Northern Youth Abroad

Danny Ishulutak from Pangnirtung hosted in Langley BC

I've had an oppurtunity to live and stay with a family, here in Langley British Columbia, and work at a summer camp at the Langley Events Centre. Here's my blog about this summer, so far..

I have had an awesome time spending time with kids at my work placement. They are not only loud, but they are also really excited about everything. The kids I’m responsible for love playing sports, like soccer, hand ball games, and swimming. They also love going to the water park. Sometimes they remind me and my friends when I was their age. I will also be volunteering for the British Columbia Summer Games this coming weekend, which sounds like a really good job.

I’ve also had an oppurtunity to stay with the McLaughlin’s family. They are like my family now, even though they sometimes argue, use coupon’s to save money, and tell me to do chores. But they are making me a better person. I’m not used to doing chores, going home at 10 P.M and clean my room every Thursday. I can only go to the movie theatre once a week. I also had to sort of finish up the walk way at the backyard. Our next thing to do is paint up the fence. Everything around here is different from home, but I’m trying my best to have fun this summer.

Bryan Kimiksana from Ulukhaktok hosted in Comox BC

Haha my name is Bryan James Kimiksana Jr
 
So I am writing my NYA blog about how much I like it here in Comox, B.C. I like the landscape here. Nice mountains, nice landscape, and fresh air like in Ulukhaktok. My heart wants to travel the world like what I am doing now but it might be hard because I don’t get many opportunities to do so. Northern Youth Abroad has let me travel here in Comox and I like it here. It’s like paradise here, i love it. My host family has made it soo much easier to adapt. Sometimes they are almost as good as my family back home. The only thing missing is my 6 year old brother! I’ve learned that I can get homesick and I do actually miss my family, but if there was no such thing as pain there would be nothing to enjoy at the end. I went on a few cool trips so far. We went to the top of Mount Washington on a chairlift which took 12 minutes. It was awesome and was good to feel a cold breeze. It almost felt like home. The real fresh air almost felt like i was back home hunting or casting out with my fishing rod or canoeing with my cousin. We played in the snow and made snow balls. We also went to watch some car races and this Saturday I will take part in a car parade and get to ride in an awesome green hotrod. Nothing else much to write about I guess. My placement work is at the Fileberg Park. I get to boss kids around and tell them to scoop up poop and make sure the animals are happy and chat around with the other workers. Sometimes I get bored though, I really prefer to stay busy all the time. Anyways I’ve got to go. It’s getting kinda late and I’ve got to work in the morning and I am a bit tired.
Peace out peoples and I will see ya'z at re-orientation.
 
URS TRUELY BRYAN KIMIKSANA JR

 

Simon Anaviapik from Qikiqtarjuaq hosted in Ottawa ON

Hey I'm having an awesome time here in Ottawa my host parents are nice. There names are Hank and Janice. We were at there cottage it was cool i was practically swimming the whole time. Around the area im staying theres a tennis court not to far from here so Brian and i play almost every night. My work place is a fun place too i work at Bridgehead Coffee shop u can learn alot of stuff from a coffee shop lol. And i have to wake up like 6 o clock to go to the bus. And i get free drinks once a day at work so its cool i get ice drinks there they taste very good. My managers name is Mark and he is a cool guy .So far since I got here I got lost a couple times but i find my way back somehow the first time was a bit scary but now i got lost so much i dont get scared anymore lol. I know which buses to take home now but i still get lost i end up downtown when im supposed to be up town. i like it here. I can take a bus not to far to the theaters and on to St Laurent and to Ridean Centre mall.

Simon  

Trina Qaqqaq from Baker Lake, hosted in Tofield Alberta

 Hello everyone :)
 
My name is Trina Qaqqaq. I am from Baker Lake Nunavut. My placement is in Tofield Alberta (about half an hour away from Edmonton). I have, words cannot begin to describe, the greatest host parents. They have four children between the ages of 5 and 13. I work at a day camp in Tofield. We do activities, crafts and games with kids between the ages of 4 and 12. I work with cool people, three girls between the ages of 15 and 19. My work placement is at the local recreation centre in Tofield. Myself, my placement buddy (Michelle Apples) and my host family have done a little bit of shopping and we have been to a water park. We plan on going to West Edmonton Mall, the Calgary zoo and many other awesome places. My summer has been wonderful so far.
 
Can't wait to see all NYA Canadian Phase participants at reorientation. :)
 
Love you all.
 
Trina Qaqqaq

Haley White from Rankin Inlet hosted in Halifax Nova Scotia

Hello Everyone! After a rough first week trying to adjust to the temperamental Halifax weather, my host family, and the host house, I think that I am now absolutely ready for anything that will come my way here in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The weather is very iffy, when I and my host sister first came here; it was foggy and a little misty. But after a day or two we were getting some of the heat wave that was in Ontario, and then yesterday and today the weather was and is pouring rain. I have very much regret that I left my very perfect very large and all black umbrella on the bus. I have about a fifteen to twenty minute walk to my work, and by the time I came home, I was dripping water all over the floor.

(Haley pictured above at her work placement) 

While I am in Halifax my work placement is a job that I am very grateful to have. I work at a place called Atlantic Filmmakers’ Cooperative. Otherwise called AFCOOP. AFCOOP is an organization that helps people make independent, non-commercial films. But what they have me doing is that I am recording the VHS into the hard drive and then copying the films from the hard drive into a DVD. So I get to watch independent films. I think that it is really cool volunteer job.

Well, my day so far has been absolutely brilliant despite the rain, and so I am going to say have a good summer and I can’t wait to hear everybody else’s summer. See you at reorientation.

Warmly,

Haley White

Abraham Kadluk from Chesterfield Inlet hosted in Westmeath ON

Hello I'm Abraham Kadluk;)
 
I'm from Chesterfield Inlet Nunavut, My Placement is in Westmeath Ontario.My host Parents are Jennifer & Jeremy Austin & they have 2 Kids there names are Tyler & Samantha 9 and 11.Here in Westmeath is really AWESOME! my placement buddy is Wesely Jaw from Cape Dorset Nunavut.My work Placement is in Renfrew Ontario about 45 minute ride from westmeath it's called Murphys Auto Service.That means im a Mecanic haha,I love it there really good people goes to the Garage.Well heres a little story about my week here.On the first day when i got into Westmeath i had a little tour and get to meet the people it was nice.Then the excitement begins,the second day i went for a boat ride with my host family and my buddy we went to a small beach and had a little BBQ with my host familys friends.Then went Water Tubing for the FIRST TIME! Wheew! Awesome!.Then i went to Quebec with my host family and their friends and kids which was awesome too,first time in Quebec.The third day went Horse riding which was really awesome too of course i had to ride fast cause going slow is boring haha then pretty much the few days of the week was working and taking pics of really NICE CARs show you soon when im finish taking more:P um thats pretty much my blog i think haha
 
 
 
Abe Kadluk XD

Janelle from Whati hosted in Peterborough Ontario

I apologize for my lateness in sending my update. I started work on the 11th, the building I am working at is called Niijkiwendidaa...I am such a nerd I have it written on my hand because I can never seem to remember it!!! This centre deals with Aboriginal women. While in my position I am expected to show up at 9am and get off at 430. I also started my own project!! I took the very famous quote "Strong Like Two People" and I turned it into a sewing/budgeting workshop. It's awesome because I came up with the idea...actually it's awesome because we are making card holders (debit, visa, status cards, GIC etc.) and we are incorporating budgeting into...how to budget your own money and how to sell your own objects!!! IT ROCKS!!! Me Kara and my host family are going to Niagra falls, Toronto and to a pow wow!! It is amazing to see how similiar our cultures (Ojibway) are and to see at the same time how different it is! I guess that is all I can say about what's been going on. Masi cho NYA for sending me to Peterborough....it friggin rocks!!! P.S I am at work right now so if I get fired I blame it on Nick for making me be the first to have to enter an update!!! Just Kidding... ~Janelle aka that dried meat girl

2010 Outstanding Alumni Award presented to Stevie Nande

Stevie Nande from Fort Liard, NWT has been selected as the 2010 Northern Youth Abroad Outstanding Alumni Award recipient. The award, sponsored by Canadian North Airlines, recognizes a member of Northern Youth Abroad’s (NYA) 220 alumni that demonstrates leadership, volunteerism and is a positive role model for other youth in their community.

Stevie completed the Canadian Program in 2008 and spent six weeks working and volunteering in Port Elgin, Ontario. In 2009, he participated in the International Program and spent six weeks doing volunteer development in Ramotswa, Botswana. Stevie will be flying to Ottawa on June 30th to accept his award and will spend the week at NYA’s annual orientation camp. Here he will help give back to other Northern Youth by helping prepare this year’s participants for their journeys to Southern Canada and abroad.

Since completing the program, Stevie been attending En’owkin College in Penticton, BC where is studying the arts. An accomplished artist, he is especially interested in film and has made several short films, often including other youth from Fort Liard. Nominated by Ken Nowoselski, an educator in Fort Liard, Stevie is the first in his family to attend college. The community has been very supportive and is especially proud of Stevie. Said Ken, “Stevie is a role model for the youth in Fort Liard. He is exploring his options while living a healthy lifestyle. We need more people like Stevie to lead the way for others. He stands out as a big success.”

Northern Youth Abroad is a non-profit organization, developed in Nunavut in 1998, offering both Canadian and International travel and education programming to youth 15-22 living in the NWT and Nunavut. Both NYA Programs are designed to help participants increase their self-confidence, gain a better appreciation of their own culture while learning about others, and develop coping skills to deal with culture-shock and home sickness. One of the many goals of the program is to help inspire youth to complete secondary and post-secondary education and to take on leadership roles in their home communities.

2010 Participants are on their way!

Northern Youth Abroad's 2010 Orientation was a huge success. Our 47 participants survived a very hot few days, but everyone had a lot of fun, and did great work getting ready for their placement. Canadian Program participants travelled to their host communities on Tuesday, and International Participants left yesterday. They are spending the day in Paris, before travelling to Botswana! Very exciting.

Here are a few photos of the program so far. Check back soon to start reading participants posts about their travel so far.