All In For Youth

In 2016, All in for Youth (AIFY) was formed as a collaborative partnership of local schools and community organizations to support vulnerable children in Edmonton. AIFY provides comprehensive school-based wraparound supports to children and their families to support their health and wellbeing, meet their critical needs, fulfill their potential in school, complete high school, and disrupt the cycle of poverty. Originally a five-year pilot program implemented in five schools, AIFY is now in its eighth year and has evolved to include eight schools, providing supports and services to thousands of students and families. As one of the few models of school-based wraparound support in western Canada, AIFY is grounded in an evidence-based approach that offers several unique advantages by tailoring services to the individual needs of children and families, helping them reach their full potential. (Burns & Goldman, 1999; Hill, 2020; Maier et al., 2017). The Community-University Partnership and the Evaluation Capacity Network have been involved with AIFY since its inception and provides the research and evaluation support. ECN and CUP collaborate to provide graduate students to support the research with the initiative.

The All in For Youth (AIFY) initiative is a school-based, wraparound model of social support service delivery for children, youth, and families who are experiencing vulnerability in their school communities. The overall objective of AIFY is to support the overall wellbeing of students and their families, so students can achieve success in their schooling and families can thrive. These AIFY wraparound supports include student mentoring, mental health supports, family supports, nutrition support, success coaching, and out of school care. Since 2016, five inner-city schools in Edmonton (spanning elementary to high school) have adopted and integrated the full AIFY model of support into their school communities.