Youth program provides mentorship
Beth Brown
Northern News Services
Monday, November 28, 2016
IKALUKTUTIAK/CAMBRIDGE BAY
Jasmine Palituq goes to the after-school mentorship program at the Cambridge Bay Wellness Centre every day.
"It feels like it's a safe place to be at," said the 12-year-old.
"I'm starting to trust myself being friends with other people - I met a lot of people that I didn't know."
It also keeps her busy before cadets and soccer practice.
"There are lots of things to learn in mentorship," she said. "I learned how to be kind to other people and how important the community is for us."
The mentorship program has been running for over a month now. The free drop-in program runs from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on weekdays and is open for children in Grades 1 through 6.
Besides games and activities, the group includes time in sharing circles, and encourages both culture and academics.
"The focus is to be able to have fun while learning," said the centre's Thomas Kaohina. "We also help them with their homework if they have any."
Between 15 and 25 kids turn up each day, he said.
"Every Wednesday we try to get a guest speaker to talk to the youth and teach them about the cultural component."
The children recently had a visit from community member Kelli Gillard, who brought along her bagpipes and taught the youth about Scottish history and Celtic traditions.
"Each youth coloured their own tartan in the colours that they would want to represent their family," said organizer Talia Maksagak.
Jusipi Dimitruk, 8, said his favourite part of the mentorship program so far has been learning how to sew.
The children were taught to sew their names on felt, and how to write their names in syllabics.
They also keep busy with games.
"We play hide-and-go-seek and tag," said Dimitruk.
The mentorship aspect of the program is designed to have the children work together and learn from each other. The group sat down to talk about relevant issues like bullying and come up with ways to lift each other up in the way they speak.
"We learned manners and ... no kids are bullying each other," Dimitruk said.
The program is organized to create buy-in for the youth, by asking them what activities they want to learn about in mentorship and what programs they would like to have offered by the Wellness Centre as a whole.
"We are choosing what we want to do," said Palituq, who is voting for lessons in jazz dance and gymnastics.
"I enjoy being in mentorship."
