up Plan, which aims to help students catch up on learning, prepare for future jobs, and support their physical and mental health. The programs also expose students to different career paths and experiences, particularly in STEM industries, which align with the recommendations outlined in Canada’s first national State of Youth Report 2021.
As a result of funding:
- Expanded from serving a relatively small cohort of students to engaging more than 1,800 youth over five years, including 694 students in 2025/2026 alone, while maintaining consistently high participant satisfaction and measurable improvements in career readiness, confidence, industry knowledge, and professional skills.
- Reduced barriers to career exploration by connecting students with authentic professional experiences, mentors, employers, universities, and supportive peer networks. Students not only developed practical skills, but also reported increased confidence, expanded career aspirations, stronger professional identities, and greater belief that they belonged in spaces they previously viewed as inaccessible. Notable improvements include a +45% increase in understanding of industry knowledge, +80% in networking ability, and +52% in interview skills. Many participants credited the program with influencing university admissions, scholarships, internships, and career decisions.
- Transitioned successfully to an independent registered nonprofit and have applied for charitable status, expanded our partnerships across education, industry, healthcare, and community sectors, and established sustainable systems that will allow us to continue increasing access to experiential learning opportunities for equity-deserving youth.
A few key insights from this work:
- A key strength is our collaborative approach. Our programming is co-developed with educators, industry professionals, volunteers, alumni, and students themselves. This allows us to remain flexible, responsive, and relevant while continuously improving based on participant feedback.
- Our focus on relationships has become a defining strength. Students often remain connected long after programming ends, returning as volunteers, mentors, or members of our NextGEN Council. This growing community creates a sustainable cycle of mentorship and leadership that extends our impact well beyond individual workshops or events.
Advice for others
- Deeper mentorship and longer-term engagement require additional staff time and resources to coordinate effectively.
- Engage young people as partners in program design and continually seek their feedback throughout the program, not just at the end. Their perspectives will help ensure programming remains relevant and meaningful.
- Invest in partnerships rather than trying to build everything independently. Schools, employers, post-secondary institutions, and community organizations each bring unique expertise and resources. Working collaboratively creates richer experiences for participants while reducing duplication across the sector.
- Recognize that trust and relationships are just as important as program content. Providing safe, welcoming environments where young people feel seen, heard, and valued often has as much impact as the technical skills they develop.
About The MINA Project
The MINA Project challenges inequalities and systemic barriers faced by underserved and racialized youth in the Greater Toronto Area. We do this by providing access to career-related experiential learning, soft skills development, and access to summer internships. Our students have gone on to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship funding and intern at some of the top firms in Canada.
At The MINA Project, we hope to break systemic barriers in education and work. After doing our own research, we carefully built programs that bridge the skills, opportunities and network gaps for underserved students.