## Hero

# Not Every Youth Program Is Built for Every Young Person

**Generic programs teach skills. SIYS builds the person behind the skills.**

Struggle Is Your Success (SIYS) is Calgary's only Black-led nonprofit dedicated to youth entrepreneurship mentorship for ages 14 to 25, with programming designed from the ground up to meet BIPOC youth, newcomer youth, and marginalized young people exactly where they are. If you are comparing youth leadership programs in Calgary, the difference is not just curriculum. It is context, community, and specificity of support.

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## Benefits

### Built Around Barriers, Not Despite Them

Most generalist youth programs in Calgary are designed for a general audience. That is not a criticism. It is simply a fact that shapes outcomes. When a young person carries the weight of systemic barriers, whether that is racial bias, newcomer status, language gaps, or economic pressure, a one-size approach leaves those realities unaddressed. SIYS names those barriers directly and builds every program module around them. Youth are not asked to set their circumstances aside to participate. Their circumstances are the starting point.

### Entrepreneurial Mindset Development, Not Just Skill Delivery

Entrepreneurship education at SIYS is not a checklist of business concepts. It is a process of identity-building. Young people ages 14 to 25 leave SIYS programming with a working understanding of financial literacy for youth, the ability to spot and pursue opportunity, and the confidence to lead in spaces that were not originally designed with them in mind. Calgary youth leadership programs that focus narrowly on résumé skills or leadership theory rarely touch the mindset layer. SIYS does, because mindset is what transfers.

### One-on-One Mentorship That Reflects Your Reality

Mentorship at SIYS is not a monthly check-in. It is a consistent, relationship-based experience where youth are paired with mentors who understand the specific terrain of growing up as a BIPOC or newcomer young person in Calgary. Community entrepreneurship programs in Alberta often rely on volunteer networks with limited cultural alignment. SIYS builds its mentorship infrastructure around lived experience, so young people are not spending time translating their reality before they can get to the actual work. One recent participant shared: "Struggle Is Your Success-SIYS was my first exposure to having an entrepreneurial mindset. Being surrounded by people from such diverse backgrounds allowed me to have faith in myself — I’m not limited by my skin colour or where I’m from. It was an incredibly impactful experience that pivoted my direction as an individual. Representing this organization through my work is the least I can do for a cause that assists kids in understanding the world through an entrepreneurial lens."

### Reducing Youth Recidivism Through Belonging and Purpose

Youth recidivism reduction is one of the measurable outcomes SIYS works toward, and it is not accidental. When young people, particularly those who have experienced contact with the justice system, find genuine purpose and community through entrepreneurship, the pull toward harmful cycles weakens. Programs that treat youth as a demographic to manage miss this entirely. SIYS treats participants as future leaders, and that distinction changes what is possible. SIYS has supported 600+ young people through this approach across its Calgary programming.

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## Social Proof

The difference between SIYS and generalist youth programs in Calgary is felt by the young people who have moved through both. Here is what participants and community members say:

SIYS is proud to be recognized by [2025 ASTech Award — Change Maker, Early Career: Community-Centered Design & Innovation
Awarded to SIYS founder Musap “Moose” Abdelhag.
The recognition highlighted his leadership and SIYS’s community-centred work supporting BIPOC, marginalized, at-risk, and justice-connected youth.
SIYS’s Dream It, Plan It, Build It program was highlighted as part of this work.
Global News Calgary Feature
SIYS has been featured on Global News Calgary.
The coverage highlighted SIYS’s work empowering Black, marginalized, newcomer, and at-risk youth through mentorship, entrepreneurship, leadership, cultural identity, and personal development.
Avenue Calgary — Innovator of the Week
SIYS founder Musap Abdelhag was featured by Avenue Calgary as an Innovator of the Week.
The feature highlighted SIYS and its entrepreneurship and leadership programming for marginalized and justice-connected youth.
Foundation for Black Communities — Catapult Fund Recipient
SIYS was selected as a recipient through the Foundation for Black Communities’ Catapult funding stream.
This represents significant national recognition and investment in SIYS’s work within Black communities.
Kindred Foundation — Youth Mental Health Grant Recipient
SIYS was selected for support from the Kindred Foundation.
The funding supported Rooted Voices: Creative Identity & Mental Wellness Lab for Black Youth.
Black Opportunity Fund Recognition
SIYS was selected as an Alberta organization supported through Black Opportunity Fund programming focused on strengthening Black communities.
United Way of Calgary and Area
SIYS has been recognized and supported as a community partner of United Way of Calgary and Area.
SIYS has also received community and capacity-building support through United Way initiatives.
Civic and Community Recognition
SIYS has received recognition and engagement from municipal, provincial, nonprofit, community, and institutional leaders in Calgary and Alberta.
SIYS has been invited to participate in civic, community, youth-development, public-safety, and social-impact initiatives.], reflecting the trust placed in this work by Calgary's broader community of youth-serving organizations and funders.

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## CTA

### The Right Program for This Moment in a Young Person's Life

If you are searching for the best youth programs in Calgary for a young person who is BIPOC, a newcomer, or navigating systemic barriers, generalist programming is a starting point. SIYS is a destination. Our entrepreneurship education, innovation programs, financial literacy, and one-on-one mentorship are built specifically for youth ages 14 to 25 who deserve support that sees them fully.

This is inclusive youth leadership development with real stakes and real community behind it. If you want to learn more about SIYS programs, connect a young person with a mentor, or explore how your organization can partner with a Black-led nonprofit doing this work in Calgary, get in touch with the SIYS team directly. The next step is a conversation.

**Get Involved with SIYS** | **Refer a Youth** | **Become a Mentor**