INSPIRING WORK
Providing access to economic opportunities for equity-deserving high school students in grades 11 and 12
Inspiring Work is focused on addressing the skills, opportunities and network gaps by providing:
Work-integrated experiential learning,
Soft skills development/certification, and
Opportunities to apply for meaningful summer work experience.
Our commitment to gender equality ensures female identifying participants comprise of a minimum of 50% of each cohort. We are committed to providing an inclusive environment for racialized and Indigenous youth no matter their sexual orientation.
This is a 1-year after school program starting September - August consisting of a virtual or in-person workshop each month with focused industry specific experiential learning and soft skills development.
This program will provide a better understanding of your chosen industry of interest, provide opportunities to build your professional network, help you develop the skills necessary to be successful in the workforce, and provide opportunities to apply to meaningful summer work experience.
You will receive support and mentorship throughout the program from industry experts and volunteers not far removed from high school.
“I don’t think I would have gotten accepted into the University of Waterloo without the help of The MINA Project team.”
— Ella, Inspiring Work inaugural graduate 2021-22
Streams YOU can be a part of
Finance/Business
You will develop your financial literacy skills along with soft skills, and gain a better understanding of capital markets, while building their professional networks.
Science/Healthcare
You will learn about different pathways, develop required transferable skills, get hands on experience, and network with leaders in your industry of interest.
General/Exploratory
This stream offers you the opportunity to explore different options available to you, gain necessary skills and connect with mentors to guide your journey.
Engineering/Technology
This stream will introduce you to industry leaders, careers and roles in your industry of interest, and help you develop the skills necessary to succeed.
All streams include:
Monthly virtual or in-person experiential and/soft skills workshops starting September - May (program schedule available in the summer).
Opportunities to apply to summer (July and August) meaningful internships and experiences after successful completion of the program.
Program Expectations
Participants are expected to:
Participate fully in experiential and soft skills workshops
Respond to communication touch points in a timely manner
Set and work towards personal and professional goals
Be open to learning new skills, to meeting new people, and to being comfortable about being uncomfortable
Public library card with online access – free at any public library
Access to computer and internet (The MINA Project can help gain access if you require assistance.)
Ability to travel within the GTA to attend work-integrated experiential learning opportunities if in-person
Requirements
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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The primary pre-requisite for being a part of the Inspiring Work program is to be enrolled in secondary school or equivalent program in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and about to enter grade 11 and 12 in the upcoming year
Additional conditions to meet:
Identify as black, Indigenous or a person of colour
Face challenges to accessing opportunities
Willingness to be part of a community, to learn together, and to share collaboratively as a team
Ability to participate in a hybrid mix of virtual and in-person experiential and soft skills monthly workshops in the GTA
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Apply through the button below. A parent or guardian is required to sign your application. Please make sure when applying that the email address added is checked regularly and can respond to communication from info@theminaproject.ca in a timely manner. A confirmation email will be sent shortly after online applications are submitted. This communication will request an email response.
A recommendation from a community organizer or supervisor, teacher, guidance counsellor, or social worker etc. is required to complete the application. The recommendation is to be emailed to info@theminaproject.ca. Please click here to download a sample recommendation email request that can be personalized.
Participating in a virtual Q&A session is the final step for program acceptance consideration. Dates are provided on the application. Further details regarding sessions and a reminder of the advocate recommendation will be communicated in the confirmation email after submitting the online application.
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This is a year long after school program. Participants will be meeting face to face once a month either in-person or virtually through either:
A work-integrated experiential learning opportunity or
A soft skills workshop leading up to
Opportunities to apply to summer internships in July and August
There will also be weekly individual or cohort based mentorship touch-points to offer support, encouragement and feedback.
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Experiential learning occurs when carefully chosen experiences are supported by reflection and critical analysis
Experiences are structured to require the learner to take initiative, make decisions and be accountable for results
Throughout the experiential learning process, the learner is actively engaged in posing questions, investigating, experimenting, being curious, solving problems, assuming responsibility, being creative, and constructing meaning
Learners are engaged intellectually, emotionally, socially, soulfully and/or physically. This involvement produces a perception that the learning task is authentic
The results of the learning are personal and form the basis for future experience and learning
The design of the learning experience includes the possibility to learn from natural consequences, mistakes and successes
Applications for Inspiring Work 2025-26 are now CLOSED
Be notified when applications open in early 2026 by clicking on the button below.
