Wings & Roots: A Place to Land, Breath and Grow
Wings and Roots: A Place to Land, Breathe, and Grow
Introducing Our Programme for Newcomer and Refugee Youth in Windsor, Ontario
For a young person, few things matter more than feeling like they belong. Now imagine arriving in a new country as a teenager, where everything is unfamiliar. The language may be different, the customs may be different, the school system may be nothing like what you have known before. You carry the memory of where you came from, and the uncertainty of what comes next. You are brave enough to be here. But bravery does not always feel like enough.
That is the experience of thousands of newcomer youth in Canada every year. And it is exactly the experience that Wings and Roots was created to address.
What Is Wings and Roots?
Wings and Roots is a programme designed for newcomer youth aged 12 to 24 in Windsor, Ontario. It is built on a simple but powerful belief: that every young person arriving in this country deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported, not in spite of where they came from, but because of it.
The name itself captures the philosophy. Roots speak to identity, heritage, and the cultures, languages, and stories that newcomer youth carry with them. Wings speak to possibility: the connections, skills, and confidence they will need to build a life in their new home. The programme does not ask young people to choose between the two. It holds both.
Why Windsor?
Windsor, Ontario has one of the most vibrant newcomer communities in Canada. The city has long been a place of arrival, a destination for people seeking safety, opportunity, and belonging. And yet, the systems and supports available to newcomer youth, particularly those between adolescence and young adulthood, often fall short of what is needed.
We are based here. We know this community. And we see the gap between what these young people deserve and what currently exists. Wings and Roots is our response to that gap.
What the Programme Offers
Wings and Roots is grounded in community, mentorship, and belonging. The programme provides spaces where newcomer youth can connect with peers who understand their experience, access resources and skill-building opportunities, and find mentors who believe in their potential. It is a place to land when everything else feels unstable.
The programme also works to bridge newcomer youth with the wider Windsor community, because true belonging is not just about finding people who are like you. It is about being welcomed and valued by the place you now call home.
Launching September 2026
Wings and Roots officially launches in Windsor in September 2026. We are currently in the development phase, building partnerships with schools, community organisations, and settlement services to ensure the programme is as strong and responsive as possible from day one.
We are looking for mentors, volunteers, community partners, and champions who believe that newcomer youth deserve more than survival. They deserve to thrive. If that sounds like you, we would love to hear from you.
