Objective: This study aims to evaluate ISANS’ Youth Life Skills Support (LSS) program through an account of the program, youths’ experiences, an assessment of its outcomes for participants and peer mentors; and to offer insights into how the program might be strengthened.
Justification: Since 2013, 190 Government Assisted Refugee (GAR) youth have participated in LSS, which provides group orientation, links youth to programming, and matches them with a peer mentor who are themselves refugee youth. Though evidenced by participant feedback, LSS’ success has not been comprehensively evaluated. A program evaluation is timely as the number of GARs in Nova Scotia steadily rises, and amongst them, the number of youths.
Practical goal: By evaluating the success of the LSS program, this study aims to increase our understanding of the trajectories of refugee youth, highlighting their strengths, capacities, and the supports and conditions required to maximize their resettlement outcomes.
Primary audience: service providers, policy makers, refugee youth and their families, and academics