Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Arctic Bay (Sep 09/02) - Nunavut Youth Consulting has taken a big step toward becoming a genuine territorial organization.

Developed and based in Arctic Bay, the youth group has spent several years organizing events and putting together business plans and economic initiatives for its own community.

But with the recent work members did to get 12 summer students hired at Community Access Program (CAP) sites across Nunavut, NYC has successfully spread out.

"We've had calls in the past from communities who ask if we can help them with their ideas," said Ron Elliott, a founder and driving force behind NYC.

"We've concentrated mostly on Arctic Bay because that's where the bulk of our youth are, but the idea is to keep branching out," he said.

"That's one of our big dreams -- spanning out over Nunavut and motivating people."

Working alongside the Department of Education, Elliott said NYC wrote proposals for funding to pay three Kitikmeot youths, three Kivalliq youths and three from the Baffin to work at CAP sites.

Nunavut's 17 CAP sites now provide residents of 14 communities with access to computers and the Internet.

Usually run by volunteers, the funding (administered by the three Inuit training associations in each region) pays returning students between the ages of 15 and 30 to help residents use computers and the Internet.

The program wrapped up at the end of August and Elliot said organizers want to run it again next year.

However, in keeping with the goal of widening its scope, NYC is working with the Department of Education and CAP sites to develop a non-profit society to oversee the territory's sites.

Darlene Thompson, CAP administrator for the department, said she has applied for charitable status and hopes it will be operational by the new fiscal year.

Such a society would make CAP sites eligible for additional dollars for operation and maintenance costs.

"Once the CAP sites are set up, they have to remain feasible. This society will be able to pursue different sources of funding so we can maintain the CAP sites and provide them with staff," said Thompson. "The brunt of this work is on Nunavut Youth Consulting."