DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE
A handful of Fort Providence youth are deep into fundraising so they can make the most of their participation in the Northern Youth Abroad program.

Dallas Thom, left, and Jacob Causa are both taking part in the Northern Youth Abroad program. The non-profit organization offers students the opportunity to spend a six-week summer placement with a host family in Ottawa, elsewhere in Canada or Guatemala, depending on what stage the student is at in the three-year program. - April Hudson/NNSL photo

It is a non-profit organization that works in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. The current goal for student fundraisers, who range in age from 15 to 20, is to raise $1,000 each toward a six-week summer placement with a host family.

Dallas Thom and Jacob Causa are two Deh Gah School students currently participating in Northern Youth Abroad. The duo spent April 2 running a canteen at the school during a clothing sale.

That, along with a raffle ongoing throughout the month of April, marked the beginning of their fundraising efforts.

Thom said he heard about the program from a friend at school and decided it sounded like an interesting experience.

"I heard a lot about it and it's a good experience," he said. "It kind of gives you the experience of being away from home."

On April 2, Thom and Causa were helped out by Cara Gordon, a teacher at Deh Gah School. Gordon said part of the program involves completing assignments. Written assignments so far have included reflective pieces on why students want to be participants in Northern Youth Abroad and what they think they might get out of it.

"It creates career-building skills as well, because it makes (students) think about what kind of placement they'd like to do," Gordon said, referencing Causa - who said he is interested in outdoor work since he does not like working inside - as an example.

"That way, they can kind of streamline it and get you into a placement that's (similar) to what you're interested in."

Other requirements of the program include drawing up a resume, getting a criminal record check and spending 10 hours volunteering in the community. Students are responsible for keeping track of their volunteer hours as well as how much they fundraise.

Students who complete their written assignments along with the summer placement can receive up to nine high school credits for their efforts, Gordon said.

Northern Youth Abroad is currently a three-year program. However, participation is voluntary and can also be deferred for a year.

Lois Philipp, the past chair for the organization's board of directors and principal for Deh Gah School, said the school currently has students enrolled in the program as well as some who are enrolled as alternates - meaning if some participants drop out, the alternates will get their spot. The first year, referred to as the Northern Youth Abroad Canadian Program, gives participants the chance to travel to Ottawa in late June for a program orientation, followed by six-week volunteer work placements across the country. Students travel in pairs to live with host families.

The second year has been dubbed the Northern Youth Abroad Next Program. Students who participate in that program do most of their summer placement at Algonquin College in Ottawa.

The third phase, Northern Youth Abroad International, sends program alumni between the ages of 16 and 22 to Guatemala to contribute to a Habitat for Humanity build.

Part of the program's goal, Philipp said, is to have students develop college plans and think seriously about their futures.

"It's an amazing program in terms of how it engages youth and teachers in the communities ... The growth of the kids between when they leave and come back in August is tremendous," Philipp said.

"We've been in the Northwest Territories long enough that the program is something kids, as they come up to age 15, say, 'Oh yeah - I could do that.'"

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