Next Gen Insider

Morgan Sharp reports from Toronto on the city's young population and their civic engagement and impact on the local institutions that make democracy function.

Canada's National Observer is a proud participant of the Local Journalism Initiative, which supports the creation of original civic journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada.

531 Articles

Lecce welcomes kids back to school as Elliott halts any lifting of restrictions

Ontario opened many of its schools for the first time since before the March break on the same day the province paused any further loosening of COVID-19 restrictions. The moves come amid a steady increase in new cases centred in Brampton, Ottawa and Toronto.

Morgan Sharp

September 8th 2020

COVID-19 drops cloud of financial uncertainty on universities and colleges

Canadian post-secondary institutions must spend heavily to move courses online while bracing for a sharp loss in revenue from stymied international enrolment. It could be calamitous for some, warns one education executive who decried Ottawa’s lack of direction.

Morgan Sharp

September 8th 2020

Youth housing crisis will take a hit from COVID-19

Financial security and independence can also play into household formation, which is commonly measured by a “headship” rate — the higher the rate, the more households within a population. Toronto's headship rate has fallen by six per cent between 1991 and 2016.

Vjosa Isai

September 4th 2020

Canada’s youth miss out on much of country’s August job gains

Young people have found it more difficult to return to the labour force than the rest of Canada’s working population, especially in Ontario and especially among youth of colour, the latest jobs stats show.

Morgan Sharp

September 4th 2020

Local arts mentorship program empowers Black youth

“We try to create opportunities through our programming where (youth) can learn from more established artists to hone their artistic skills … and put your fingerprint on your city,” said Nia Centre executive director Alica Hall.

Vjosa Isai

September 3rd 2020

A green COVID-19 awakening

In the second instalment of this series on Toronto’s climate action protest movement, a Colombian expat goes from never attending a climate strike to helping plan for the first global street event of the COVID-19 era.

Morgan Sharp

September 3rd 2020

New grads face tough job search this fall thanks to the pandemic

Recent post-secondary graduates are facing an uncertain job hunt, since the seasonal transition into winter during the pandemic could continue to affect major sectors of the economy.

Vjosa Isai

September 3rd 2020

Students from the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. Photo by WUSC

COVID-19 causes delays for student refugee resettlement program

About 130 student refugees were poised to resettle in Canada and begin their post-secondary educations, but visa office closures and country-specific travel restrictions have pushed their earliest possible arrival to winter semester.

Vjosa Isai

September 2nd 2020

When protest can't be social

While its downtown campus has laid dormant for almost six months now, climate protestors studying at the University of Toronto have been milling about in growing numbers online and joining Black Lives Matter protests in real life.

Morgan Sharp

September 2nd 2020

York University opens new environment faculty

An emerging job market for professionals with experience in corporate social responsibility and sustainability has pushed environmental studies education to the mainstream.

Vjosa Isai

September 1st 2020

Ontario Liberals want your views on Ford's school reopening plan. Especially if they're bad.

Steven Del Duca, the leader of the Ontario Liberals without a seat in the legislature, stood outside Queen’s Park on Tuesday seeking the email addresses of people upset about Doug Ford’s back-to-school plan.

Morgan Sharp

September 1st 2020

FreedomSchool Toronto tackles racism through education

A topic that could appear in classrooms, on the heels of dozens of anti-police riots and Black Lives Matter protests, is racial justice.

Vjosa Isai

September 1st 2020

COVID-19 leaves kids lonely, bored, hungry, at risk of abuse

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, children in Canada have been hit by increased poverty and food insecurity, poorer mental health and more racism, a new report says.

Morgan Sharp

September 1st 2020

Design students study links between architecture and virus spread

University of Toronto architecture students researched whether civic spaces and buildings could be pandemic-proofed based on social distancing protocols and other factors.

Vjosa Isai

August 31st 2020

Ontario teachers' unions file health and safety complaint

The province’s four main teachers’ unions filed a complaint with Ontario’s Labour Relations Board on Monday over the Ford government’s back-to-school plan, which they argue endangers health and safety.

Morgan Sharp

August 31st 2020