DYR began as a grassroots group delivering programs and workshops to improve leadership and encourage healthy lifestyles among local youth, young adults and their families. DYR is a Black-led organization who recognizes the needs of the community adopting a youth to adult’ model of skills and relationship building. In the Fall of 2020, DYR was incorporated as a non-profit organization and in February 2021, received federal funding. Dixon Youth Rise is reflective of the local communities and schools in it’s makes up. Leadership is predominantly Black Somali’s Canadian, are the majority of the adults and youth participants.  Additional heritage groups include Black Caribbean, East African and Middle Eastern Black individuals. Work to date has been limited to a partnership with Delta Family Resource Centre, to which DYR brought knowledge, expertise and lived experience to modify Black Canadian youth leadership and recreation programming to be inclusive of Black identities unique to North and East African cultures, languages, traditions, religious, and spiritual beliefs within a Torontonian context. DYR is the culmination of community discussions with youth, adults, and allies committing to implement meaningful and responsive programming and services that acknowledge the complex identities of the youth and adult in the community, that honour the desire to grow.