Photo © Pexels/Katya Wolf
YOUTH LEGACY: Helping Alberta’s Young People Build a Better Future
For 26 years, Peer Mediation & Skills Training (PMAST) has stood beside Alberta’s youth with one mission: helping them communicate more effectively, manage conflict, and develop the life skills needed to thrive. Today, their special project, Youth Legacy, and other programs have supported thousands of young people, especially those facing barriers, trauma, or a lack of direction. But for many, the turning point begins with a single “yes.”
For Matthew Tekle, that “yes” came at age 21.
Unemployed, out of school, and unsure of his future, Matthew joined PMAST’s Youth Legacy Program as a youth at risk. “I didn’t know what I wanted,” he recalled. “I just knew I didn’t want to stay lost.” With one-on-one mentoring and PMAST’s Communication and Conflict Management program, he started to regain confidence.
Everything accelerated when he joined Struggle Is Your Success, PMAST’s partner, where the “Dream It. Plan It. Build It.” program helped Matthew uncover a passion he’d never pursued: digital art. Within six months, he was turning that passion into income.
“I achieved this because of the doors PMAST opened for me,” he said. “They believed in me before I believed in myself.”
Matthew’s story is just one example of why Youth Legacy matters. Many youth today, especially those facing poverty, discrimination, or family instability, are navigating challenges without access to the supports needed to thrive. For those entering Alberta’s youth justice system, the barriers deepen. The system remains largely punitive, relying on fines and incarceration that rarely address the underlying trauma, communication difficulties, or lack of life skills that contribute to offending. As a result, reoffending rates remain high.
PMAST’s Youth Legacy is working to break that cycle.
Through work at the Calgary Young Offender Centre (CYOC), Youth Legacy helps reduce the overrepresentation of minority youth by providing evidence-based programs that build emotional regulation, communication skills, conflict resolution, and future planning. The goal: not punishment, but healing, stability, and long-term change.
A key part of PMAST’s impact is the “Village” mindset, a network of agencies providing wraparound support. When youth need counselling, addiction help, food, or housing, Youth Legacy partners with trusted organisations like Struggle Is Your Success and Off The Grid Youth.
“We only do what we do best,” said the team. “And when someone needs more, our Village is there.”
Together, Youth Legacy, its partners, and its community network help young people develop leadership skills, build self-esteem, and discover the spark that drives them toward a better future.
Matthew is living proof.
“If you’re thinking about joining Youth Legacy, do it,” he said. “Even if you feel stuck, they help you find your spark.”
From Lost Youth to Young Creator
Matthew’s transformation reflects what becomes possible when a community believes in its youth. See some of his art at pmast.org
Learn more about empowering youth with the skills, support, and direction to build brighter futures at PMAST by visiting pmast.org or reach out at info@pmast.org
Youth Legacy was made possible by funding from Canada Youth Justice Fund and the Alberta Government.
Get your free copy of Global Heroes, jam-packed with positive news, straight in your inbox.
