New evaluation findings suggest Reboot Plus is helping disengaged youth reconnect with education, build confidence, and gain clearer pathways into employment. Early results also point to the importance of flexible, equity-centred approaches that meet young people where they are.
In our previous post, we examined who Reboot Plus is reaching. This next question is just as important: is the program actually making a difference in their lives?
Early findings from the ongoing evaluation suggest the answer is yes. Across four provinces, participants are completing the program at high rates, reporting stronger confidence and career direction, and re-engaging with education in meaningful ways. At the same time, the data offers important lessons about what it takes to support young people who have struggled in traditional systems.
What the Early Outcomes Tell Us
Reboot Plus supports youth aged 17 to 24 who have dropped out of high school, are at risk of leaving school, or are uncertain about their next steps into education or employment. To date, the program has reached 336 youth across British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The outcomes observed so far are very encouraging. Among participants:
- 92% completed the program;
- 87% reported high satisfaction;
- 69% of those old enough to have graduated had earned a high school diploma at follow-up;
- 67% reported increased clarity about their career direction; and
- 56% reported a stronger sense of self-efficacy – their own belief in their ability to set goals, handle setbacks, and follow through.
Two of these figures deserve a closer look. The 69% graduation rate is especially notable given participants’ education pathways at enrolment. Most were still connected to high school, but often through alternative programs designed for students whose needs are not being met in mainstream settings; others had already left school without graduating. For young people navigating disrupted pathways, negative school experiences, or other barriers to completion, earning a high school diploma is a meaningful milestone.
The gains in self-efficacy are also important. Although 56% may look modest compared with some of the other outcome measures, self-efficacy — a young person’s belief in their ability to set goals, handle setbacks, and follow through — can be difficult to build, particularly for youth who have had discouraging experiences in school or work. The fact that more than half of the participants reported improvement suggests Reboot Plus is helping many youth strengthen not only their plans for the future, but also their confidence in their ability to pursue them.
Taken together, these results suggest that when young people are given the right supports and learning environment, many are willing and able to re-engage. As one Reboot Plus graduate put it, “This program helped me gain confidence that I could do what I wanted—and that I wasn’t alone.”
How the Program Reduces Barriers
Reboot Plus was intentionally designed to reduce many of the barriers that prevent youth from participating in traditional education or employment programs.
The model is flexible and low-pressure. There are no formal assignment requirements, and participants can step away and return within a 16-week window without penalty. The program uses a trauma-informed approach that prioritizes psychological safety, relationship-building, and individualized support.
Wraparound supports—including meals, transportation assistance, and access to counselling—are integrated throughout. Through partnerships with school boards, participants may also earn high school credit while enrolled. After program completion, youth continue receiving support with education applications, financial aid, employment preparation, and career navigation.
The outcomes suggest this approach is resonating. Young people facing multiple, overlapping barriers appear to respond positively to a model that adapts to their realities, rather than expecting them to adapt to rigid systems.
Adapting the Model Across Communities
Implementation looked different across each Reboot Plus community. While the core model remained consistent, local context shaped how the program was delivered.
School Board / School District partnerships were especially important. These partnerships supported student referrals and, in some sites, helped participants earn high school credit through the program. But they also took time to build and varied across communities. Existing local services shaped how wraparound supports were delivered, while provincial education policies, annual funding cycles, and labour agreements influenced what was possible in different regions.
For organizations interested in adapting or expanding this kind of model, the evaluation suggests that flexibility is an important implementation consideration. Supporting youth in ways that respond to their needs is central to the model, but local partnerships, institutional processes, and regional systems also shape how the program can be delivered in practice.
In other words, successful expansion may depend not only on maintaining the core elements of the model, but also on giving communities the time and flexibility to adapt those elements to local conditions.
What’s Next
For policymakers, educators, and community organizations, the findings so far point to a clear takeaway: many young people who struggle in mainstream education systems will engage when programs are designed around flexibility, trust, and practical support.
Early evidence points to the promise of equity-centred models that meet youth where they are rather than expecting them to fit systems that may not have worked for them previously.
The next phase of the evaluation will focus on program fidelity, long-term replicability, and whether outcomes remain consistent across sites over time. The next report on Reboot Plus will be released in summer 2026. Future research will also build on the program’s EDIR analysis by expanding sample sizes and enabling more detailed examination of how different groups experience the program and its outcomes.
Reboot Plus is a youth education and career development program delivered in partnership by Douglas College and PEERs Employment and Education Resources, with expansion to Fanshawe College, Humber College, Bow Valley College and the College of the North Atlantic.
The project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Program. Le projet Reboot Plus est financé par le programme Compétences futures du gouvernement du Canada.