It Gets Better Canada (IGBC) is proud to announce the twelve projects across high schools in Canada that its True Voices grant, an initiative designed to empower, inspire, and encourage 2SLGBTQ+ and allied secondary students from coast-to-coast-to-coast, will be funding. This groundbreaking program aims to harness the power of storytelling to help youth overcome the unique challenges faced by 2SLGBTQ+ communities across Canada, made possible with financial support from American Eagle.
The True Voices initiative will fund storytelling-focused projects in twelve high schools across Canada, ensuring that every corner of the nation can benefit from the transformative power of art that uplifts and connects 2SLGBTQ+ youth. Grants of up to $5,000 have been awarded to schools, where students will work on creative projects from podcasts to plays, zines to short films.
The program has been created to support the need for inclusive, affirming spaces in schools, particularly given the rise in anti-2SLGBTQ+ policies in many provinces that threaten the freedoms and safety of youth.
The youth-led projects include a range of storytelling techniques and mediums, including a series of music videos that will be created by students at a school in Manitoba; a book shining a light on life in the Yukon for 2SLGBTQ+ youth, expressed through short stories, art, and poetry; a podcast series covering 2SLGBTQ+ history, experiences, and current events in B.C.; and many more creative endeavours. Newell Johnson, a teacher at Allison Bernard Secondary School in Eskasoni, Nova Scotia said,
Successful applicants are now receiving funding and will begin work on their projects, to be completed by June 2025.
It Gets Better Canada is a registered charity in Canada that envisions a world where all 2SLGBTQ+ youth are free to live equally and know their worthiness and power as individuals. Its mission is to uplift, empower, and connect 2SLGBTQ+ youth across Canada.
Please visit www.itgetsbettercanada.org for more information, and join the conversation on all social platforms @itgetsbettercanada (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads).
For media inquiries, please contact: Deepa Lalwani (she/her)
Senior Communications and Fundraising Manager