INUVIK
Parents asked for it and the Inuvik Youth Centre complied.

Chloe Brogan, executive director of the Inuvik Youth Centre, hopes that splitting hours for different age groups in the centre makes everyone feel more comfortable and welcome. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

The centre has recently changed its hours so that only children 12 and under can attend from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., while all ages welcome from 6 to 9 p.m.

"We were hearing a lot of feedback from parents who were concerned about their five-year-olds potentially hanging out in a building with 18-year-olds, which was never really the case but there was a possibility for that, so we decided to change," said Chloe Brogan, executive director at the centre.

"We try very hard to listen to what people have to say and actually take our clients' opinions and their families' opinions into consideration. We are a community youth centre, so if we're not serving the community, I'm not sure what we're doing."

Now children 12 and under will have two hours after school dedicated to their age group. 

The change also makes it easier for the centre to structure its programming, as designing an art project that could be enjoyed by all ages is more difficult than when the audience is narrowed down.

Brogan said she has sensed a perception in the community, at least in the past, that the IYC is not as youth-friendly as it is.

"I don't want to assume people's thoughts, but I think that there might be this perception out there that the youth centre is this place where 18-year-olds are listening to rap music and doing bad things, and that is so not the case," said Brogan.

The centre is a licensed daycare facility, always has at least two credentialed staff on site and must operate under all the requirements of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

There are lots of activities going on, Brogan said, from science clubs to crafts with elders.

"This whole idea that the youth centre might not be the best place for kids to hang out or has bad influences is really not the case," said Brogan. "I recognize it might have been that way in the past but the youth centre right now is very youth friendly, and the majority of our kids are in the nine- to 15-year-old age group."

The new hours also stagger with the library's hours, so that children always have a place to go after school and the two facilities aren't closed at the same time.

Brogan wants to get the word out about the centre's new direction and hopes it makes more parents feel comfortable sending their young children there.

The number of children attending the youth centre has gone down since the switch was made, but Brogan hopes it can come back up with some publicity of the new direction.

There weren't big problems in the past, she said, but Brogan has noticed that younger children seem more comfortable to be hanging out with their peers since the change.

Community members are encouraged to share any questions, concerns or criticisms they have about the youth centre. Brogan is quick to point out that the centre's mandate is to serve the community and that's what it should be doing.

Brogan herself is leaving the centre to take on a new role in the community, so the IYC is hiring a new executive director.

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