Young Minds Program
Selkirk Friendship Centre

Project Summary

This project has been created to meet the social, physical, emotional, spiritual and mental needs of Aboriginal youth in our community. We need to educate and train the youth in areas that will also provide the youth with a culture component so they can take interest and be proud of their Aboriginal heritage. This project seeks to complete the following activities:

Sports and Recreation: The project plans to promote healthy physical well-being through offering basketball and road hockey throughout the summer months and Gym Nights (volleyball, basketball, etc.) once a week over the school year.

Cultural Activities: This project plans to conduct cultural activities on a weekly basis with assistance from an Elder. The cultural activities include, but are not limited to Pow Wow drumming lessons, hand drumming lessons, Crafts, Traditional Teachings and also attending Pow Wows and ceremonies.

Employment, Education and Training: This project plans to offer a tutoring service throughout the school year.

Social and Health Programs: This project plans to conduct a mentorship program for high risk youth and also continue to implement the Selkirk Aboriginal Young Women’s Support Group. This will provide training and support in partnership with local support centre/programs.

Social Activities: This project plans to incorporate many activities including; dances, movie nights, pizza nights, outings, pool, ping pong, foosball, video games, air hockey, TV, board games, crafts, and computers available on a daily basis.

Youth Leadership: Youth leadership is vital to the success of this project and the project activities within this component include the on-going youth council meetings and youth council training,

Community Involvement: The Young Minds Program is community oriented and plans to be involved in many annual community events. Including the Halloween Haunt, National Child Day, Santa Parade, Children’s Xmas Party, Heritage Days, Selkirk Triple S Fair and Rodeo.

Main Component of Project

This project addresses the Cultural Activities program component by offering the youth with the opportunity to have an elder on-site once a week for storytelling, drumming, crafts, and traditional teachings. Also the youth are given the opportunity to attend Pow Wows, ceremonies and sweats.

Project Activities

Sports and Recreation: The project plans to promote healthy physical well-being through offering basketball and road hockey throughout the summer months and Gym Nights (volleyball, basketball, etc.) once a week over the school year.

Cultural Activities: This project plans to conduct cultural activities on a weekly basis with assistance from an Elder. The cultural activities include, but are not limited to Pow Wow drumming lessons, hand drumming lessons, Crafts, Traditional Teachings and also attending Pow Wows and ceremonies.

Health Projects: This project plans to conduct a mentorship program for high risk youth and also continue to implement the Selkirk Aboriginal Young Women’s Support Group. This will provide training and support in partnership with local support centre/programs.

Social Activities: This project plans to incorporate many activities including; dances, movie nights, pizza nights, outings, pool, ping pong, fooseball, video games, air hockey, TV, board games, crafts, and computers available on a daily basis.

Youth Leadership: Youth leadership is vital to the success of this project and the project activities within this component include the on-going youth council meetings and youth council training,

Community Involvement: The Young Minds Program is community oriented and plans to be involved in many annual community events. Including the Halloween Haunt, National Child Day, Santa Parade, Children’s Xmas Party, Heritage Days, Selkirk Triple S Fair and Rodeo.

Anticipated Results and Outcomes

The end results/anticipated outcomes will be measured successful in a few ways:

1. Our youth attend the activities, events and programs that the Elder is introducing. Tangible results will be from taking the introduction piece that the youth will initially receive to a more purpose or calling with their culture. The anticipated outcome will be measured by the active participation in and outside of our program. Culturally based activities that our program inspires our youth to participate in traditional drum group or actively taking part in ceremonies and sweats.

2. The youth keep expressing a need to educate themselves. The anticipated results will be measured when concerning issues are brought to the table by the youth and they are able to access the necessary resources to aid them in reaching a speaker or holding a workshop in that field. The more the youth are encouraged to educate themselves by staying in school the more their peers will see the results.

3. Providing more opportunities to the youth in ways that they can build self-esteem and confidence. Tangible results will be measured by youth participation when going to activities away from our community. Anticipated results will be measured by our staff in regards to how these youth feel and partake in other activities with a more positive image.

4. Questionnaires will be developed which will allow the youth to give feedback to the program for future planning.