360°Experience returns to spotlight youth homelessness in York Region

Community members gathered on March 5 for the 360°Experience 2026, an immersive awareness and fundraising initiative hosted by 360°kids to highlight the realities youth experiencing homelessness face across York Region.

Participants took part in the Overnight Experience and the Team Challenge, engaging in a series of interactive activities and simulations designed to help them better understand the barriers young people encounter when trying to access housing, employment, education, and health supports.

Together, 173 participants have raised more than $300,000 in support of 360°kids’ programs and services which provide housing, food security, employment support, education assistance, and mental health resources to youth across the region.

The evening began with an opening ceremony that brought together community leaders, partners, and youth voices who shared reflections on the importance of addressing youth homelessness and supporting young people on their path to stability and independence.

Following the ceremony, participants began the evening’s immersive activities, moving through stations that highlighted the complex challenges youth experiencing homelessness face and the critical role community support plays in helping them rebuild stability.

Participants also had opportunities to engage with youth and frontline staff from 360°kids, offering firsthand insight into the realities young people face and the programs helping them move forward. The event aims to turn awareness into understanding, and understanding into action.

“360°Experience brings our community together to better understand youth homelessness and to be part of real solutions,” said Clovis Grant, CEO of 360°kids. “Through experiences like this, people gain a deeper understanding of the realities young people face and how collective action can create pathways toward stability and independence.”

Funds raised through the 360°Experience directly support programs that help youth move from crisis to stability by providing safe housing, food security, employment opportunities, educational support, and mental health services.

Visit 360kids.ca for more information.

Photo: Participants get ready for the 360°Experience 2026.