INUVIK
Candice Lys gets students to trace their bodies on large pieces of paper.

Thirty female students ages 12 to 17 at East Three school participated in a two-day workshop with the Yellowknife-based organization, FOXY (Fostering Open eXpression among Youth). The organization works with young women to talk about sexual health, sexuality and relationships. - Andrew Livingstone/NNSL photo

That's when the mapping begins.

Lys, the founder of FOXY (Fostering Open eXpression among Youth), was at East Three School for two days of workshops with 30 girls to give them the tools and confidence they need to make the best decisions for themselves about their sexuality. Tracing their bodies onto paper works as a guide to help participants find the answers they need.

FOXY is a Yellowknife-based organization that works with young women to talk about sexual health, sexuality, and relationships, helping to foster confidence and educate young Northern women about issues they often know about but aren't sure how to act on.

"It's an asset-based approach to looking at strengths in an individual," said Lys. "Students trace their bodies and look at what they want in life and what resources they have in their community."

FOXY uses traditional beading, theatre, digital storytelling, photography and music to help teenage girls express their knowledge, opinions, and questions about health and love.

With a strong focus on sexual health and empowered decision-making, girls across the North get to know themselves better and learn through the arts.

It's about empowerment, said Lys.

Sure, students learn about sexuality and sexual health in the regular classroom setting. However, she and her colleagues have found while young women know about STIs and how to put on a condom, they aren't always sure how to have the necessary discussions when they are presented with situations where the conversation is necessary.

"With FOXY there is not a right way and wrong way," said Lys. "We want them to be able to make the best choices for themselves. They can tell you how to put on a condom but when it comes to real-life situations they don't know to say what they want."

FOXY provides a more open and comfortable place for girls to learn about sexuality in a more hands-on way, said Lys.

It's not about learning from a textbook, or a teacher passing around handouts in class. It's about engaging students in a manner that they can connect with on a different level.

"It's different than any workshop they've done," said 19-year-old peer facilitator Jessie Shaw, adding she, too, has felt the impact of the program.

"It's been a really huge part of my growth as a person. It's been a tool I've used to find myself and build my confidence and helped in making informed decisions."

Since 2012, FOXY has offered more than 40 workshops with youth in 20 communities across the Northwest Territories and held two Peer Leader Retreats at Blachford Lake Lodge, NWT, reaching more than 500 young Northern women.

FOXY was recently awarded the $1-million Arctic Inspiration Prize and has plans to expand its programming into Nunavut and the Yukon as well as to adapt its sexual health and leadership programs to include all genders.