Over $500,000 in funding announced to support youth well-being and reduce substance use in KFL&A

Kingston, ON – February 13, 2026

Youth and adult allies in Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) have come together to launch and announce an innovative community initiative called KFL&A Unnamed Youth Project (UYP), focused on strengthening protective factors and reducing risk factors associated with youth substance use.

At a community event held at Kingston City Hall, February 12, the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area announced a multiyear grant of $556,308 to fund the KFL&A Unnamed Youth Project over three (3) years.

The KFL&A UYP applies best practices from the Icelandic Prevention Model and other evidence-informed approaches, adapted to KFL&A’s local context. The Icelandic Prevention Model is a community-wide approach that aims to reduce youth substance use by strengthening parental involvement and increasing youth participation in organized, structured activities.

Upcoming activities include:

· Launching the ActivPass App: A digital version of the well-received ActivPass program, designed to connect youth to leisure activities in a format they prefer.

· Establishing a Youth-Driven Program Fund: A fund to allocate financial resources to community-based programs that align with youth-identified priorities emerging from the KFL&A UYP engagement process.

· Holding Caregiver Cafés: Peer-led sessions that provide parents and caregivers with skills in relationship-building, peer-to-peer learning, and collective problem-solving.

The goal is to adopt a youth-driven approach to decision-making across four important domains: peers, family, school, and leisure-time activities to ensure that youth have the support and resources they need to make healthy choices.

“Youth rarely get the chance to speak up for themselves. That’s what we’re trying to fix with the Unnamed Youth Project. We want to give youth a platform to be heard so they can make changes that adults would never even think of,” says Xavier Farrell, a youth leader involved in the project.

The UYP is supported by 14 partner organizations and groups across KFL&A, including Southeast Public Health, Kingston Community Health Centres, Rotary Clubs in Kingston and surrounding area, the region’s two largest school boards, the ACEs & Resilience Coalition of Kingston & Area and youth-serving organizations like Youth Diversion. Importantly, youth will be actively participating in decision-making through the Youth Advisory Circle to ensure their voices are reflected in the project. The UYP has diverse youth representation including those from rural communities, newcomers, and youth who are no longer involved in the school system.

Youth substance use is a growing concern in the region, and partners are seeing increasing demand for support. During a recent youth symposium, participants expressed a readiness for change, sharing stories of resilience and a strong desire for a healthier future.

“We want to work with youth who have faced barriers and dealt with limitations. With the way the world has been these past years, many young people have experienced elevated stress in their lives. It’s time that we try to alleviate some of these troubles and let them live out their youth as they should,” says Farrell.

With community support and commitment, real change is possible. Parents and caregivers can advocate for this initiative by reaching out to their political representatives about the need for sustainable funding and resources for youth-focused supports.

In the months ahead, watch for updates and more information from youth organizations and partner channels, including promotional content related to the ActivPass App.

Visit the Unnamed Youth Project’s website:

KFL&A Unnamed Youth Project - Kingston Community Health Centres

The Community Foundation fosters a connected, resilient, and healthier community by issuing grants from donor-established funds. The funding for the KFL&A Unnamed Youth Project (UYP) was made possible through the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul Fund created at the Community Foundation in 2021.