Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Mar 29/00) - Youth across the Kivalliq Region were recently given the opportunity to improve their leadership skills and learn about tolerance and acceptance.

The Delegates Attaining Raw Experience (DARE) program was held earlier this month in Rankin Inlet, marking the first time Nunavut has hosted the program.

Four students from Repulse Bay and three each from Arviat, Coral Harbour, Whale Cove, Baker Lake and Chesterfield Inlet, as well as the host Rankin students, participated in the program. Six students also attended from Sir Frederick Banting secondary school in London, Ont.

Four Rankin Inlet students, Kelly Clark, Jody Roach, Samantha Owlijoot and Ashley Dean, attended a similar DARE program at Banting last year.

DARE is a school-based, student-run, leadership development program.

Martin Valvano was one of the Ontario students to make the trip to Rankin.

He said he was impressed with the level of hospitality shown to the visiting students.

"We found the community very welcoming and we all enjoyed the traditional activities like building an iglu," said Valvano.

"This was a new experience. I've taken part in many DARE programs and I take a little from each one.

"I've taken a lot of warmth from this one from the attitudes of the students and the community itself."

Alaittuq high school teacher Rachel Stuy has been a driving force behind the Kivalliq students' involvement with the DARE program.

She said program participants became good friends and shared a lot of experiences during the weekend event.

"Basically, the idea of DARE is to bring youth together for a variety of sessions to show them acceptance and tolerance of each other," said Stuy.

"They also gain leadership skills, and learn about time and stress management, conflict management -- those types of things.

"We hope to share our experiences with schools in the rest of the region by participating students taking what they learn back to their own schools and building enthusiasm and positive spirit in their own student bodies."