An introduction to our new Youth Engagement Lead, Shay lynn Sampson

With the curriculum development complete, the toolkit team felt it would be a good idea to have our Community Engagement Lead, Jayce Chiblow, practise some of the exercises that were tougher to adapt to an online/distance environment. Our goal was to test functionality and to find ways to improve these online modifications. Keeping in mind the results of our Youth Needs Assessment, ICA felt the best way to do this was to invite 10 youth from our network to join the session to offer input and feedback into these exercises while also gauging interest in the program.

Over the summer, the ICA team and a student research partner completed a “Youth Needs Assessment” to identify the motivations and challenges faced by Indigenous youth engaged in climate and Indigenous rights advocacy work. The assessment is directing the future of our Youth Program to make it relevant to the needs, experiences and aspirations of Indigenous youth.