New Dawn Youth & Family Centre
Raising Hope for the Next Generation
Challenge
Glace Bay has experienced decades of economic decline, deepening poverty, and limited community infrastructure. Nearly 40 percent of children live below the poverty line, substance use rates are the highest in Nova Scotia, and no new community facility has been built in more than 50 years.
Many residents have lost confidence that meaningful change is possible. Young people feel disconnected from opportunity, and families struggle to access safe, affordable, and supportive spaces.
New Dawn needed a campaign that would rebuild belief, mobilize local pride, and position the Youth and Family Centre as a generational investment that could change the future of Glace Bay.
Insights
Through research, workshops, and conversations with residents and community partners, Intent identified key drivers for an effective campaign:
- Hope persists despite hardship, but people need a future worth staying for
- Local stories are essential, since residents trust community voices over institutional messaging
- Authenticity matters more than polished aspiration
- New Dawn’s track record provides credibility and confidence
- Framing the Centre as long-term change helps funders understand its true impact
These insights shaped a campaign rooted in lived experience, community voice, and the belief that meaningful change starts close to home.
Solution
Intent developed Change Starts Here as a strategic storytelling and activation campaign that united donor-focused materials with broad community mobilisation. The campaign positioned the Youth and Family Centre as a generational investment and made local voices central to building belief in Glace Bay’s future.
The work included:
- Clear campaign positioning that framed the Centre as long-term, transformative change
- Narrative storytelling featuring local voices, histories, and lived experience
- A cinematic campaign video for donor pitches, leadership presentations, and public engagement
- Donor-focused tools including print materials, digital assets, and a case-for-support suite
- Community activation tactics such as business partnerships, at-till engagement, and accessible awareness materials
- End-to-end coordination of rollout and materials to ensure consistent communication across all audiences
This approach helped New Dawn communicate urgency, credibility, and long-term vision while building both donor confidence and community belief in what the Centre will make possible.
Challenge
New Dawn wanted to build excitement and a sense of belonging among the young people who would use its new Youth and Family Centre. While the Centre already had its own brand, it needed a youth-focused identity that would speak directly to this audience and encourage them to get involved.
Insights
Creating a space for young people means understanding what matters to them. Glace Bay’s local skate culture, street art, and natural surroundings provided an opportunity to develop an identity that felt authentic, energetic, and rooted in the community.
Solution
Intent developed a bold, playful visual identity inspired by youth culture and the character of Cape Breton. Expressive typography, vibrant colours, and custom illustrations draw on local geography, wildlife, and plants.
The identity was designed to invite participation, not simply recognition. Its illustrations inspired a colouring contest, with artwork planned for display in the Centre’s hallways. The design also sparked ideas for bringing the identity into the physical space through wayfinding, interactive pathways, and outdoor installations.
By creating something specifically for young people, the work helped New Dawn find new ways to engage youth and give them a sense of ownership in a space being built for them.
