Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s Leaders, Our Future, Our Choice Youth Centre Program
Lynn Lake Friendship Centre

Project Summary

The Urban Multipurpose Youth Centre Program will focus on empowering and providing opportunities to Aboriginal youth between the ages of 12 – 24 who reside in the community and surrounding areas. The program will offer programs and services aimed at supporting and guiding their overall emotional, physical, mental and spiritual growth. Resources relating to education, employment, training, culture and recreation will be made available to all youth who wish to participate in program activities.

Main Component of Project

The project will address the Community Involvement component of the initiative through the following:

As part of the continuing efforts of the community as a whole, the development of a community flower garden as a main spring and summer project will commence in May 2007. The garden will be planted and maintained by Aboriginal youth employed throughout the summer months. Community members will be invited to purchase a stone which will be used to build a walking path or they may purchase plants for the garden.

Another activity that the summer students will be involved in over the summer months is painting, minor exterior renovations and yard work for Elders. The Friendship Centre raises funds throughout the year to pay for supplies and materials to complete these projects for seniors and elders of the community.

As an annual event summer students will participate in a five day shore line clean up at Lions Beach, Hughes Lake, Berge Lake and Zed Lake, these sites are often used as a valuable resource for our summer recreation program.

In the past the local RCMP have organized a Graffiti Clean Up which has not taken place for several years. It is clearly evident within the community that this project needs to happen again. The local youth council has decided that they would like to be responsible for taking the lead in this project on an annual basis.

The above four community projects will be led and supervised by summer students and as in the past Youth Council members participate as volunteers.

Throughout the year youth council members make their presence and show unity amongst themselves as they volunteer on a regular basis for community feasts, the Lynn Lake Winter Festival, fundraising activities, Christmas Hampers, Elders Events, weekly canteen sales, Hockey Tournaments, Children’s Christmas and Halloween Parties, National Aboriginal Day Events and Canada Day Events.

Project Activities

This project seeks to complete the following activities:

Cultural Activities: The project will include the provision of cultural events and activities throughout the year which will require assistance from local Elders and other partners including Marcel Colomb First Nation and West Lynn Heights School. Activities will include Cultural Week, National Aboriginal Day Events, Drum Making Workshop and Traditional Arts & Crafts.

Social and Health Programs: The project will create partnerships with Burntwood Regional Health Authority Mental Health Worker, Public Health Nurse, Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, the local NADAAP Worker, local RCMP members, local Family Life Skills Counselor and Cree Nation Child and Family Caring Agency. In cooperation with the listed partners we will be able to offer a variety of workshops, discussion periods and displays to promote awareness on issues effecting youth of our community.

Youth Leadership: In an effort to promote youth leadership we will maintain monthly youth council meetings, attendance by two youth council members at the Manitoba Aboriginal Youth Council Quarterly meetings, the National Youth Forum and National Association of Friendship Centres Annual General Meeting.

Social Activities: The EFYC and SSYC Drop in Centres are open five days per week providing a secure and safe environment where the youth can access computers, Internet, satellite televisions, PS2 Games, Pool tables, ping pong tables, fooze ball tables, youth dances, weekly tournaments, movie nights and educational and resource material regarding health issues.

Community Involvement: Youth Council members will continue to make themselves visible in the community through volunteerism at community events such as the Lynn Lake Winter Festival, Canada Day and National Aboriginal Day events, Community Clean Ups, Elders Emergency Fund, the development of a community flower garden and through assistance at community feasts and children’s parties
Anticipated Results and Outcomes

Aboriginal youth will feel that they have a voice when deciding on program content and other decisions regarding the youth program. The youth will be provided with leadership development skills in a challenging environment that will enable participants to realize their potential and increase self esteem. We plan to maintain attendance and participation at monthly youth council meetings at both project sites with a target of 12 members per meeting.

Aboriginal youth will be offered a meaningful employment opportunity, where they will learn both professional development and work experience skills that will assist them now and in their future. We plan to obtain additional funding to hire seven Aboriginal summer students (between the two project sites) in 2007.

Aboriginal youth will have access to a variety of programs, services and actual facilities that they can call their own which will provide a safe, positive and alternate environment to hanging out on the streets or participating in anti social behaviours and gang related activities. We will maintain Drop In attendance at an average of 15 youth per day at both sites. In addition we will maintain the total number of youth accessing programs and services at 600 between the two sites and the additional catchment areas. We estimate that youth from both project sites will return to access different services and programs 11000 times throughout the 2007-2008 fiscal year.