Youth Assisting Youth is a volunteer-based peer mentoring

Peer mentoring

Peer mentoring is a form of mentorship that takes place in learning environments such as schools, usually between an older more experienced student and a new student. Peer mentors should not be confused with prefects...

 program which individually matches mentors with similarly-aged "at-risk" or vulnerable children and adolescents aged 6–15 years old. Based in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Ontario, Canada, the goal of the organization is "to provide a positive role model through a 'special friend' relationship." http://www.yay.org/about.html#who Youth Assisting Youth was founded in 1976 after a successful bid for funding from the Ministry of Correctional Services (Ontario)

Ministry of Correctional Services (Ontario)

The Ministry of Correctional Services is a former cabinet department in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was eliminated in 2002, and its responsibilities were shifted to the newly-created Ministry of Public Safety and Security...

. In 1991, Youth Assisting Youth became a member of the United Way of Greater Toronto

United Way of Canada

United Way of Canada is the national organization for the 117 autonomous, volunteer-based United Ways across Canada. United Way campaigns raise money for local groups that address community issues and problems, and the national organization provides leadership, services and coordination to the...

.