Youth learn at Ottawa event
Trip to Youth Centres Canada conference included courses
Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Thursday, April 9, 2015
INUVIK
Several Inuvik youth and staff from the Inuvik Youth Centre are excited about making a difference in the community after returning from a conference in Ottawa.
A group of youth and staff including Jaylene Ruben, left, Jozef Semmler, Renee Theoret, Shaomek Bernhardt, Brandon Jensen and Shiense Cockney from the Inuvik Youth Centre visited the Parliament Buildings after travelling to Ottawa recently for a conference. - photo courtesy of Renee Theoret
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Renee Theoret, the executive director at the youth centre, arranged for the trip through Youth Centres Canada.
"They organize a conference in March every year to fly people from all over Canada from youth centres, both staff and youth, to attend. So, more than 300 people meet in Ottawa to talk about youth issues," she said.
"We discuss everything from drug addictions and youth homelessness and youth bullying, so it's a pretty charged schedule. It's giving them a voice to be heard."
The conference includes a chance to visit Parliament, Theoret said, as well as more casual entertainment such as a karaoke night.
"We had all our staff go this year, and three youths. We were the only ones representing the NWT, so it was pretty amazing to me and other youth to get out of our bubble, talk to those people and keep on top of those issues and work hard for three days," she said.
"I've seen our staff and the youth grow so much in the week they were in Ottawa," she added.
Youth Centre Canada and the Inuvik office of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) helped fund the trip to Ottawa, Theoret said. The ITI office provided funding to help cover the flights, she said, which was welcome since Inuvik is an expensive place to fly from.
"Every year this is such a good opportunity for the youth (who attend)," she said. "It's too bad that there's not more youth centres in the North that can attend, just due to the cost, but Youth Centres Canada are able to help subsidize some of the costs to help fly out youth from the North to Ottawa to represent the Western Arctic."
Jozef Semmler, one of the staff members at the youth centre, called the conference a "great learning experience and a lot of fun.
"We got to learn a few things about mental health, coping mechanisms and how it affects the youth and older people and how it could lead to other things like harming yourself," he explained. "I got to meet a lot of new people and I'll be going back next year as a facilitator."
Brandon Jensen was one of the youths attending the conference. He also said it was a good experience.
"I really enjoyed meeting the new people there," he said. "I took a few courses on drugs and alcohol, mental health and the teen brain, and one other," he said.
"I thought it would be a great experience to go out and meet new people and explore and learn new things."
It was his first time out of Inuvik, and the 14-year-old said the thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Shiense Cockney, the support worker at the centre, said "it was a great experience and I had a lot of fun."
"I'm definitely hoping to go back next year," she said. "It was great meeting new people and trying new things. I even got up on stage and sang karaoke!"
Theoret said she hopes the community recognizes the tremendous opportunity the conference offered the youth who attended, and would show their appreciation, even if it's just by stopping them on the street and asking them about the trip.
