Youth Helping Youth: Encouraging Initiative
By Alexandra Ileto
In a world full of endless possibilities, young people often find themselves scavenging for opportunities to find their true passions and their callings for change. Nowadays, there are an abundance of opportunities to develop personally and career-wise; however, not all young people have the privilege and resources to discover and pursue these opportunities. An intelligent solution to this unjust reality needed to be found.
🚀 Humble Beginnings
Circa early 2019, Anjali Dhaliwal, a high schooler from Surrey, B.C., recognized this unfair gap between teens and opportunities. With a philanthropic heart and an entrepreneurial spirit, Dhaliwal founded Youth Helping Youth (YHY), a non-profit organization aimed at bridging this gap. Alongside a small group of bright high school students from B.C.’s Lower Mainland, Dhaliwal worked with her team to build the organization from the ground up. The student-led organization strives to create an accessible space where every person feels motivated to take initiative in their lives and embrace personal development. The key to a prosperous future generation is equitable access—opportunities for all changemakers. YHY helps by equipping youth with tools for success. By supporting young people world-wide, YHY hopes to inspire them to make positive, meaningful impacts in their communities through their endeavours.
🌟 Spreading the Word
YHY started with an Instagram account (@youthelpingyouth). The concept was simple—people with opportunities would send a DM to the YHY team, and it would be shared on the YHY account. This first step towards bridging the gap proved to be a success. The account now receives 70,000+ impressions and 14,000+ story views on a weekly basis from their following of 6,000+ followers.
Since the creation of the Instagram account, YHY has expanded their reach through a variety of mediums. Blog posts, a Discord community, and inspiring events such as mentorship programs all contribute to their goal of encouraging initiative. Recently, YHY’s blog posts have provided teens with valuable advice regarding productivity, networking, student life, and so much more. Additionally, the YHY Discord server has developed a community of changemakers. There, they can spread their word about their own opportunities. The Discord also serves as a safe space for like-minded people to connect, chat with, and inspire each other. During the pandemic, YHY viewed the transition to an online space as an opportunity to further their reach by hosting free online events accessible to all. Last October, they hosted their annual post-secondary panel where panellists motivated participants by providing insight on university life and the wide array of areas of study. Through these events, 2,400+ young people have grown the confidence to make positive change.
🌱 Growth
What started as a humble team of less than 10 high school students has now grown into an astounding organization composed of 100+ members in high school and post-secondary institutions. Currently, their team spans across seven chapters based in Canada and the U.S., respectively. Since 2019, YHY has achieved a global reach with their amassed Instagram following of 21,000+ changemakers. In addition to connecting teens with opportunities, YHY was able to work on humanitarian projects such as working alongside partners to provide 30,000+ masks to workers in senior care homes and raising $10,000+ to support local, philanthropic causes. By empowering young changemakers to take initiative, Youth Helping Youth has successfully created positive impacts in communities around the world and continues to do so. Join a community of changemakers today by connecting with Youth Helping Youth!
🔗 Stay Connected
FB: facebook.com/youthelpingyouth
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/youth-helping-youth
Discord: discord.gg/EMQCGZSM
Carrd: youthelpingyouth.carrd.co
Medium: youthelpingyouth.medium.com