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Rotaract Leadership Camp
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

A day-camp for youth is going to be held in Thunder Bay. Rotaract, a youth project of the International Rotary club, has decided to plan a day long workshop for youth ages 11-15. Young people can register on the website http://www.tbrotaract.com/lc.php (ignore the date, it is now August 8th from 9 AM to 5 PM).

Rotaract is also doing a fundraiser for St. James school at the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition where we ask for donations from cars parked in the free parking lot. The funds will go towards the library at the school and we are also fundraising for a school playground.

In the future, there will be a Valentine's Day ball fundraiser and a longer week-long Leadership Camp or possibly two, in March and next summer.

July 28, 2008 | 7:31 PM Comments  0 comments

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Neighbourhood Capacity Building
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Anishnawbe Mushkiki in partnership with the Windsor and Academy Neighbourhood Policing Stations and the Indian Friendship Centres asked to have Body Image workshops done this week. The sites were very different and I was amazed at the range of knowledge that these kids ages 7-12 have in these low income neighbourhoods.

We were able to provide the kids with some hands-on activities to improve their self-image and positive self-esteem. Body image is so important for youth who feel pressured by the media to look or act a certain way.

There is one more next week at Our Kids Count and I hope to involve them in more participatory activities, like making a "me" box you can decorate and fill with items, pictures, and written pieces that help to improve self-esteem.


July 25, 2008 | 7:19 PM Comments  0 comments

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Red Lake Indian Friendship Centre
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Last weekend, the Multicultural Youth Centre www.my.tbaytel.net/manwoyc took a road trip to Red Lake last weekend to do self-esteem and bullying workshops with the young girls and boys in the Red Lake Indian Friendship Centre kids' programming.

The staff had good bonding time (eight of the staff working at the youth centre went down in our old van. I would change the activities for next time to make them more age appropriate. The younger kids in small towns want to go to the beach, so if I could think of some activities that are moveable and be open to new ideas, it would be more interesting for the 7-12 age bracket.

Sometimes it's difficult for me to accept that I'm no longer a kid, so it should be easy to act like one again!

If I can think like one, it would be fun for everyone. The workshop tomorrow at the Neighbourhood Policing station is related. It's on body image. These seem to be hot topics among marginalized youth. The important thing is to become as excited about these populations as other groups.

July 21, 2008 | 7:19 PM Comments  0 comments

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Playgrounds
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

The Multicultural Youth Centre was slotted to be a special guest at Playgrounds at a local park. We played a series of diversity games with the kids and talked about what it means to be multicultural and how you can encourage diversity. Then, Josh Clace, a young Aboriginal leaders, played his drum and sang for the children.

I think the youth council had such a great time there because they did not want to leave. I'm thrilled that our youth centre is doing so much for kids in the neighbourhood and now we're given the chance to be there for kids in other neighbourhoods too!

Of the 13 youth staff here this summer, there isn't one of them who won't go on to do greater things. If youth can get excited about playing with kids, there is so much potential and future for the world.

July 18, 2008 | 7:46 PM Comments  0 comments

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Youthscape
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Today MYC met with a selection committee for allocating funds through Youthscape in Thunder Bay. Here are my notes from the meeting:

Guideposts: Build youth communities through youth engagment:
1. Youth leadership
2. Learning community
3. Diversity
4. Accountability
5. Strength-based
6. Systems change
(Be the change you wish to see in the world)

Levels of decision-making: Underengaged to capacity building
1. Inform
2. Consult
3. Involve
4. Collaborate/partnership
5. Empower

Goals (our role will be decided by us)
- create track record
- selection
- accountability (monitoring)
- mentor/allies
- celebrate
- champion - spokespersons
- education
- share learning
- events

Youth stages in the application process:
1. Idea
2. Planning
3. Selection
4. Implementation
5. Evaluation

LEGO connectors will allocate $90 000 to successful applicants. There will be a meeting to support proposal writing and then we will meet again upon receival to review them.

Who: Youth in Simpson/Ogden, South Core, or Thunder Bay community who are 13-18 or 19-29
Underengaged youth target projects have priority
Willingness to share - learn is important
Youth... Voice... Spaces... Partnerships... Safety... Creating Change are the criteria categories.

What is success?
Youth impact peers, less engaged and community, organizations

July 15, 2008 | 7:33 PM Comments  0 comments



Youthled Projects Application
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Youth led project grants in Thunder Bay are coming due near the end of the month. Youthscape has allocated funds for young people to produce projects that are youth-led and driven. I'll be on the committee to decide who gets the funding, but I have also written one which I will be declaring conflict of interest for.

The Regional Multicultural Youth Council is collaborating with schools, community organizations, and youth to deliver an initiative that will empower youth to affect positive community change. We will reach out to young people through our project invented and run by youth. Our project will create a positive youth space in the Fort William area. Our youth centre provides young people with a place we can gather, meet, organize, and develop our own initiative. Young people gain comfort from having a common place where we feel welcome to come and can invite our friends and run inclusive programs. We will also work to improve the position of young people in the downtown Fort William neighbourhood so they will be better able to plan for their future and contribute to neighbourhood growth in Thunder Bay.

We will encourage creative partnerships by engaging young people through volunteer work together with other agencies in town and working together with other youth councils. We realize that there is a need for youth councils in the City to work together, so we will open the lines of communication between youth-friendly spaces and create opportunities for all youth to benefit from active engagement in projects that peak our interest and are matched to our skills and abilities. It is through our involvement with many committees working with youth or affecting youth that we will promote public awareness and community change. We have identified safety as a main concern and realize the importance of addressing safety through a youth perceptive.

Presently, I am developing a facilitator guide for young women at the Youth Centre in hopes that we will get the grant. One catch is that you need to have a charitable number. http://www.youthscape.ca/Communities_Thunder.html