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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
There's a lot to talk about when it comes to running youth centres in the NWT.

Aaron McNab of Fort Simpson shares group feedback during a conference on NWT youth centres. - photo courtesy of Dale Pearson

Representatives of youth centres in 19 communities gathered to talk for three days – Sept. 25-27 – at an annual conference in Yellowknife.

"More than anything else, it was an opportunity for the youth centres to ask questions and gain understanding about how to make their youth centres operate," said Christopher Cobbler, program director at Yellowknife's SideDoor Youth Centre, which presented the conference along with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Cobbler said the annual conference was a great opportunity to discuss what's working and what's not working, and get hands-on training about what has made youth centres successful.

It was also an opportunity for an exchange of information among youth centres, government departments and other organizations.

Cobbler said that exchange of information is extremely important.

"What makes a youth centre or a non-profit organization successful in the city doesn't necessarily make it successful in the communities because they're faced with some of the same challenges, but in a lot of cases very different challenges than what we are faced with," he explained.

Between 30-40 people attended the conference, mainly executive directors and program directors.

Participants came from all over the NWT – Hay River, Tsiigehtchic, Fort Liard, Inuvik, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith and elsewhere.

The topics discussed included funding, youth engagement, mentoring, on-the-job training and much more.

One of the participants was Jericho Turnbull, the lunch program co-ordinator at Uncle Gabe's Friendship Centre in Fort Smith.

Turnbull found the conference a great opportunity to develop a network of support.

"There are a lot of new young people coming into positions," she noted. "It's kind of neat to have them in my phonebook and in my e-mail."

The conference was planned and facilitated for the fourth year by Dale Pearson, a consultant from Ontario.

"It's been in Yellowknife three times and in Inuvik once, and next year we're also hoping to take it to another location in the territories," she noted.

Pearson said such a meeting is valuable because there is often a lot of turnover at youth centres.

"Often someone may be executive director or program manager of a centre, but they've only been there for a year or so and we all know that we all can benefit from learning from people who do similar work to us," she said. "One of the first purposes is simply to bring people together who do similar work to share the issues and the challenges they face, and to come up with solutions or share solutions that they have encountered."

Pearson noted funding is always an issue to be discussed.

"In fact, it's an issue right across the country for youth centres and for youth programs, but there is so much more than that," she said. "I think that the group that was with us this time was particularly concerned about how to reach out to more youth and be truly engaging all of the youth of the community. They're very concerned about some of the serious issues and stresses faced in terms of depression, suicide and anxiety."

Pearson said she feels strongly that people who operate youth centres or work for them need a chance to learn from each other.

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