Established in 1989, Coastal Research, Education, and Advocacy Network empowers vulnerable low-income and racialized youth through research, education, and advocacy.

Our community-based research informs our services, with the intention of deepening connections and improving the lives of youth, families, and their communities. We work closely with residents and community leaders in British Columbia and Ontario to advocate, both locally and nationally, on behalf of youth to make our province a better place to live.

Mission:

Empowering vulnerable youth through community-based research, education, and advocacy. Using applied research to inform our services, with the intention of deepening connections and improving the lives of youth, families, and their communities. 

Services:

CREAN is youth-led and youth-serving. All our staff and board members are Black, Indigenous, or people of colour and over 50% of our board members are Indigenous youth. By focusing on education, advocacy and leadership, CREAN reaches and empowers 2,000 residents, annually. 

Specializing in culturally sensitive, trauma-informed crisis care and case management, CREAN provides: community based research, educational engagement, resource matching and referrals, youth development, economic empowerment and court advocacy services.

Our services include resource matching and referrals, after-school programming, entrepreneurship training, employment skills training, art therapy, music therapy, youth mentorship, monthly educational workshops, and more.