In 2022, youth unemployment rates hit a record low. By 2025, 437,000 people aged 15 to 24 were unemployed and looking for work, up 57 percent from 290,000 in 2022. Today, Canada's unemployment rate is at 6.5 percent, up 0.1 percent from Aug 2026. The Canadian economy lost 68,000 jobs in September, 48,000 of those lost among youth aged 15-24. Young people remained unemployed the longest, with teenagers hit hardest.

Doug Ford’s changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) came into effect on Aug. 1: The maximum portion of provincial funding provided as non-repayable grants dropped from 85 percent to 25 percent. The remaining 75 percent (or more) is now distributed as repayable loans. But there hasn’t just been a change to OSAP; the seven-year tuition freeze for publicly assisted colleges and universities has also ended.

One of the most important lessons the fellowship taught me is that you don’t need a perfect plan or a large platform to begin. I used to believe meaningful change required waiting—for the right idea, the right time, or the right level of confidence. This experience showed me that starting small isn’t a weakness. It’s often how change becomes possible.

In the chaos of school hallways and online chat rooms, words are increasingly weaponized in the classroom. More and more frequently, young students use harmful and hateful language; words echoed online find their way into schools, causing harm far deeper than many of their users understand.

Moving out of your parents' house for the first time is both the most exciting step into adulthood and a scary path full of unknown and hard lessons waiting around every corner. From navigating new friendships to learning how to live independently, everything feels like a first in this new chapter of life.

by Abbigale Kernya for The 44 North Managing Editor Students tossing their graduation caps in the air. To be honest, I don’t really know. What comes after four hard, draining years besides a pile of debt and a sense that everywhere you step is the wrong direction? It’s a strange sort of navigation to move past everything that defined you as an adult: the transition from teenager to student to know a third unknown, unfamiliar identity. Who am I now? Who am I supposed to be

It’s no secret that exam season can be incredibly stressful for students – there’s a reason so many middle-aged professionals still have anxiety dreams about finals! Balancing school, studying, jobs, friends, relationships and just, ‘life’, alongside the expectations of ourselves and our loved ones, can be a lot to manage.

As back-to-school season approaches, our discussions and preparation tend to centre current students. This isn’t a bad thing, of course, but we wondered about all the former students who became high school teachers, music teachers, elementary school teachers, professors, TAs, tutors, language teachers, administrators, preschool teachers, adaptive teachers, librarians, guidance counsellors, and so much more.

Young people, especially students (and their allies), have always been at the frontier of fighting for values-based economic stability.

Nearly three years ago, I wrote a piece reflecting on my first year in university. I wrote about the fear that comes with opening a new chapter in your life, the constant struggle of wondering if you made the right decision or not, and the debilitating loneliness of post-secondary that I never heard people talk about before I went off to school.

As someone who has had a learning disability for the majority of her life, studying did not always come easy. I often struggled knowing where to start if I had an upcoming test or even a small quiz to study for. Over the years, however, I learned how to organize myself in a way that made studying less overwhelming and more enjoyable.

Have you ever had one of those moments where you are feeling frazzled, overwhelmed, a little stunned by the mountain of tasks in front of you and then turned to face those around you to see an ocean of calm faces?