Tarek Kadan

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT TAREK KADAN

Tarek is a Syrian refugee who came to Canada by himself in 2015. Tarek works at North York Community House (NYCH) as the Mental Health and Wellness Lead. He has worked at NYCH as Settlement and Online Specialist. He is a member of the Research Advisory Committee at Access Alliance multicultural health and community services and a former Peer Researcher and, Youth and Outreach Worker. Tarek is also the founder of Syrian Youth Catering Services, a social enterprise that supports international students who came from countries of conflict. He is a Peer Mental Health Support Worker at the City of Toronto in the Toronto Youth Equity Strategy and runs workshops on youth mental health and wellbeing. He has volunteered with over 20 different organizations, supporting and fundraising for people in need both in and outside of Canada. All of these experiences allowed him to grow and participate in activism, calling for fairness and equality among humans, regardless of age, sex, culture, background, gender, religion, or colour.Tarek sees mental health, youth employment, and access to education, as critical issues that must be addressed. He is very passionate about youth mental health, and as a young person, he sees the importance of having strong educational and employment opportunities. Many people in Tarek\'s community have noticed his involvement and dedication to leadership. His school, for example, has awarded him many times, for his exemplary attitude, work ethic, and involvement. He also received the Merit Award, in 2016 for his excellent commitment to academic studies, dedication to personal development, and caring for others in the form of extracurricular and community activities. He has been chosen to be an adviser by the City of Toronto and an advocate for youth mental health and newcomers issues in the Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy.