Will Bouma, MPP for Brantford-Brant, joined YMCA Hamilton|Burlington|Brantford staff and researchers from Wilfrid Laurier University to celebrate a $141,600 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
The grant supported a two-year research initiative focused on strengthening the YMCA’s capacity to understand and measure the social-emotional outcomes of youth participating in key programs.
“YMCA Hamilton|Burlington|Brantford has been making our community stronger with their commitment to improving the health and well-being of people of all backgrounds and abilities, including vulnerable members of our community,” said Bouma. “The OTF grant has supported the development and implementation of a program that advances their Youth Strategy. I am pleased to be part of a government that promotes healthy living for people at all stages of life in our community.”
Thanks to this OTF Resilient Communities Fund grant, the YMCA partnered with the Child & Adolescent Research and Education (CARE) Lab at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantford campus. Together, they developed practical tools and methods to measure youth outcomes like growth mindset, emotion regulation, and belonging across YMCA programs, including Aquatics, Beyond the Bell, and YMCA Camp Wanakita.
Key outcomes of the research initiative included:
- Development of custom measurement tools tailored to YMCA program settings.
- Small but consistent gains in social-emotional domains, including growth mindset and emotional regulation.
- Increased understanding of how to collect feedback directly from children and youth in meaningful ways.
- Valuable insight from qualitative stories that brought participant experiences to life.
- Identified opportunities to streamline data collection and refine survey tools for future use.
To learn more about the research and its findings, view the summary here.
“This grant enabled us to take an important first step in creating new ways to listen to and learn from the youth we serve,” said Manny Figueiredo, President and CEO of YMCA Hamilton|Burlington|Brantford. “It’s the foundation for how we will continue to demonstrate our impact and improve programs across our association. Guided by our strategic plan, we remain committed to building resilience in young people and creating a vibrant, healthy community where everyone can thrive and reach their full potential.”
“This latest collaboration between Laurier and YMCA of Hamilton|Burlington|Brantford exemplifies our shared commitment to elevating young people in our local community,” said Jonathan Newman, Laurier’s Vice-President, Research. “Laurier faculty members and students are eager to use their expertise for real impact, fostering meaningful research partnerships like this one. We are grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for making it possible.”
