Welcome to youthLEADarts Inc
Listen. Empathize. Act. Drive.
Using the LEAD values of Listen, Empathize, Act & Drive, youthLEADarts empowers ALL youth across Canada/Turtle Island with confidence, creativity, employable life skills, and hope to LEAD their future.
WHY?
Youth drug use, violence, poor nutrition, school drop-out and suicide are all symptoms of inequality, discrimination, poverty and despair. youthLEADarts engages youth in activities that empower them to take charge of their own life success while acting as LEADers in their community.
STARTING WHERE THE NEED IS:
Founded in 2020, LEAD is a national arts-based education program in Vancouver BC, Barrie ON, Montreal QC, Little Harbour, NS, Lismore, NS and Pictou County, NS: communities where the need is great to reach vulnerable youth.
ADMINISTRATION & TEACHING TEAM:
Our program team are acclaimed teaching artists who are passionate about mentoring youngsters. The management team currently donate their time for all coordination and virtual administration. Marilyn Field, M.S.M., Founder of DAREarts (Thrive) and youthLEADarts, guides the team.
Become part of our growing initiative …
Can you recall a person or program that gave you support when you needed it?
Please consider donating to create programming for underserved youth across Canada.
Our programs make a significant impact. The investment youth make is evident on their faces, in their process and in the art they create. We have much more coming this year and beyond!
All of our programming is currently funded through grants and by donations from individuals and corporations. We thank all of our supporters- past, present and future.
What Does LEAD Stand for?
Listen. Empathize. Act. Drive.
Listen
Listening is as important as speaking in communication.
What do you think is important when you listen?
Empathize
Empathize means imagining how someone else feels.
How does it make you feel when someone does that for you?
Act
Actions speak louder than words.
What is it that you want to say? How do your actions reflect this?
Drive
Drive yourself and your ideas to completion.
What gives you the power to keep going? How and where can you share your ideas with a larger community?
Watch this Space
Check back often to read about our latest happenings and announcements.
Take Care of YOU in 2026! By: Devan Grewal
This blog post was conceived of and written by youth contributor Devan Grewal, a grade 9 student in Burnaby, BC. The new year is here and so are our long lists of resolutions (resolutions that, let’s be honest, usually fail)....
Read MoreDevan Grewal, Youth Writer on Perseverance, Process and Remembrance
Devan Grewal is a grade 9 student in British Columbia who regularly contributes to the youthLEADarts blog. Remembrance Day has come and gone and I hope everyone took some time to reflect. If you don’t know why we have this...
Read MoreThe Unknown Soldier: An Award Winning Poem of Remembrance by Devan Grewal, Youth Author
As we pause to remember all of the sacrifices made for our freedom today, Devan Grewal, youth contributor shares the award winning poem that he submitted to the Royal Canadian Legion Literary contest last year when he was in grade...
Read MoreTrunk or Treat: Youth Gain Life Skills While Giving Back
youthLEADarts in Nova Scotia is partnering with Lismore and District Community Centre for their Trunk or Treat event happening on Halloween night, October 31st from 5:30pm-8pm. This is the second year that youthLEADarts will be providing hot chocolate and hot...
Read MoreThe Recipe for LEADership? Making Rice Creepy Treats at October’s LEAD Meeting in Lismore
Who doesn’t love edible art? With ghosts, ghouls, tricks and treats on their minds as they count the days until Halloween, Lismore youth made rice ‘creepy’ treats at their gathering last week. Local community chef, Lesley McDuff dropped in to...
Read MoreStep up to Bullying Written by: Youth Contributor Devan Grewal
This article was written by Devan Grewal, a grade 9 student living in the Greater Vancouver area. Bullying. Some of us have experienced it, some of us haven’t, but almost all of us know it’s not right. Even if you...
Read More
The Mentoring Team
Our Teaching Artist Leaders in BC, ON, QC and NS engage the youth in live and virtual creative workshops using all artistic disciplines. As the young people create and accomplish together, they practice the LEAD values that empower them with skills for success.
Marilyn Field
Founder/ National Coordinator
Visionary, Mentor, Teacher, Musician
Lori Sherritt-Fleming
President, West Coast Mentor
Author, Playwright, Performer
Shelley MacDonald
Vice President, East Coast Mentor
Performer, Educator, Film-maker
Deirdre Potash
Central Canada Mentor
Artist Educator, Entrepreneur
Trisha De Luca
West Coast Mentor
Creator, including ‘After-school Power Programs’
Roy Mulder
East Coast Mentor
Photographer, Videographer
Each youthLEADarts workshop or program is designed to assist youth in discovering their strengths, addressing their challenges and developing communication and leadership skills within short, invigorating and fruitful timeframes. With strong roots in communities across Canada youthLEADarts, as it evolves, will continue to empower youth by developing accessible programs that help them to find their voices as LEADers who drive the future.
Download Our Donation Package#youthLEADarts
See yourself and your friends featured on our website by using our hashtag #youthLEADarts in your arts and leadership posts.
Make sure it is OK with your adults first, and check its alright with the people in your pictures and videos too. And please make sure the content is “family friendly”.
A Word from One of our Youth Ambassadors/ Graduates
Elijah is a recent graduate of Trent University in Math and Spanish. He joined Marilyn Field’s empowering arts education program as a 12-year-old who was living in a marginalized Toronto suburb. On program days, Marilyn would call him early in the morning to make sure he got on the bus for the daylong workshops in downtown Toronto.
Through the arts education program, he was able to see what was possible regardless of the odds. He pursued that vision without fear. Today, we are so proud of him for finding his inner leader; to stay in school and succeed, to find his passion for writing poetry, swimming, and for mentoring other young people.
Ask Your Questions...
Contact Us
Contact us to find out more.
youthLEADarts respectfully acknowledges the history, the legacy and the important contributions made by First Nations, Inuit and Métis People across Canada, also known as Turtle Island. We are committed to reconciliation and are grateful to the Indigenous Artists/Elders from the Mi’kmaw, Haudenosaunee, Anishinabek, Cree, Dene, Ntle’kepmx, and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw who have guided us in our process. Through our program design, we are committed to amplifying Indigenous voices,land stewardship and continued collaboration.
