Youth Understanding Youth is a volunteer grassroots community organization that has been in operation for over 10 years. It was created by a group of adult volunteers who recognized the need to provide social and support services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified, two-spirited, queer, and questioning youth in Edmonton and surrounding communities. The goal of YUY has always been a simple one: to ensure that regardless of what is happening in the lives of young people, they will know that there is always a safe space for them for at least two hours each week.

Today, YUY has evolved to include a variety of volunteer adult facilitators from a range of diverse backgrounds. These volunteers donate their time, energy, and talent to ensure that youth feel safe and supported for who they are and not for whom society tells them they should be. As a volunteer organization, YUY does not offer counselling or outreach programming. However, we do attempt to offer supportive referrals and support services.

As a volunteer organization that receives no corporate or government funding, we are always happy to receive financial donations to help us enrich the YUY experience. We are also interested in recruiting new adult facilitators from a wide variety of ethnic, cultural, professional backgrounds, and a range of sexual orientations and gender identities.