Youth Assisting Youth

Youth Assisting Youth (YAY) is a volunteer-based peer mentoring program which individually matches mentors with similarly aged "at-risk" or vulnerable children and adolescents aged 6–15 years old. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the goal of the organization is "to provide a positive role model through a 'special friend' relationship." [1] Youth Assisting Youth was founded in 1976 after a successful bid for funding from the Ministry of Correctional Services (Ontario). In 1991, Youth Assisting Youth became a member of the United Way of Greater Toronto.