First nations life skills training
First Nation's Life Skills Training
Strengthening First Nations Communities Through Culturally Grounded Life Skills Training
Reach Toronto partners with First Nations communities to deliver transformative, culturally rooted life skills programs that build confidence, independence, and long-term well-being.
Our training covers four key programs essential for everyday living and future success:
Food & Nutrition • Financial Literacy • Urban Preparedness • Entrepreneurship
Designed for all ages—from toddlers to elders—our programs are offered in flexible one-week blocks or fully customized workshops. Every session blends hands-on learning with traditional values, ensuring skills that are practical, meaningful, and culturally resonant.
To ensure lasting community impact, we also offer a Train-the-Trainer program. We equip staff and community members with our full teaching materials, methodologies, and best practices—empowering them to continue delivering these programs independently and sustainably. This approach ensures the learning lives on long after Reach Toronto has left, strengthening future generations.
Unlike standard life skills programs, we embed critical building blocks—communication, confidence, problem-solving, and self-advocacy—into everything we teach. This holistic approach ensures participants not only learn skills, but truly thrive.
Who We Support
- Youth: Strengthening independence at home, school, and work
- Parents & Tots: Bonding through food and shared learning
- Children: Building healthy habits, creativity, and confidence
- Single Parents: Tools for parenting, nutrition, and financial wellness
- Elders: Support in healthy, affordable cooking and maintaining independence
Four Pillars program
FOOD FOR LIFE
URBAN TRANSITION PREPAREDNESS
URBAN TRANSITION PREPAREDNESS
Our Food for Life program aims to empower our clients and communities wth essential culinary skills while fostering creativity, cultural appreciation and a love for wholesome, nutritious, and budget friendly homemade meals. Our program is about fostering health and wellness, fostering independence and empowering future generations of adults, youth and children. Program modules include grocery shopping, cooking skills, understanding labels, shopping within a budget, price comparison, food preparation, nutrition knowledge, food safety and hygiene, cultural and culinary appreciation as well as social and emotional aspects of food
URBAN TRANSITION PREPAREDNESS
URBAN TRANSITION PREPAREDNESS
URBAN TRANSITION PREPAREDNESS
Our Urban Preparedness Program empowers youth with the skills needed for independent urban living. Participants learn essential life skills, from meal planning and daily routines to budgeting for expenses and maintaining a home. As they become comfortable navigating the city, they also learn to use public transportation confidently. The program includes visits to Indigenous centers, providing valuable support to help bridge cultural differences between urban lifestyles and traditional identities. Additionally, participants will explore educational options. Tours of college and university campuses are included as well as meet with Skills Ontario professionals, to help them envision and plan for their future lives and careers.
FINANCIAL LITERACY/MONEY AND YOUTH
This is a crucial pillar as the skills learned here are necessary for all other lifeskills to be successful. This module is designed to enhance financial literacy and promote responsible financial behaviours and decision making. Topics include budgeting basics, creating a personal budget, expenses vs. income, savings, recognizing needs vs. wants, banking essentials, credit and debt management, credit scores and investing for the future
ENTREPRENEURSHIP/THE YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR
Our program aims to support and empower our clients in starting, managing and growing successful businesses within their communities. Topics in this module include creation of a business, marketing, sales and research, business plans, seeking out loans and grants specific to indigenous entrepreneurs, leadership skills, networking and relationship growing , legal consideration, and product development. Entrepreneurship offers a unique blend of autonomy, opportunity, creativity, and fulfillment that can be highly appealing to individuals seeking to create their own path and make a difference in the world. We provide the tools to help create that dream