The Movement for Change by Michelle Leong Francis

Michelle's team launched a Youth in Trades program in 2020 out of an existing program through The Henry Alexander House. The Movement for Change campaign that supported her Y.I.T. initiative is called L.E.O.N.

The Henry Alexander House is a collaborative space. It is a tribute to Michelle's father, who bore the name. She wanted a facility to allow people to feel at home and not in a clinical environment, where they teach them things they did not have to opportunity to learn through their journey. The aim is to remove barriers to success by creating partnerships of like-minded professionals and practitioners of socially responsible businesses for the community's success.

The Movement for Change campaign that supported her Y.I.T. initiative is called L.E.O.N.

L.E.O.N. is a program that helps youth find gainful employment in the trades; Michelle, with the help of her team, has been a transformative leader in her community. Her program provides marginalized youth with the tools to assist themselves by increasing their skills and supporting them in emotional, mental trauma.

As they walked into the colder months, they launched an indoor iteration of the L.E.O.N. program called The Wall, highlighting artists in many forms.

This first launch on December 1st was canvas only. The artist spotlight is currently creating a permanent mural installation of his rendering of our logo. He is an entrepreneurial incubator member, and as such, they will be supporting his exposure to help his revenue source.

This incubation supports the artist in The Wall program and puts Y.I.T. for those who can access the market rate or O.W. eligible program.