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‘Accepted for who you are’

Published: May 31, 2024

BGCBigs mentorship program in Edmonton offers 2SLGBTQ+ youth pride, confidence and unconditional support

As the pottery painting night came to an end, the youth shyly approached the activity facilitator.

Over the past few months, they had been working with their mentor, a trusted adult who also identifies as 2SLGBTQ+. The unconditional support and emotional connectedness the youth felt helped them find clarity about who they are—from now on, the youth confided, they would identify as he/him.

The mentor and mentee are part of the PRISM program, offered through non-profit BGCBigs in Edmonton, Alberta. PRISM—which stands for pride, respect, identity, safety and mentoring—supports the healthy development of 2SLGBTQ+ youth aged 6 to 24 by matching them with a volunteer adult mentor. Through weekly activities and conversation, the pair build a caring relationship that promotes positive developmental outcomes.

“We see in queer and trans youth higher rates of depression, higher rates of self-harm, higher rates of drug use, and higher rates of houselessness at a very young age,” explains Holly Lassesen, a PRISM mentoring facilitator. “The program allows for youth to have a positive role model in the community. It gives them the opportunity to see a trajectory for themselves toward a happy, healthy future.”

Currently, there are 27 pairings, one of which was formed in the inaugural year in 2018.

“It’s been growing very slowly post COVID-19,” Lassesen reflects. “But it's looking up for sure, with strong participation at events.”

BGCBigs invites mentors and mentees to what they call “match events”—low-cost or free events for the duos to spend time together. They enjoy paint nights, trivia games, and theme events, as well as special nights out at the theatre or sports matches.

It’s thanks to funding from the community that BGCBigs can provide these activities and allow pairings to “do things they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford,” Lassesen adds.

Enbridge has supported PRISM since 2022 through our Fueling Futures program, contributing $10,000 a year for this impactful initiative. As Pride Month arrives, we appreciate the way PRISM provides much-needed support to youth during a vulnerable time in their lives. The relationships they build through PRISM are life changing.

In 2024, we gave an additional $5,000 to BGCBigs to help provide nutritious meals and snacks at club events. Not only is wholesome food critical for healthy growth and development—it also serves as an entry point to discuss health and overall well-being and help youths develop good eating habits.

Forming a positive relationship with a trusted adult can make a world of difference to young people.

“I’ve seen a lot of 2SLGBTQ+ youth who wouldn’t go to school because they had such anxiety,” Lassesen explains.

“Then, I’ve seen these youth go back to school and attend their classes, after they had a mentorship mentor,” she continues. “The child knows it’s implicit in this relationship that they’re accepted for who they are.”

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