Culture & language
Explore preferred language, foods, celebrations, relationships, and traditions with the young person. Adapt communication and seek appropriate language support when needed.
CULTURE & BELONGING
Your identity matters.
Your story belongs.
A sense of belonging grows when people feel respected in who they are, how they communicate, and the connections that matter to them.
ROOM FOR EVERY STORY
Inclusion lives in
everyday choices.
Belonging can be as everyday as a familiar meal, hearing a preferred language, celebrating a meaningful tradition, or having your name and pronouns respected.
We aim to listen to each person rather than assume what their identity means to them.
OUR INTENDED COMMITMENTS
Respect that reflects the individual.
Indigenous connections
Respect Indigenous identities and the importance of family, community, land, language, and culture. Support should be guided by the individual and appropriate relationships with their community.
Faith & spirituality
Respect religious and spiritual preferences, including the choice not to practise a faith. Discuss relevant routines, foods, observances, and community connections individually.
Gender & identity
Welcome LGBTQ2S+ young people and respect self-expression, names, pronouns, and privacy. Avoid assumptions about a person’s relationships or identity.
Disability & neurodiversity
Recognize different sensory, communication, learning, and participation needs. Work towards appropriate accommodations and accessible ways to take part.
Family & community
Recognize that family and connection can take different forms. Consider meaningful relationships in the context of preferences, consent, safety, and authorized care arrangements.
LISTENING WITH HUMILITY
Connection cannot
be prescribed.
No single image, tradition, or activity represents an entire community.
Cultural support should be led by each young person’s own preferences and understanding of their identity. We aim to learn, ask respectful questions, and recognize the limits of our knowledge.
Specific community partnerships and cultural programming will be described only when they are confirmed. We do not claim endorsement from any Indigenous nation or cultural organization.
THE NEXT CHAPTER STARTS WITH CONNECTION