Your School Can Be Part of Something Extraordinary

What if your students could lead the change they want to see in the world, and it started right in your school?

That is the idea behind WAIS to Belong, a brand new national pilot from the WITS Foundation that puts young people at the centre of building more inclusive school communities across Canada. Its French language companion, SOIS le lien, brings the same vision to Francophone and French immersion settings.

From this fall through spring 2027, more than 40 schools in ten provinces and territories will take part. Spaces are still available, and your school is invited.

What is WAIS to Belong?

WAIS to Belong is built on four simple actions that change how young people treat one another:

• W: Welcome
• A: Accept
• I: Include
• S: Share

When children and youth practise these actions, especially when meeting someone new or unfamiliar, something powerful happens. Instead of being excluded or ridiculed, that person is invited to belong.

The program pairs older student mentors (ages 11 to 15) with younger mentees (ages 7 to 11). Age groups are flexible. Mentors learn the WAIS principles, then design and deliver creative, hands-on workshops to teach them to their younger peers. Both groups then develop their own community action projects: murals, skits, campaigns, peer mentoring initiatives that leave a lasting, visible mark on school culture.

It is student driven. It is creative. And it works because the learning comes from peers, not a textbook.

Why join the pilot?

Schools that take part in the 2026-2027 pilot receive comprehensive support at no cost. Here is what that looks like:

Your students grow as leaders. Older students build real world skills, planning, public speaking, project management, collaboration and empathy, by designing and delivering workshops to younger peers.

Younger students learn from role models they look up to. Peer led learning is among the most effective ways to shift attitudes and build social-emotional skills. When a Grade 7 student teaches a Grade 3 class about welcoming others, both sides of that exchange are transformed.

Your school gains a lasting legacy. Every youth-led action project, whether a hallway mural, a lunchtime inclusion campaign or a student-produced video, becomes part of your school’s story and is showcased on a dedicated national website.

It aligns with what you already do. WAIS to Belong connects naturally to equity, social studies, citizenship and social-emotional learning outcomes. It complements existing bullying prevention work rather than competing with it.

You join a national movement. The pilot spans communities from St. John’s to Inuvik to Victoria, including rural, Indigenous and official language minority schools. Your students join a cross-Canada cohort of nearly 5,000 students.

We support you every step of the way

• Full educator training, virtual and in person, on inclusive practices and program delivery
• Ready-to-use resources: all workshop materials, facilitation guides and student handouts
• Ongoing assistance from dedicated WITS personnel by phone, email and video all year
• In-person site visits to select schools to support workshops and celebrate student projects
• Financial recognition: participating classes receive honoraria and students are eligible for prizes

You guide the process. We handle the rest.

Built by experts, shaped by youth

WAIS to Belong was co-created with educators, Indigenous knowledge holders, subject matter experts and youth advisory groups from across Canada, including the RCMP National Youth Advisory Committee and the Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council Youth Council. Academic partners at Royal Roads University are leading a parallel research study, supported by a SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant, so the program stays grounded in evidence and keeps improving.

How to get involved

Spaces in the 2026-2027 pilot are limited and are being allocated to ensure regional and demographic diversity across Canada. If your school is interested, now is the time to reach out.

Register your interest at wais.education (English) or sois.education (French).

Or contact us directly or call 1-855-858-8766 (toll free). We will follow up within two business days to schedule a call.

WAIS to Belong and SOIS le lien are part of the Inclusion Strategies Phase 3 project, delivered by the WITS Foundation and funded by the Government of Canada through Canadian Heritage and several other charitable foundations. The WITS Foundation is a registered Canadian charity (No. 89138 2228 RT0001). Learn more at wits.foundation.