From Awareness to Prevention: Our Research and Advocacy Approach

“Research is key to understanding the issues facing young people experiencing homelessness and sex trafficking.” - Dr. Amanda Noble, Manager of Research & Evaluation at Covenant House Toronto.

We at Covenant House Toronto have a clear vision: to lead change that supports and empowers youth who are homeless, trafficked, or at risk, to pursue a life of wellness and opportunity.

Through our shelter and programming, we help close the opportunity gap for young people who have experienced homelessness or sex trafficking. However, as front-line experts, we also advocate for broader social shifts to aid prevention.

“Too often, young people experiencing homelessness or sex trafficking don’t have a voice,” explains Dr. Amanda Noble, Covenant House Toronto’s Manager of Research & Evaluation. “Helping them be heard is essential to creating change.”

Collaborating with community and government partners, we work to improve social systems for at-risk youth. This means ensuring resources for young people, and making sure their needs will be met with compassion and caring support.

In order to do this, we first need to understand the landscape and the challenges young people face. Our Research and Evaluation team provides critical insights that allow us to drive policy and raise awareness.

“Research is key to understanding the issues facing young people experiencing homelessness and sex trafficking,” said Dr. Noble. “It gives us a basis of facts and allows us to pinpoint challenges so we can move forward to building solutions. It also gives us a platform to elevate the voice of youth.”

Through this effort, we are able to move beyond supporting the immediate needs of youth to interrupt the cycle of homelessness.

Learn more about our work to understand and advocate for the changing needs of youth in our annual Impact Report.