YouthLink Youth Services and the Tyler McGill Music Program
Learn about YouthLink Youth Services
YouthLink Youth Services is a mental health youth charity serving troubled and homeless youth in Scarborough since 1914. The organization was originally known as the Big Sisters Movement and then later renamed the Big Sisters of Metropolitan Toronto. As the Big Sisters of Metropolitan Toronto, the organization changed the lives of young girls through counselling, education, and Christmas presents.
“Big Sisters” Give Christmas Party to Vocational School Girls (1927)
In 1971, the Big Sisters of Metropolitan Toronto decided to change their name to Huntley Youth Services. This name change took place because the charity wanted to appeal to both young boys and girls. A decade later Huntley Youth Services changed their name to YouthLink Youth Services, a name that remains to this day.
Campbell, S., 1971. Star staff writer – Big Sisters need help for counselling work
YouthLink Youth Services provides lots of services to troubled and homeless youth in Scarborough. One of these services is educational service, which includes Pathways to Education Scarborough Village, helping kids from a high drop out area to graduate from high school and the Tyler McGill Music Program, which is an educational music program from age 12 to 24-year-old youths.
Learn about the Tyler McGill Music Program
In an article by Susan Hay, anchor/producer of Global News, she described Tyler McGill the 22 year old who loved to go fishing, play hockey, and spend time with family and friends.
Global News, Global Toronto – Susan Hay, Anchor/Producer
He also loved music, which unfortunately was cut short. In the summer of 2007, Tyler McGill was killed when he was on a McDonald’s drive-thru with his friends.
The friends and family of Tyler McGill, devastated, decided to not let Tyler McGill’s memory go away.
They built the program up until 2014, where it got to a point where the Tyler McGill Music Program got help from YouthLink Youth Services to form the Tyler McGill My First Musical Program. This free program was formed for kids with a love of music wanting to learn more and get more knowledge of music through this program.
Hayes, S., Anchor/Producer, June 2019. Global News, Global Toronto – Tyler McGill
Who is it Available to?
This program is available to all youth from the age of 12 to 24 with a passion to learn music. Also, these lessons are free and youth can play any instrument they want as long as they stay in the program.
Hayes, S., Anchor/Producer, June 2019. Global News, Global Toronto – Youth Playing Guitars
How Long and Where?
This program is available every Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm. The location is at 3595 St. Clair Avenue East near Scarborough Go Station.
Google Maps, August 2018. Google - 3593 St. Clair Avenue East Tyler McGill Music Program
It is not mandatory to come to every visit, as one can come to the Tyler McGill Music Program anytime they want.
How Does One Get Started?
For the Tyler McGill Music Program, one can check the program on Saturday. at any time at 416-967-1773 by using an extension of 278 to arrange the visit. One would need to fill out an application form and a reference letter to YouthLink Youth Services.
YouthLink Youth Services will then call the family and then the youth can start the program whenever he/she wants.
Hayes, S., Anchor/Producer, June 2019. Global News, Global Toronto – Youth Playing a Guitar
Why is the Tyler McGill Music Program So Important?
Steve Worrall, a program music teacher at the Tyler McGill Music Program said that teaching this program has been the highlight of his 40-year career:
“As a Canadian musician, I’ve been fortunate to enjoy more than a 40-year career. I have worked with some amazing performers. I toured and played with Tom Cochrane with Amy Sky — just life-fulfilling experiences — but this program has been the highlight of my career and my life without a doubt.”
The reason why Steve Worrall said this is the highlight of his long career is given below:
“You see a big difference in these kids lives all of a sudden and to watch that unfold before you, it’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever done in my life,”
Making a difference to a child’s life has been gratifying to Steve Woorall and his career.
For example, Abby Grundy, a participant of the scholarship program.
“If not for this program, there’s no way l would ever have any access to anything that I have done because of this program in the last two and a bit years,”
Some of the youths that take part in this program are vulnerable individuals living in the city of Toronto. Their lives have been changed forever with this program, because it gives them another skill that they could use in their adult lives.
“It’s opened a bunch of doors to different possibilities that I can do when I get older,” said Grundy.
Hayes, S., Anchor/Producer, June 2019. Global News, Global Toronto – Abby Grundy, participant
This quote meets the vision statement of YouthLink which states:
“We imagine a strong Scarborough where all youth and their families thrive.”
This vision statement can be seen with the Tyler McGill Music program, which is changing lives of youth. Whenever kids learn a new skill or a new way to express themselves with music, it helps with kids growing up in troubled neighbourhoods, which have high dropout rates for high school. This in combination with the Pathways to Education Scarborough Village program is an ultimate combo for kids to get new skills and earn a high school diploma.
Quora – Ontario Secondary School Diploma
Pathways to Education Scarborough Village
Pathways Canada Twitter Account – Pathways to Education Logo
Pathways to Education Scarborough Village is a program done by Pathways to Education and YouthLink Youth Services. This program helps alleviate barriers for kids to graduate from high school from Scarborough Village. The high school dropout rate at Scarborough Village is 1/3rr of the student population. Furthermore, it is a poor area with people having no money or recent immigrants trying to settle and find a stable life in Canada. One example is financial barriers where the program pays for the students’ bus ticket to school.
Legacy of the Tyler McGill Music Program
As one can see when reading this article that this program means a lot to the mentors and students who are in charge of this program. What also needs to be pointed out is the selflessness of these mentors and tutors who voluntarily give up their time to help change a youth’s life and give them a new skill.
An example of this would be a Susan Hays global news article, where an interviewer asked whether Steve Worrall would want to get paid for this job, to which he replied:
“Why take anything for it? It absolutely changes lives,”
This quote perfectly exemplifies the selflessness and love to the job of helping other people. People like Steve Worrall should be given a lot of credit for their selflessness and eager to help people.
Also, people like Carol McGill, mother of Tyler McGill and co-founder of the Tyler McGill Music Program should also be given a lot of credit. After losing her son to senseless violence, she, her family, and Tyler McGill’s friends used their grief to create a program that changed lives with the Tyler McGill Music Program.
YouthLink Youth Services – Tips for Tuesday
This can be seen in John Denver’s internationally acclaimed composer/conductor/arranger Lee Holdridge who conducts the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in tribute to the legendary singer-songwriter that took place in June 21st at Roy Thomson Hall.
This show included some of YouthLink’s Tyler McGill Foundation music students to perform the song at the orchestra.
Worrall, Rick., March 2019. YouTube – RMH 30 Toronto