AYA is a program that aims to support all youth associated with the child welfare system across Ontario by providing a series of virtual workshops that address a range of educational barriers faced by youth. These workshops occur during the fall, winter and spring – culminating in an in-person summer engagement event at York University.
On this page:
Aya, is a type of fern and a Ghanian symbol of resilience, strength, resourcefulness and resistance to oppression because of its ability to grow in difficult places.
Hear from Our Founder Daniel Kikulwe
I believe that every individual has the right to access quality education. The AYA Youth Program encourages young people to pursue post-secondary education. The path and pursuit of higher education can be challenging, and it’s a journey no one should have to take alone. We are committed to walking alongside youth—providing guidance and encouragement every step of the way.
— Daniel Kikulwe
About the AYA Program
Goals & Benefits
The program helps high school students with child welfare involvement to build their confidence through social interaction and fun activities within a post-secondary environment. Students learn skills like time management and problem solving to help them thrive academically.
As well as helping high school students, the program lets LA&PS student volunteers plan, coordinate and deliver youth programming and mentorship.
Program History
AYA began as a pilot summer online project in 2021. The Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) partnered with York Children’s Aid Society to support eligible youth aged 14 to 16 to participate in the Black Youth mentorship program. This pilot program was organized by Dr. Daniel Kikulwe, Dr. Andrea Davis, Dr. Michele Johnson and Dr. Uzo Anucha, with the support of Aysha Campbell from the Department of Sociology at York University.
The program started to be offered as a one-day in-person summer fun-filled event, which ran in 2022 and 2024.
With the support of LA&PS Student Success and Access team and volunteer students, AYA has expanded and now offers interactive sessions during Fall and Winter semesters.
Current York Student Supports
AYA has two main groups it supports: 1) youth in high school; 2) students at York with a current/previous child welfare connection.
For current York students, our program offers the following supports:
- 1-1 case management support with a student-centric holistic approach
- Service navigation/York resource guides
- Opportunities to get involved with the AYA Program community youth services as mentors or session facilitators
- Collaboration with community care partners for wraparound services
Fall/Winter 2025-26 Agencies Engaged
- Children’s Aid Society of York Region
- Children’s Aid Society of Durham Region
- Children’s Aid Society of London
- Children’s Aid Society of Toronto
- For Youth Initiative
- Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada
- York-Durham Ontario Education Championship Team (OECT)
Workshops
The list of workshops below give you an idea of what can be offered. Please note that all of our sessions are done virtually. If you are interested in having us facilitate one or more for youth that your organization serves, please email Naylen Langin at nayleng@yorku.ca.
| Session Name (2025-26 Workshop Series) | Date & Time |
|---|---|
| York Region CAS: Advocating for your Mental Health in a School Setting | Tuesday, September 23 at 6:30 p.m. |
| Durham Children's Aid Society: Mental Health and Social Media | Wednesday, September 24 at 5 p.m. |
| Durham Children's Aid Society: Debunking Mental Health Myths from TikTok | Tuesday, October 7 at 6 p.m. |
| Durham Children's Aid Society: Advocating for your Mental Health in a School Setting | Wednesday, October 22 at 5 p.m. |
| For Youth Initiative: Mental Health and Social Media | Thursday, October 23 at 4:30 p.m. |
| Durham Children's Aid Society: Time Management | Tuesday, November 4 at 6 p.m. |
| For Youth Initiative: Managing Social Anxiety for School Success | Thursday, November 6 at 4:30 p.m. |
| York Region CAS: Managing Stress and Exam Prep | Tuesday, November 18 at 6:30 p.m. |
| Durham Children's Aid Society: Managing Social Anxiety for School Success | Wednesday, November 19 at 5 p.m. |
| For Youth Initiative: AI Literacy (delivered by LA&PS Professor: Karen Bernhardt-Walther) | Thursday, November 20 at 4:30 p.m. |
| Durham Children's Aid Society: Managing Stress and Exam Prep | Tuesday, December 2 at 6 p.m. |
| York Region CAS: Motivation and Procrastination | Tuesday, January 6 at 6:30 p.m. |
| London CAS: Managing Social Anxiety for School Success | Wednesday, January 14 at 5 p.m. |
| Toronto CAS: Mental Health and Social Media | Wednesday, January 21 at 5:15 p.m. |
| Toronto CAS: Debunking Mental Health Myths from TikTok | Wednesday, February 4 at 5:15 p.m. |
| Toronto CAS: Managing Social Anxiety for School Success | Wednesday, February 18 at 5:15 p.m. |
| Toronto CAS: Time Management and Mental Health | Wednesday, April 15 at 5:15 p.m. |
| York Region CAS: Presentation Skills | Saturday, April 18 at 5:15 p.m |
Testimonials
Developing and running the AYA Program was a beautiful challenge that I'm forever grateful to be a part of. I enjoyed our daily debrief meetings and hearing how inspired and excited the volunteers were for the next day and the ideas they had for the program beyond the one-week summer pilot. As a team, we created something wonderful under the constraints of COVID and I'm so happy to see it continue.
— Aysha Campbell
I worked as an intern with AYA between January and July 2025 as part of my Masters of Social Work practicum. Being able to watch this program grow into a larger support network for youth who have gone through CAS has been an incredibly enriching and rewarding experience. It has been an absolute delight working with Daniel, Naylen, and others from student success who have turned this dream into a reality! I am excited to continue watching AYA’s growth and hope that future students can benefit from the workshops and resources that I helped put together for this program.
— Sophia Hirst Barsoski
I found the AYA program to be incredibly impactful - not only for me, but most importantly, for the youth involved. I walked away from the program invigorated and inspired by the accomplished individuals in attendance.
— Juliet Agyei
My experience with AYA has been inspiring. The stories shared by the young people in attendance encouraged me in my own journey
— Mykayla Blackman
Our Partners
The program is supported by funding from the Anti-Black Racism Initiatives Fund, as well as the Global and Community Engagement Fund.