Shane N. Young MSW, PhD (ABD)
Leader, Educator, Facilitator
C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E
Since my early teen years, I have been actively involved with community organizations as a youth volunteer leading the direction of youth initiatives in Stephenville. Moreover, I was a founding youth with the Community Youth Network (CYN).
I have been actively involved in the Mi’kmaq community since the late 1990s when my Indigenous ancestry became known to me after years of community and familial suppression stemming from histories of discrimination, exclusion, and erasure on the island of Newfoundland.
My involvement, both personal and professional, within the urban Indigenous community of Tkaronto has been one of many gifts. To learn and grow with a group of people who have rich lived experiences within a space where you do not only listen but where you are also heard. From Indigenous Board of Directors to ceremonies, or community events, my continued involvement with the urban Indigenous community of Tkaronto has encompassed relations to reciprocity, inclusion, and respect. My doctoral studies have allowed me to expand my web of relations to include the Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, and Tuscarora nations of Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte of Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Furthermore, the Michi Saagiig (Mississauga Anishinaabeg) of Curve Lake First Nation. The relations are not static but are continually expanding and developing, and it is without a doubt that my involvement within the Department of Social Work will depend on furthering these relations with the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg.
B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S
President, Board of Directors
INDIGENOUS FRIENDS ASSOCIATION (IFA)
Term: 2019-Present
The Board of Directors is accountable to members and their families, the community, funders, and other stakeholders. By connecting Indigenous students with peer support and offering internal and external resources available in the educational setting and surrounding areas, students can access information on resources for Indigenous Peoples on-campus, peer-support networks, and traditional counselling and Knowledge Keepers. Furthermore, the Board is responsible for the Association's performance in realizing its mission and achieving its goals and for effective stewardship of financial and human resources.
Director
NATIVE MEN'S RESIDENCE (NA-ME-RES)
Term: 2019-Present
The Circle of Directors is responsible for the strategic focus, policy direction, and financial health of Na-Me-Res, ensuring that programs have adequate resources and are consistent with the mission and values. Moreover, the vision is that everyone deserves respect, consideration, and care, no matter their life circumstances. That belief drives the compassion and dedication of the Na-Me-Res team. The Circle of Directors recognizes all staff and volunteers who help coordinate programs, manage residences, and devote long hours to end homelessness and meet the needs of the Toronto Indigenous community.
N A T I O N A L O R G A N I Z A T I O N S
National Indigenous Accreditation Board (NIAB): Social Work Education Circle
Member Since 2023 - Present
The process of accrediting social work education programs is managed by the Social Work Education Circle (SWEC), a national body with representation from a variety of treaty territories, which is responsible for assessing, affirming and supporting social work education programs. The SWEC is comprised of Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, community members, alumni and students of social work education programs with an Indigenous foundation, practicing social workers and social work educators. The activities related to the assessment of social work education programs are grounded within NIAB’s commitment to the healthy growth of dynamic education programs that are responsive to community needs, locally controlled, and sourced within Indigenous knowledge systems.
The Canadian Association for Social Work Education – L’Association canadienne pour la formation en travail social (CASWE-ACFTS).
Member Since 2018 - Present
A national association of university faculties, schools, departments, and modules offering social work education in Canada.
Thunderbird Circle: Indigenous Social Work Educators’ Network
CASWE-ACFTS
Member Since 2018 - Present
The Thunderbird Nesting Circle is a collective of Indigenous social work educators and students representing the interests of Indigenous families, communities, and nations across Canada. Moreover, dedicated to contributing and centring Indigenous voices in social work educational development and delivery in Canada.