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The Unsinkable Youth

@beunsinkable

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This isn’t just about storytelling, it’s about creating the conditions for connection, understanding, and healing!
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Some moments deserve to be remembered before they’re celebrated. There’s something powerful that happens when young people are given the space to simply be themselves. Through creativity, conversation, and storytelling, strangers become friends, experiences become connections, and young people begin to realize they’re not alone. That’s the kind of impact that stays with you long after the program ends. Every poem, every conversation, every moment of vulnerability, and every person in the room helped create something special. To the youth who showed up with open hearts, shared your stories with courage, and created a space where one another felt seen, supported, and celebrated, thank you. Your authenticity, kindness, and willingness to listen made this experience what it was. These are the moments that remind us why this work matters.

Through our partnership with Just Be You and Poet2Poet, we’re committed to creating spaces where young people can discover their voices, embrace their experiences, and recognize the strength in sharing their stories. Together, we’re helping create communities where every young person feels empowered to show up authentically, knowing their story has the power to spark connection, inspire hope, and remind someone else they’re not alone.

As we look ahead to International Youth Day on August 12, we’re celebrating the power of youth voices and the communities they build when they’re given the space to lead with courage, compassion, and authenticity.

#YouthDay #JustBeYou #Poet2Poet #YouthVoices #Storytelling by @beunsinkable

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3 months ago

Sometimes, the most meaningful discoveries are the ones we make about ourselves. This past winter, Unsinkable brought together a small group of Queer youth with one intention: to create a space where they could explore, shape, and share their stories. With the care and leadership of facilitator Liv Miller, mentors Ryan Lalonde and Jaisie Walker, Storytelling Manager Asante Haughton, our incredible team, and in partnership with Friends of Ruby, something truly special unfolded.

Over eight weeks, Clarine and Lilac embraced vulnerability, creativity, and connection, discovering new parts of themselves while finding a deeper sense of identity, belonging, and community. The result is Prisms, a documentary that celebrates the courage of Queer youth, the power of storytelling, and what becomes possible when young people are given the opportunity to be fully seen, heard, and supported. "Clarine and Lilac's stories exemplify what it means to hurt, to heal, and to grow, to be human. And as we watch their journeys unfold in Prisms, we grow with them, and emerge a little bit more human ourselves." Their stories explore love, rejection, self-acceptance, belonging, and healing, reminding us that our lived experiences have the power to create connection and help others feel a little less alone.

To Clarine Chan and Lilac Kiunisala, thank you for trusting us with your stories. To our facilitators, mentors, partners, and everyone who helped create this experience, thank you for making space where these journeys could unfold with care, creativity, and compassion. We are honoured to share Prisms with our community and hope these stories encourage others to embrace their own with courage.

Join us as we continue to amplify lived experiences that foster connection, inspire healing, and remind us that every story shared has the power to make us feel a little less alone.

#UnsinkableStories #Prisms #CommunityStories #QueerYouth #YouthVoicesMatter by @beunsinkable

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2 months ago

Pendant que le monde célèbre le soccer, découvrons les histoires humaines qui se vivent bien au-delà du terrain. Présenté par Unsinkable Québec, Trouver sa place sur le terrain raconte l'histoire de Nathan et Joel Goda, deux frères ayant récemment immigré du Cameroun à Montréal.

À travers leur parcours, nous découvrons les réalités de l'immigration, les défis de reconstruire sa vie et l'importance de trouver une communauté. Pour Nathan et Joel, le soccer de rue est devenu bien plus qu'un sport : un espace d'appartenance, de confiance et d'espoir.

Merci à Nathan et Joel, à la @canadianstreetsoccer, à Fabrice Rosier et à son équipe de production, ainsi qu'à @theo.elblanco, @its.neilo, @mathiassss_p , Junior Buteau et à la communauté du Parc Toussaint-L'Ouverture d'avoir rendu cette histoire possible.

🎥 Si Trouver sa place sur le terrain vous a touché, poursuivez votre découverte avec une autre histoire Unsinkable! Dans mes propres mots est une production marquante qui célèbre les expériences vécues et explore les thèmes de l'immigration, de l'appartenance, de l'identité et de la force de la communauté.
🔗Bio.
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As the world celebrates this beautiful game, discover the human stories unfolding far beyond the field. Presented by Unsinkable Quebec, Finding Home on the Field follows Nathan and Joel Goda, two brothers who recently immigrated from Cameroon to Montreal.

Their journey explores immigration, rebuilding after hardship, and the importance of finding community. For Nathan and Joel, street soccer became more than a game, it became belonging, confidence, healing, and hope.

Thank you to Nathan and Joel, the @canadianstreetsoccer, Fabrice Rosier and his production team, @theo.elblanco, @its.neilo, @mathiassss_p , Junior Buteau, and the Parc Toussaint-L'Ouverture community for helping bring this story to life.

🎥 If Finding Home on the Field resonated with you, continue exploring another Unsinkable story! In My Own Words, a powerful production that celebrates lived experiences and explores themes of immigration, belonging, identity, and the power of community.
🔗Bio.

#UnsinkableQuebec #FrenchStories #HistoiresVécues #PouvoirDuSport #WeAreUnsinkable by @beunsinkable

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3 months ago

Reflections by Asante Haughton, Storytelling Manager

What does it mean to heal? For me, it means to get through something hard, something that hurt, and to come out on the other side stronger. And resilience? It's the spirit to continue through hardships, the will to keep trying. Our October stories exemplify these qualities, celebrating four folks who through family, community, and self-discovery decided to just keep going, finding healing on the other side of hardship.

💭 What's a hardship you're proud to have overcome?

Stay tuned for this month’s stories, and explore more Unsinkable stories through the link in our bio, stories of resilience, healing, and finding your way forward. You never know which story might meet you where you are.

#WeAreUnsinkable #UnsinkableStories #ResilienceAndHealing #CommunityVoices #CommunityExperiences by @beunsinkable

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4 days ago

Reflections by Jerushah Wright, Storytelling Curator

“I finally knew what she was talking about. I needed to seize the day in a distracted world, I need to discover myself and find who I am.” — Joshua Gamilla

Belonging can begin with something as simple, and as powerful, as knowing that you matter. For Joshua Gamilla, there was a time when bullying, family challenges, financial stress, and the weight of what he was carrying left him feeling like he didn’t belong. He felt insecure, undeserving, and unsure of where he fit. But through supportive teachers, community, therapy, music, cooking, and baking, Joshua began to find spaces where he could be heard, supported, and reminded of his worth. What moved me most about Joshua’s story is how those experiences of being supported helped him begin to create belonging for others. His journey toward self-discovery became connected to his passion for social justice, community, creativity, and giving back.

And Joshua leaves us with a reminder I think we all need sometimes: “If you were to leave with just two things, I hope it’s this: It’s okay to feel sad, mad, angry and stress, but don’t bottle it up inside. Talk to someone and just know you matter. Lastly, you cannot slow the setting of the sun, you can only choose how to spend your time in the light.” His story reminds us that belonging isn’t about having everything figured out. Sometimes, it starts with finding one person who listens, one space where you feel safe enough to be honest, or one moment that reminds you that you matter. And sometimes, finding that sense of belonging gives us the courage to help create it for someone else.

💭 As you reflect on Joshua’s story, what helps you feel like you matter?

Read Joshua’s full story through the link in our bio and discover more Unsinkable stories about belonging, self-discovery, resilience, and finding your way forward.

#WeAreUnsinkable #UnsinkableStories #Belonging #CommunityVoices #YouthExperiences by @beunsinkable

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21 days ago

Reflections by Jerushah Wright, Story Curator | Réflexions de Jerushah Wright, Curatrice de récits

Sometimes, belonging begins with realizing you don’t feel like you belong.

Sami, Jasmine and Astrid’s stories explore something many of us know: feeling disconnected, wanting to belong, and wondering if belonging means leaving parts of ourselves behind.

Sami speaks to finding his place between cultures and navigating who he is within the expectations around him. For Jasmine, basketball became a space of connection, community and belonging. For Astrid, writing became a space of freedom, a place to return to herself, feel her emotions and express what can be difficult to put into words.

Together, their stories remind us that belonging isn’t simply about finding where we fit. Sometimes, it’s about finding the spaces where we can finally be ourselves.

💭 As you reflect on their stories, where do you feel most free to be yourself?

Discover Sami, Jasmine and Astrid’s full stories through the link in our bio.

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Parfois, trouver sa place commence par réaliser qu’on ne s’y sent pas à sa place.

Les récits de Sami, Jasmine et Astrid explorent quelque chose que beaucoup d’entre nous connaissent : se sentir déconnecté·e, vouloir appartenir et se demander si cela signifie laisser une partie de soi derrière.

Sami parle de trouver sa place entre différentes cultures et de composer avec les attentes qui l’entourent. Pour Jasmine, le basketball est devenu un espace de connexion, de communauté et d’appartenance. Pour Astrid, l’écriture est devenue un espace de liberté, un lieu pour revenir à soi, vivre ses émotions et exprimer ce qui est parfois difficile à mettre en mots.

Ensemble, leurs récits nous rappellent que l’appartenance ne consiste pas seulement à trouver sa place. Parfois, c’est trouver les espaces où l’on peut enfin être soi-même.

💭 En réfléchissant à leurs récits, où vous sentez-vous le plus libre d’être vous-même?

Découvrez les récits complets de Sami, Jasmine et Astrid via le lien dans notre bio.

#UnsinkableStories #Belonging #FrenchCanadianStories #Identité #YouthVoices by @beunsinkable

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a month ago

Reflections by Jerushah Wright, Storytelling Curator

“I felt like I was aboard a boat in the middle of an empty, vast ocean.” — Brennan Jackson

There’s something deeply human about wanting friendship and connection, only to be hurt by the people you hoped would make you feel like you belonged. For Brennan, finding his way back to trust took time. Through faith, therapy, and the kindness of others, he began to discover that connection could feel safe again. Brennan reflects: “Simple acts of teaching and kindness helped me re-learn how to trust people a little bit more.”

What moved me most was seeing how Brennan’s experience of belonging became something he wanted to create for others. His story reminded me that belonging isn’t only about finding a place where we feel seen, accepted, and understood. Sometimes, it’s about becoming part of creating that space for someone else.

💭 As you reflect on Brennan’s story, who has helped you feel seen, accepted & understood?

Read Brennan’s full story through the link in our bio and discover more Unsinkable stories about belonging, resilience, and finding your way forward.

#WeAreUnsinkable #UnsinkableStories #Belonging #YouthVoices #YouthExperiences by @beunsinkable

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a month ago

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a month ago

Reflections by Jerushah Wright, Storytelling Curator

“I felt like if I wasn’t three steps ahead then I was three steps behind.” Nikita Baxi’s story reminded me how easy it can be to confuse being perfect with being enough. For her, perfectionism became a way to manage uncertainty, to feel prepared for whatever came next. But eventually, she realized that always trying to stay ahead was keeping her from experiencing the life happening around her. “I decided that I need to embrace the unknown.”

As Nikita entered a new chapter, she began making room for uncertainty, challenges, and even fun. She learned that growth doesn’t come from having everything figured out. Sometimes, it comes from being willing to try, stumble, learn, and keep going.

As a new school year begins, that feels like an important reminder: you don’t have to have your whole future figured out to move forward. “To me, being Unsinkable means being the best version of yourself. It means appreciating life’s journey and being resilient.”

💭 What would you make space for if you stopped trying to get everything right?

Read Nikita’s full story through the link in our bio and discover more Unsinkable stories about transformation, reinvention, and finding your way through life’s transitions.

#WeAreUnsinkable #UnsinkableStories #TransformationAndReinvention #BackToSchool #GrowthMindset by @beunsinkable

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a month ago

“Do I really fit in? That was really a struggle.” When I sat down with Vikrant for our interview, his gentleness immediately stood out to me. Beneath it was a quiet strength and wisdom that stayed with me. Vikrant shared what it was like growing up in a well-to-do Indian family where he was expected to follow a familiar path and enter the family business. But he knew there was another version of himself he needed to explore. “There was a conflict in my mind about my own self-identity and my struggle with imposter syndrome.” That uncertainty eventually led Vikrant to Canada, where he imagined finding the right career might bring his future into focus. Instead, he discovered that reinvention wasn't only about building a new career or life. It was also about finding his people, and, through them, finding more of himself.

Vikrant’s story reminded me that some of life’s biggest transitions aren't simply about where we go next. They’re about discovering who and what helps us feel grounded along the way. Career can be important, but belonging can be just as transformative. Finding people who allow us to feel seen, understood, and accepted without having to earn our place can change how we experience ourselves and the world around us. One piece of wisdom from Vikrant continues to stay with me: “If you share your sorrow, it gets halved. If you share your joy, it gets doubled.”

Vikrant’s story reminds us that reinvention doesn’t always happen alone. Sometimes, finding the right community is part of finding ourselves. Thank you, Vikrant, for sharing your story and reminding us of the power of connection through change. Watch Vikrant’s full story through the link in our bio and discover more Unsinkable stories exploring belonging, connection, and the many ways we grow through life’s transitions.

💭As you reflect on Vikrant’s story, where have you found a sense of belonging during a time of change?

👨🏾‍💻Written by: Asante Haughton (Storytelling Manager) & 👩🏽‍💻Copy edited by: Jerushah Wright (Storytelling Curator)

#WeAreUnsinkable #UnsinkableStories #TransitionsAndReinvention #FindingBelonging #SelfDiscovery by @beunsinkable

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2 months ago

Some of the biggest moments in life don’t happen all at once.

They happen in the small decisions to keep going. To try again. To speak up. To become someone you didn’t know you could be.

This International Youth Day, we’re celebrating every young person who’s growing through change, figuring things out, and rewriting their story one step at a time.

At Unsinkable, we’ve learned that transformation doesn’t always look like one big breakthrough. Sometimes it’s finding the words to tell your story. Sometimes it’s realizing you belong. Sometimes it’s hearing someone else’s story and thinking, “Maybe I’m not alone after all.”
That’s why we create spaces where young people can share who they are, explore who they’re becoming, and remind each other that growth doesn’t have to happen alone.

To everyone navigating change, rediscovering themselves, or stepping into a new chapter, we’re celebrating you today.

Your voice matters.

Your story matters.

And who you’re becoming matters.

Happy International Youth Day. 💙

#InternationalYouthDay #JustBeYou #WeAreUnsinkable #YouthVoices #Storytelling Belonging” by @beunsinkable

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2 months ago