A pan-Canadian network of health organizations serving young people

To help harness this momentum and help IYS to spread, Foundry teamed up with Youth Wellness Hub Ontario to co-chair the creation of a new network, called the Federation of Integrated Youth Services, or FISYN (you can pronounce it like fizzin’, fission or just fize-in.) This collective includes voices from all across Canada: Kickstand (in Alberta), Huddle (in Manitoba), Choices (in Newfoundland), Aire Ouverte (in Quebec), with many more emerging in between. 

For almost two years, Co.school has been a close partner with Foundry and its cross-Canada network to help them increase their collective capacity. Co.school has helped host the convenings of this national network of IYS innovators, virtually and in-person — where resources and energy are shared towards identified topic areas (like justice, equity, diversity and inclusion; Indigenous wellness, rural and remote community care, and more), and where connections are strengthened between network participants.

We also have had the privilege of co-designing and leading a facilitated process to co-create a Guidance Document for the Standards Council of Canada, to determine the way forward for Integrated Youth Services in Canada. 

As network picks up steam, so too does the movement, of shifting healthcare for youth to be more holistic and human-centered.