At Facile Futures, we support families of all ages. However, we know that for families in Huron-Perth the transition from school to adult life is a very stressful time for parents and caregivers. We have a number of unique initiatives that target this critical time in a young person’s life and support active steps towards a good life as an adult.
Facile offers families proactive and individualized transition planning supports and service navigation supports. We also work closely with our community partners to create meaningful opportunities for youth to explore their interests and develop necessary skills.
Through transition planning, Facile Futures aims to support positive transitions to three meaningful roles in the community:
- the role of an engaged citizen,
- an employee,
- a life-long learner.
To achieve these goals, we are working with students, families, educators, community partners, local businesses, service providers, and college/university communities to identify and plan for fulfilling adult lives.
Building Bright Futures
Building Bright Futures is a youth engagement initiative of Facile Futures. It is a community development initiative focused on supporting youth of all abilities to lead good, connected lives in Huron-Perth.
What We Do:
- We advocate to improve access to community, the world of work, and life-long learning opportunities.
- We provide youth and their families with tools, strategies and experiences that support the transition from school to adult life.
- We nurture partnerships that build capacity and facilitate opportunities for youth to direct their own lives.
We Focus On:
- Supporting youth’s personal, social and professional development.
- Building capacity within systems and our community.
- Improving access for youth of all abilities to benefit from meaningful opportunities as citizens, employees and lifelong learners.
Working with Students and Families
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Facile Futures has official partnerships with both the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board and the Avon Maitland School Board to build a transition to adult life model for students with a disability.
Each year, students are identified through the school system or by referral and receive 1-1 facilitator support from Facile Futures.
This support includes helping students connect to build a vision for their life post-graduation, make the transition to adult services, develop important community connections, explore interests, and build relationships.
Families can contact Facile to learn more about how to get started on plans for this stage of your child’s life.
To start a conversation, email Emily Branje, Executive Director at emily@facilefutures.ca
Let’s talk about your interests, work experience, mentorships, and opportunities to learn and connect with others who share your passion!
You can also read examples of how Facile has helped students like Amiera tap into their passions and make meaningful connections on our Stories Page. You can also learn more about Transition Planning by clicking the flyer below.
Working with Educators
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Local school boards have been important partners on this journey. We are fortunate to have ongoing partnerships with is the Huron Perth Catholic District School Board (HPCDSB) and the Avon Maitland District School Board (AMDSB). Through our collaboration with HPCDSC and AMDSB, Facile provides transition planning that complements educator-directed plans built into the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process.
Partnerships like this have allowed the Facile team to build its capacity to facilitate more effective transitions for students exiting the school system. By working with local school boards, we are also helping create greater transparency around the transition to adult life for students with a disability and their families. This includes connecting them with adult services and resources that support life after high school.
Read our Annual Highlights reports to learn about the impact our partnership has had!
Making Community Connections
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As part of its youth engagement work, Facile also works to engage and build relationships with youth leaders and community stakeholders as part of our efforts to increase access to post-graduation pathways for youth of all abilities.
Facile chairs the Huron-Perth Youth Employment Network Advisory Committee. Together, the committee is working to build a Youth Employment Network in Huron-Perth.
In early 2025, we hosted the Huron-Perth Youth Employment Network Advisory Committee’s first Employer Engagement event. This event — called Building Bright Futures in Rural Ontario — brought together 41 employers and municipal stakeholders to learn about the resources available, and the value of community supporting youth entering the workforce.
These events, and the connections made through them, help Facile Futures to continue to build capacity toward connecting youth with local employment opportunities.
Other Initiatives
Facile is eager to work alongside other organizations who support youth with a disability and their families.
Coaching to Inclusion
Facile has worked to develop and deepen connections with local educators through its role as a member of the Coaching to Inclusion (C2I) Steering Committee. As part of the C2I Inclusion Committee, we work closely with representatives from Western University and school boards across Southwestern Ontario to further the goal of inclusive education. Facile also shared information and led discussions around inclusive education at Coaching to Inclusion’s 2025 Conference, which brought together approximately 140 local educators.
SEAC Committee
Facile is eager to contribute and strengthen its relationships to school boards. Facile currently sits on the Catholic School Board’s SEAC committee. We meet monthly with other community members and family representatives. We are pleased to be in this role for a second year term.