What was the initiative?

“Proud Pairs” was a one-on-one mentorship program connecting 2SLGBTQIA+ youth (ages 15-23) with 2SLGBTQIA+ adults (ages 24+) in the Halifax Regional Municipality. The project aimed to give real life representation to youth belonging to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. The ultimate aim of Lauren’s initiative was to foster a generation of confident, secure and thriving individuals by pairing them with an adult who has been through it all before. Through this mentor-mentee relationship, youth had the opportunity to seek advice, interact with a positive 2SLGBTQIA+ role model, and have a supportive adult in their life. In addition to one-on-one mentorship, Proud Pairs ran group programming with all mentors and mentees to foster an intergenerational 2SLGBTQIA+ community in the Halifax region.

What was the community connection?

In Lauren’s own words, “I am an out and proud 2SLGBTQIA+ individual. During my undergraduate degree, I was fortunate to have met my own mentors who served as positive representation. Having trusted adults who I could talk to about the unique experiences that come along with being 2SLGBTQIA+ was transformative, and I wanted to pay it forward by providing other youth with the opportunity to have a mentor. I am originally from Ontario, but I chose to launch my project in Halifax because after living in Nova Scotia for nearly 5 years, combined with my strong family ties to the province, Nova Scotia is now home!”

How was it innovative?

At the time of creating Proud Pairs, Lauren Identified that the majority of 2SLGBTQIA+ community work was focused on group programming (e.g., social events, support groups, summer camps, etc.). Intergenerational spaces within the community were difficult to come by. Proud Pairs filled the gap in one-on-one support, as well as the absence of intergenerational spaces in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community by connecting individual youth and adults in a mentoring relationship. Lauren’s Pathy project welcomed 24 participants (12 pairs) into Proud Pairs. Parings’ experiences were overwhelmingly positive, with mentees noting how helpful it was to be able to confide in someone who has a shared lived experience, and mentors noting how fulfilling it was to be the support they wished they had when they were younger. Mentors and mentees took part in individual mentorship, as well as in group activities, such as a board game café hangout, tutoring, skating, meeting up with other pairs, bowling, rock climbing, and thrift shopping. The broader community’s response was incredibly welcoming, with additional volunteers pitching in to help with administration and advancement. During the Fellowship year, Proud Pairs grew from a team of one to a team of seven individuals who all shared in the vision of improving the lives of young 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Additionally, Lauren partnered with researchers from Trent University to launch a study to evaluate the efficacy of Proud Pairs by exploring the impacts that 2SLGBTQIA+ mentorship has on the mental well-being, perceived social support, and community connectedness of participants.

What is Lauren doing now?

Lauren is currently exploring avenues to continue and expand Proud Pairs, and is a current Medical student at University of Toronto.