What We Are All About
St. Lawrence Youth Association (SLYA) is a frontline leader in youth rehabilitation, mental health, and justice services across Eastern Ontario. Every day, our team works directly with vulnerable youth—many of whom face complex trauma, mental health challenges, and systemic barriers—through community-based programs, secure and open custody facilities, and intensive support interventions. At SLYA, we believe in creating opportunities, grounded in evidence, care, and accountability. Your donation isn’t just a contribution—it’s an investment in young lives. It funds high-impact mental health supports, culturally responsive programming, and education pathways that rebuild trust and open futures. From trauma-informed therapy to reintegration planning and mentorship, every dollar goes directly to programs proven to reduce recidivism and improve long-term outcomes. In a system where youth are often overlooked, SLYA steps in with purpose: to meet them where they are and guide them toward where they can go. With your support, we can reach further, act faster, and help more youth break cycles of harm and reenter their communities where they can thrive. This is your chance to be part of real, measurable change—because transformation isn’t just possible, it’s happening, and we’d love for you to be part of that change!
SLYA'S Vision
Every Youth we work with exits SLYA programs feeling confident, supported and prepared to succeed, resulting in no recidivism.
The Oxford definition of recidivism: a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behaviour, especially relapse into criminal behaviour.
Our Mission Statement