We believe in the transformative power of relationships: with mentors, with peers & with God.
Young Life New Canaan is a non-profit, Christian organization that connects local caring, compassionate adults (“Leaders”) with middle schoolers and high schoolers to:
Reinforce that they matter
Create approachable spaces to explore faith
Model servant leadership
We do this through mentorship, small group, large group & retreat opportunities.
What’s Young Life?
Who is Young Life for?
All students, of all backgrounds and identities, are unconditionally welcome at Young Life. We take great care to provide training, resources and oversight to ensure that program activities – ranging from weekly gatherings during the school year to summer camping – are safe, positive experiences for all participants. We affirm that every kid is made in the image of God and deserves to be loved, respected and dignified.
Our History
Young Life is an ecumenical organization. We are Christians - Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant. For more information on our theology, check out our Statement of Faith.
Young Life was founded in 1941 in Texas, and is currently headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, with ministries in all all 50 states, as well as in over 100+ countries globally. We believe in the next generation. Today, over 100,000 volunteer Young Life leaders know & pray for more than 2.3 MILLION students around the world by name!
Young Life has a rich & storied history here in New Canaan. In 2024, we relaunched through the hiring a new Area Director. We are committed to creating opportunities for students today to experience the same community that impacted and transformed so many previous generations in our town.
We accomplish our mission by…
Praying for young people.
We’re constantly praying that students in New Canaan would know how loved they are — by us and by God.
Going where students are and building authentic friendships.
Young Life leaders serve in the community & invest in the lives of students, cheering them on in everything they do.
Earning the right.
We earn the right, through consistent friendship, to talk through life’s biggest questions and share our own stories of finding hope in Jesus.
Providing fun, adventurous and skill-building experiences.
We give students a break from the day to day pressures they’re under through laughter, travel, fun and service.
Creating access to faith conversations.
We give students the opportunity to consider and personally respond to a relationship with God, and we walk in friendship with them regardless of their response.
Building community.
We don’t just build community amongst students — we work in our community alongside like-minded adults supporting youth, from volunteer leaders, to committee members, to donors.
We believe in the Next Generation
At our core, we believe every young person matters and has unique gifts to offer the world. Yet, Gen Z often receives a different message. How can we support them? Young Life partnered with Pinkston Research to survey more than 7,200 Gen Z students — and we’re listening to what they had to say.
