Indigenous Youth Roots

Indigenous Youth Roots (IYR) is a national Indigenous youth-led organization that collaborates with communities from across Canada to provide programs, grants and opportunities that are grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and being and are designed to strengthen and amplify the voices of Indigenous youth. 
 
Through the EleV Program, the Mastercard Foundation partnered with IYR to support development of the Indigenous Youth Reconciliation Barometer 2024: Building Connected Futures report. Building off our previous partnership on the 2019 National Youth Reconciliation Barometer which established benchmark indicators for the state of reconciliation among Canada’s youth, this report concentrates on how youth see their futures through the themes of personal and community empowerment, culture and wellness, education and meaningful work, and solidarity and reconciliation. The report fills a gap in research data regarding Indigenous youth and centres their perspectives to enable support for their needs and aspirations for their futures.

• Design of research questions and approach based on key strategies priorities with input from The Firelight Group, the Foundation, and a research advisory committee.
• Engaging with over 1,100 Indigenous youth ages 18-29 through in-person and online Sharing Circles and an online survey
• Interpretation of data and production of a report and aligned communication products, with input from Firelight, the Foundation, and a research advisory committee.  
• Development of a research dissemination strategy that targets policymakers, funders, young people themselves, and other organizations and players in the education and employment space (as well as interconnecting ecosystems that emerge in the research).