At TEENacity Inc., we know that oppression is embedded in systems—not just in attitudes or actions. As a community-driven organization supporting youth, we commit to identifying, disrupting, and transforming the structures that perpetuate systemic racism, anti-Blackness, anti-Indigenous colonial violence, transphobia, ableism, and all forms of marginalization.

This is not a one-time statement—it is an ongoing practice rooted in accountability, education, and action.

• Anti-Racism: We actively name and challenge racism at the interpersonal, institutional, and structural levels.

• Decolonization: We resist colonial harm and uplift Indigenous sovereignty, knowledge, and land rights.

• Intersectionality: We recognize how systems of oppression overlap—race, gender, ability, class, sexuality—and respond accordingly.

• Youth Voice: Youth are not passive recipients—they are collaborators in system change.

• Accountability Over Optics: We choose meaningful action over performative allyship.

• Embed anti-racism, anti-oppression, and gender inclusion into all TEENacity policies, procedures, and handbooks.

• Conduct an annual equity audit of all organizational policies and forms.

• Ensure policies reflect gender-inclusive language, racial justice frameworks, and disability inclusion.

• Implement equity-based hiring practices, including:

• Barrier-free application processes

• Targeted outreach to Black, Indigenous, racialized, trans, and disabled candidates

• Diverse hiring panels with anti-bias training

• Create leadership pipelines for racialized and equity-deserving staff.

• Offer equity-based mentorship, particularly for BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ employees.

• Include youth perspectives in hiring panels, program design, and incident debriefs.

• Embed culturally relevant programming, gender-diverse activities, and youth-led sessions in daily life.

All staff, volunteers, and leadership will receive:

• Mandatory anti-racism and decolonization training at onboarding and annually thereafter

• Training on:

• Anti-Black racism and Indigenous sovereignty

• Trans and gender-diverse inclusion

• Challenging white supremacy and unconscious bias

• Accessible and neurodivergent-friendly practices

Custom workshops will be co-developed with racialized and Indigenous facilitators and community partners.

• Normalize pronoun sharing, inclusive greetings, and accessible communication.

• Display inclusive and educational materials around each home/site (e.g., Black History, Pride, Indigenous rights).

• Celebrate racial, cultural, and gender diversity through calendar events, workshops, and mealtime discussions.

• Develop decolonized daily routines—honoring community, land, and cultural knowledge.

• Create a safe, confidential reporting system for racism, transphobia, ableism, and microaggressions.

• Ensure follow-through with trauma-informed investigations and harm-repair processes.

• Publish an Annual Equity Report summarizing actions taken, gaps identified, and next steps.

TEENacity Inc. will:

• • Build formal partnerships with Black-led, Indigenous-led, 2SLGBTQ+, and disability justice organizations.

  • Prioritize procurement from racialized, Indigenous, queer-owned, or women-owned businesses.

  • Co-create healing spaces with elders, knowledge keepers, and cultural leaders from the community.

TEENacity commits to:

• • Learning from and practicing land acknowledgment beyond words—through relationship, reparative action, and land-based learning.

  • Reimagining programming through a decolonial lens, including how we:

    • Approach behaviour and safety (not through control, but relationship)

    • Use art, ceremony, and storytelling as forms of healing and education

    • Make space for grief, rage, and cultural resilience

We will track:

• • Demographics of staff across all levels by race, gender identity, and disability

  • Reports and resolutions related to discrimination or oppression

  • Number and quality of equity trainings completed

  • Feedback from racialized and equity-seeking youth and staff

This plan is a living document—to be revisited, re-evaluated, and improved regularly. TEENacity Inc. staff, youth, and community members will be invited to co-own this plan and hold the organization accountable to it.

We acknowledge that the land on which we live and work is the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Anishinaabeg Peoples, under the Between the Lakes Treaty No. 3, signed in 1792.

Guelph is situated on land that has been cared for and stewarded for thousands of years by Indigenous peoples who continue to live here, uphold their ceremonies, and protect the land, waters, and communities across Turtle Island.

At Teenacity Inc., we recognize that acknowledging land is only the first step. We are committed to the ongoing work of truth, reconciliation, and decolonization. This means challenging colonial systems, amplifying Indigenous voices, and supporting Indigenous sovereignty in our daily work with youth and families.

We encourage all who work with us to reflect on their relationship to this land and their responsibilities as treaty people.