Author: Fostering Community

Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada’s 2024-25 Scholarship Application is Now Open, Apply Today!

Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada post-secondary scholarships award young people $5000 for each academic year until they finish their program (to a maximum of 7 years from their program start) through a once yearly competitive application. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, January 24th, 2024.

If you are starting or continuing in full time studies in the 2024-25 academic year, and aren’t already receiving a Foundation Scholarship ($5000 a year)*, apply here for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada Scholarship today!

Visit our website for the link to the online application form, full eligibility information and answers to the most asked questions, or contact the Foundation’s PSE team at grants@cafdn.org .

Scholarship applications are open to youth with both financial need and the potential to succeed in their program of study. To be eligible, a student must be:

  • Be attending a post-secondary institution full-time or on a reduced schedule due to an academic accommodation, for a full school year starting in September 2024 or January 2025
  • Have been or will be in the temporary or permanent care of the Ministry or Department responsible for child protection services up until your age of majority birthday or had been in permanent care of the Ministry or Department responsible for child protection services for at least 12 months
  • Are under the age of 30
  • Are over the age of 30 and have not received a CAFC Scholarship or Bursary before

If you have any questions about the application form, process, or eligibility, we can help!  

Email grants@cafdn.org with your questions and visit our website for more information and the application link.

3 of the Best Free Virtual Skill-Building Resources

Want to further your interests or skills using virtual skill-building resources? If you like to learn and keep your brain active, we’ve got you covered! For those subjects you love or that topic you want to learn more about, virtual resources can help you.  

Check out these 3 free virtual skill-building resources: 

Codecademy – Use Codecademy to learn computer science, coding, and web development. You can take lessons in HTML/CSS, Python 2, JavaScript, Java, and more. The free and interactive lessons Codecademy offers you the opportunity to explore courses on skills you might be interested in pursuing further.  

You will need to create an account with an email address and password to take courses and browse the website.  

TED – Visit TED, a non-profit organization that aims to make great ideas accessible and create conversation. These ideas are primarily in the form of short talks, under 18 minutes. This is a great resource to expand your knowledge of current events, hear advice from professionals, and listen to inspiring stories.  

You do not need to create an account to access content on the site, however there are options for a paid membership.  

Khan Academy – Khan Academy offers free world-class education for everyone through a set of virtual tools. This organization produces short lessons in math, biology, history, economics, grammar, and more, in the form of practice problems, articles, and videos. 

There are different levels of education with many topics in each. You can create an account or browse courses without one.  

I have been taking the first year university course on world history, which is easy to follow. I enjoy watching the video lessons the most, so I recommend trying one if you find a subject that you’re interested in. 

Apply for Education or Employment Help Through Youth Opportunity Fund 

The Youth Opportunity Fund is available to youth who were in permanent care in Canada or who are (or were) eligible for their provincial or territorial extended care program. You can receive funding for a wide range of supports that can help you accomplish educational or career related goals.  

Youth Opportunity Fund could help cover: 

  • Tutoring services  
  • Academic bridging programs 
  • Application fees for graduate programs 
  • And more! 

Eligibility requirements: 

  • Youth who were or are in permanent care in Canada 
  • Youth who were or are eligible for their provincial or territorial extended care program (e.g. Agreements with Young Adults, Continued Care and Support for Youth, Support & Financial Assistance Agreement) 

Learn about the National Transformation Project by watching the video below: 

If you are interested in learning more, contact Jasmine Yiweza at jyiweza@cafdn.org. 

Access Services for Education, Employment, and More through Futures Forward

If you’re a youth in or from care in Manitoba, check out Futures Forward | Support for Current and Former Youth in Care for services in your area. 

The Futures Forward program provides services to youth who are in or have aged out of Child and Family Services (CFS) system in Manitoba as they transition into adulthood. Services include mentoring, education, workshops, skill development, and referrals. Appointments are available in-person or virtually. 

Check out their website here for more information. 

4 Things to Remember When You’re Learning to be a Better Listener  

If you’re anything like me, you have a hard time active listening. Sometimes there’s too much going on near by, I’m distracted by a notification on my phone or computer, or I’m following their words slower than I should be. I try to focus on that person as best I can, but often it’s difficult to hold a whole conversation feeling this way. Following these tips below, I am better able to focus and be present in a conversation and take the time my brain needs to catch up.  

Remember these four tips so you can become a better listener: 

Listen, Listen, Listen 

When you’re listening to someone, try your best to be present. If you struggle with this, do not be afraid to ask the person to step further away from a crowd if that lessens distractions, or ask them to repeat themselves. Try to be mindful when you can, so if you’re on the phone, try to only be on the phone without multitasking if you have a hard time following along. It’s okay if you don’t always have something to say, sometimes being present and listening is what the other person needs.  

Body Language 

Try to be mindful of how you best communicate. Are you better in person? Seeing someone’s face? If body language helps you pay attention, try to use video chats or in-person conversations as your go to. Sometimes we can also make interesting faces or motions during conversations so you may want to make sure you are aware of your own body language.  

Take Time to Think 

Whether you’re talking on the phone, in-person, or online, try to pause before you speak. Take as long as you need if you’re still trying to process any information. This can help your brain catch up and gives you more time to come up with a thoughtful question or comment. This is also a great time to ask them to repeat something if you’re missing any information.  

Know Who You’re Talking to 

Depending on who you are communicating with, you may use different short forms or abbreviations. It’s important to be conscious about who you’re talking to so you can speak in the most appropriate way. You may use more formal language with your boss, but use “lol” and “that slaps” with your friends.  

How to Enjoy Spending Time Outside Alone

Now that the weather is getting warmer, I see families at the park and people walking their dogs a lot. It makes me wonder if I would go outside more if I had a dog… Though I have a cat I’m sure I could put a leash on, I should probably come up with other ways to encourage being outside. 

I have been exploring activities to do outside that feel engaging to me. I know a walk is the easiest way to spend time outside and get exercise, but sometimes walking is boring or unfulfilling. I have found several different activities to do outside that can be engaging and fun. 

Here are five activities that helped me enjoy spending time outside: 

Journal in a Park 

If you enjoy writing or doodling, this is a great activity to keep you outside and engaged. I love doodling while listening to a podcast or music, or writing some wacky stories for fun. 

Watch the Sunset or Sunrise 

If it helps to go outside with something to do like buying groceries or running errands, try to find something to look forward to. If you want to see the sunset, try going outside just with enough time to go somewhere comfortable (like a park or a backyard) and experience that sunset or sunrise. 

Hike on a Trail 

If there are walking or biking paths near you, it can be fun to try changing up your environment for a walk. Sometimes you can find trails that feel like they’re not in the city. If you bring bird seeds with you, you might be able to feed some birds or chipmunks along the way! 

Have a Picnic 

Prepare or pick up something for a snack or lunch, bring a blanket or beach towel, and head to a nice park for a picnic. I like to cut up meat and cheese to pair with crackers and mustard. I like to bring a book, but I always end up listening to a podcast anyway. 

Paint in the Park 

One of my favourite activities to do right now is paint, so what better way to spend time outside than painting? A dollar store should have a mini canvas and a small paint kit, which you can easily pack in a purse, tote, or backpack and bring to a cool location. Last time I painted outside, I went to a park on the waterfront. 

Make a Mindfulness Box with Me!

A mindfulness box is a box, or anything you want to put stuff in, that includes items to help soothe you, calm you, or help you be mindful. I have been interested in making one since my therapist suggested I try making one last month. I love learning about new things I can try at home to practice mindfulness, so learning about the mindfulness box was so helpful! 

If you’re interested in making a mindfulness box, follow along as I share what I put in mine: 

Choose Your Box 

Pick what you want your mindfulness items to go in. This could be a portable cosmetics bag, a old shoe or amazon box, or a basket. I chose an old shoe box. Once you find something to put all your mindfulness items in, you’re ready to start! 

Self-Care Items 

I added a bottle of lotion, a foot mask, nail file, and a jade roller. These are some of the self-care items that soothe me the most. 

Stress Ball 

I of course had to add a stress ball because as much as I might feel silly squeezing a happy emoji face, it makes me feel grounded and regulated. I also like slime, silly putty, and colourful clay. 

Photos of Friends 


I added photos of my friends and my cat. I also included old doodles from notebooks that I thought were cool. This reminds me that I have people who care about me and who I care a lot about. 

Notebook and Pen 

I added both a notebook and sketchbook with pencils and pens. Sometimes I like to doodle or write words over and over which provides a distraction from worrying about little things. 

I hope talking through my mindfulness box helped spark some ideas about what you could put in yours! 

3 Apps that Will Help You Manage Your Stress

We struggle with stress every day, whether small stresses or big, it’s important for us to know how to manage our stress. Unfortunately, that can be really difficult to learn. 

What I found helped me learn how to manage my stress better was taking small steps. Instead of fully committing to a bunch of skills, I tried one. After trying boxed breathing a few times and seeing how it helped ground me, it became a habit. After weeks of not remembering to box breathe when I was stressed and failing to do it early enough to avoid further stress, I found myself immediately trying it without even thinking about it. It became a habit and I finally got the hang of it. 

If you are thinking about trying out some mindfulness exercises, cognitive behavioral therapy skills, or other stress management skills, I recommend trying one of these free apps: 

Calm 

Download on the App Store or Google Play 

With really cool backgrounds and a range of meditations, Calm (calm.com) is a space to escape and relax in the comfort of your hands. This app is designed to keep you calm and it’s quite successful at it. 

Headspace 

Download on the App Store or Google Play 

Headspace (headspace.com) is a comprehensive meditation app, with guided and unguided meditations to help you through all phases of your life. The free app offers ten sessions, with hundreds of hours of extra content if you love it and want to subscribe. 

Happify 

Download on the App Store or Google Play 

Happify (happify.com) is all about positive psychology, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy. As the name suggests, Happify’s goal is to help us all feel happier, and more emotionally fulfilled. This is a great tool to keep in mind if you find yourself overwhelmed often and are struggling to feel emotional fulfilment. 

Easily Create a Resume Using Government of Canada’s Resume Builder

The Government of Canada has made it easy to build a resume. If you’re looking to revamp your resume or create a new one, try creating a free account and building one here. 

All you need to do is: 

  • Create a free account 
  • Scroll to the resume builder at the bottom 
  • Input your experience and information into each section 
  • Save and print! 

The builder formats everything for you so all you need to do is save a file! 

You can also access student and recent graduate employment opportunities on the Government of Canada job bank here. 

Try One of These 7 Relaxing Video Games for a Cozy Night in

For those of you in exam season, you may be studying a lot, feeling stressed, or maybe you’re finished exams and want to relax, but just aren’t sure what to do.  

I have some of the BEST relaxing games you can try when you want to have a chill and cozy night in. I enjoy playing games on a computer and a Nintendo Switch, so I have gone ahead and made a list of my favourite games on a Nintendo Switch, Windows, and Mac, so that you can try out some of the games that you may have a system for.   

My suggestion is to sign up for a Steam account and then watch the sales!  

My top PAID games:   

Stardew Valley (Windows, Mac, Nintendo Switch)  

$16.99 on Steam 

You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home? 

Unpacking (Windows, Mac, Nintendo Switch) 

$22.79 on Steam 

Unpacking is a zen puzzle game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Part block-fitting puzzle, part home decoration, you are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life you’re unpacking. 

My top FREE games: 

The Sims 4 (Windows) 

Free on Steam 

Play with life and discover the possibilities. Unleash your imagination and create a world of Sims that’s wholly unique. Explore and customize every detail from Sims to homes–and much more. 

Equinoxe (Windows) 

Free on Steam 

Equinoxe is a contemplative & narrative game with puzzle phases taking place in two mirrored worlds. Discover a quest for self-acceptance and restore the fragile balance of your world by using its main source of energy: water. 

Fayburrow (Windows) 

Free on Steam 

In a world of fairies, a childhood friend suddenly calls Beatrice back to her old hometown. Yet when she arrives, her friend is mysteriously missing. 

LAY (Windows) 

Free on Steam 

Immerse yourself in this adventure of poetic and contemplative exploration as Elise, a young explorer full of energy. This mysterious world awaits you to overflow with colour and life! 

Kinoko (Windows) 

Free on Steam 

The crisp winter air fills your lungs, but you can feel the earth underneath calling for you. The warmth from the sun melts the snow away and flowers bloom. Spring is here. 

BONUS Mobile Game: If you have a Netflix subscription, you can download Terra Nil on your phone for free. 

Terra Nil is an intricate environmental strategy game about transforming a barren wasteland into a thriving, balanced ecosystem. Bring life back to a lifeless world by purifying soil, cleaning oceans, planting trees, and reintroducing wildlife, then leave without a trace. 

Free on the App Store and Google Play Store. 

I would recommend giving the games above a try if you like relaxing activities that can be quite entertaining for an evening. I personally play Stardew Valley often and my friend and I have made it to fall of year 2 (I don’t even want to tell you how many hours I have played this game for). I hope this list helps for those of you that enjoy cozy video games.