Hi my name is Dallas Thom and I am from Fort Providence, Northwest Territories. I was placed in Port Alberni, BC. I found a lot of things are different than back home, like 10x the people we have back home and buildings have lots of storeys. Port Alberni is very warm, it can get up to 30+ as where I live it gets up to around 25+ so it’s kinda not that different in temperature wise. Although it can get very very rainy here.

Dallas pays close attention during Summer Orientation. (Photo Credit: Thorsten Gohl)

My host parents are Sarah Williams and Rob Campbell, they are very nice people- both outgoing and welcoming. I like everything about them. My work placement is “Stepping Stones”, it’s a daycare and I love working there and being with the kids. I usually play with the kids and read to them, and other stuff like help clean up and prepare for lunch and etc. We usually go places every weekend like Nanaimo, Victoria, Coombs and we just went camping this past weekend with our host family, which was pretty fun cause I got to go kayaking and we went swimming In the lake. I think the best part about Port Alberni is that it’s right beside Coombs and why is that the best part? Cause Coombs has the best ice cream in the world   Also I love NYA. The program is amazing. The people you meet and places you get to go, the staff is pretty cool too. They are all funny and chill 

My awesomely weird blog,

Uhhh Hey, everybody… its me, Bradley. OH!! Umm… My name is Bradley Blackduck from Gameti, NWT and… to be honest I have no idea what to write so I’ll just write what I feel about this program, how I’ve gained new experiences along the way and some what of my life and my placement was last year in Osgoode, ON during my NYA Canadian phase.

Osgoode was great, and I worked at a camp called Rideau Hill Camp for my job placement. I was able to work with children, kids and teenagers throughout my summer.

First of all, I wasn’t to sure about this new NYA Next program because there were participants from last year going and I haven’t really talked to anyone from last year, more like I didn’t really make any friends, but I did make a couple. Ever since orientation camp, I was able to become friends with some of those from last year which I’m a little glad for, because there are some really awesome people here. Ill stop talking about myself… I am however glad that I out of all the other people who applied, I got picked for whatever reason! I am grateful they picked me though, because of that I was able to break out of my shell and make new friends. I was able to gain new self confidence I never knew I had within myself. I’ve also learned that I love being lost in the city by myself, feeling the rush of the city! Because of that I started to call myself a city person but I don’t intend to forget about my culture because I feel like I can try to help my community from a distance.

NYA has given me the ability to see the opportunities ahead for myself, I can finally see that I want to do three main things in my life… first of all, becoming a voice for the different native kids who are afraid to speak out for themselves because they feel uncomfortable or just afraid of their opinions being heard. Secondly, I want to study the roots of my people to discover… who I am as a whole person, to rediscover my people’s culture, to become more involved with my culture, and to accept myself for who I am. Lastly, and which I am really shy about I want to become a theatre actor or just an actor in general, because I love being the centre of attention but I also hate being the centre of attention, its really a love and hate thing going on there! But I am determined to become the SECOND famous native actor or the FIRST Tlicho actor in the world!!

It was only with NYA I became aware of my options for what I want to do. I’m hoping to apply for some colleges in Vancouver, Yukon, and Ottawa for the things I want to do! But I guess I shouldn’t hope right? The only one who can apply is myself but.. I’m scared of what’s next.. I’m scared of the next big step in my life! No one is stopping me but myself right now. I know I can do this! I have my family who supports me, my wonderful friends who has my back with every choice I make, and the staff of NYA whenever I need someone to talk with. I will apply for colleges and I will get in.. and I will thrive on the success I make! Or I will crash and burn on the path I take.

And.. my conclusion! NYA is a great program because it gives northern kids from Nunavut or the NWT the chance to see that there are opportunities to learn more about themselves, their culture, or there is more to life than just living in a small community with their parents or grandparents. I’ve set out new goals and dreams for myself! I will find the voice within myself! I will learn to speak out for the things I think are wrong within the NWT! I will learn to become a voice for the native kids who are scared of coming out because they fear the hate they might take, the abuse from their community, and/or being kicked out for being their true selves. My dream is that my people stop drinking so much because they have a family at home but they don’t love because they were never loved as a child. I want to help my people, I want to help heal my people’s past.

Bradley Blackduck,

Signing off.

Cait (left) attends an Ottawa Fire Services firefighting course with fellow Participant Robert at Algonquin College.

Hello Everyone!

My name is Kaitlin Porter but everyone usually knows me as Cait (changed my name on facebook when I was 15 during Canadian phase and always stuck to it). I am 20 years old and I have one child who I adore with my entire heart. I attended Canadian phase with Northern Youth Abroad when I was 15 years old and I was placed in Stratford, Prince Edward Island and my volunteer placement job was in Charlottetown, PEI helping an Art Teacher at the Confederation Centre and my placement buddy was Ooleesee Akeeagok.

This year is the very first year that Northern Youth Abroad made a program for “NYA Next”. It’s different from the “International phase” because 16 participants from Nunavut/Northwest Territories have the opportunity to stay here in Ottawa attending carpentry trades classes with Algonquin College and also stay in the residence which is very exciting and gives us a taste of college life.

Before we went into the residence and college we had Orientation with NYA staff and Canadian phase participants and get to know the participants in our NYA Next program. We had many sessions there like leadership skills, first aid skills (CPR), did some acting called skits, conflict resolutions and how to deal with tough times, mental illness awareness, and more.

After we moved into the residence, we started our trades with carpentry, we toured the college and played sports. We also have done amazing activities like firefighting skills, police skills and rules, we went on an amazing camping experience at a park, did tons of presentations to people in Ottawa and met immigrants that are new to Canada and told them our way of life in the north. We also learned a lot of Science (chemistry, biology), we met up with great programs all around Ottawa and I have just been enjoying all of the sessions and enjoying learning everything I can while I can have the opportunity so I can be glad to say I experienced everything I did while we are here. I enjoy staying here at the residence everyone is very welcoming. We have met met a lot of people through sports and I really enjoy telling people the way the north is and they are always so surprised.

Times can be very tough as a single mom and missing your child but to pass all this knowledge and experience on to him when he gets older, I really appreciate it. I can tell you all that this program puts all the effort they can to help you build all the skills you can and all the support and encouragement you get is unbelievable!! I cry (happy tears) sometimes because I am so thankful for everything the staff and leaders do to make this trip a very good experience. I also enjoy the fact that I made a lot of new friends that I will always remember (just like in Canadian Phase)! Sometimes I wonder where would I be if I didn’t gain all the skills and experience I did with Canadian phase, and I am glad to be here with the very first year of NYA Next 2016!

Hello, my name is Justina Moosenose and I am from Gameti, Northwest Territories. I did the Canadian program in 2015 where I was placed in Kingston, Ontario. I was selected as a participant for the NYA Next Program and so far it has been amazing, we did many numerous things such as visiting a local community in Ottawa named Britannia Woods, they provide programs and services to benefit multicultural families to help improve things for their futures. We met new Canadians through an organization called OCISO, this organization welcomes them to a new culture and helps them adjust to life in Canada. On July 15 – 18, 2016 we went to Fitzroy Provincial Park.It was a delightful trip despite the rain we had on the first day, however I would go on this trip again in a heartbeat.

Justina bites into a marshmallow frozen with liquid nitrogen during the Let’s Talk Science presentation.

Presentations from Let’s Talk Science were really great because they presented many numerous things to us such as making different fires into colors from sulfur, iron etc. We recently went to the Supreme Court of Canada with the Dare to Dream program which was really nice. They offer aboriginal people the experience to learn about law, equality, the justice system and understand their rights. We also participated in a Firefighting/Police work shop and it went really well, from pretending you are crawling in a building that is on fire and you have no visibility while looking for victims that have been trapped, knowing how to tie proper knots that are most common and letting us have the chance to use the fire hose to reenact a situation in a fire (shout out to Will and Rob). In the police work shop we learned about personal safety and the safety of others. They let us know that GUNS ARE NOT SEXY! We learned what police officers do on a daily basis and that they are human and it is not easy to make the quick decisions that they have to make in difficult situations. I really hope only good things come across for our officers and nothing but greater things from here on out.

By me saying all of this, I really hope those who are interested in this specific program know it is not going to be an easy ride to success and you will have to overcome obstacles in your way just like I did during the Canadian program. Nothing is ever easy, but this program has helped me open my eyes to move forward with my life and let me acknowledge the fact that I do have options in life that will lead me onto a great journey. I wish that upon everybody else to wants or is interested in participating for Northern Youth Abroad. Also, shout out to my dad  (Justin Gon) and stepmom (Terry Gon) for always helping me pursue in what I believe in. Cheers!

Sandra pays close attention in her carpentry class at Algonquin College.

Hi, my name is Sandra Mautaritnaaq from Baker Lake, Nunavut. I did my Canadian phase in 2015. It’s my second year of Northern Youth Abroad, this year is different because there are 3 programs now. Canadian phase, NYA Next and International. We are the first group to do NYA Next. One week before coming to Algonquin College we went to a baseball game with the Canadian participants in Ottawa, we’re going to another game, but this time it’ll be in Toronto. The NYA Next are experiencing what it’s like to live in the Algonquin College residence for a month with a roommate, its like were actually going to college because were actually living on campus and taking a course here. We’re taking a carpentry class in the mornings, we made picture frames with four different types of intersections, now we’re close to finishing a dog house, for the dog house we did the framing individually, when that was done, we were put into groups of three to put the project together. Aside from working, we did a lot of other fun activities. We went to the Parliament Hill for Northern Lights show, bowling, went to the beach, experienced what its like to be a police and firefighter. There is a number of fun activities we did. We met people from Syria, Mexico, and Africa. If you are looking to get out of town for awhile, apply for Northern Youth Abroad. It’s a good experience, you make new friends from different communities and it’s a great program for youth!

Laylu sports some fabulous henna while at the Caribbean Festival in North Vancouver.

My name is Laylu Judas from Wekweeti, NT and I’m spending my summer in Vancouver, BC. This past month of July has been a bit weird but still fun! Kind of like a roller coaster, it’s been going up and down and all around. The down part is that I don’t have my family and home to go to at the end of the day but the good part is that there are plenty of  things I do like to do here, like visit to places such as Toronto and Ottawa. They are such big places and with so many people and I have been going sightseeing with Joanne who is probably the coolest and most fun host mom ever- she’s awesome! She took us to all kinds of places and made us try new things because she’s awesome like that. My work placement is fantastic because I probably have the funniest and weirdest supervisor and my coworkers are all fun people, sometimes it feels like I’m with them all day.

There’s still a few weeks to go until I leave Vancouver but I have yet to see all of the wondrous places here. I really do like it here and I’ll seriously will miss it when I leave, but I know that it’ll always be here and know that there’s so many opportunities out there waiting for me. Oh gosh I feel like I’m giving a speech to the president.

This program is awesome and fun and I really do encourage everyone to sign up for this program because it’s a really awesome way to help with things like anxiety, talking to new people, speaking to big crowds, etc. Don’t get me started with the NYA staff who by the way is really amazing and very helpful, I could say so many things yet so little time. I feel very good about this program and hopefully get to do something like this next year with everyone again. All the participants are very brave and strong to do something like this. Don’t know how to end this blog entry thing so I’ll just end this by saying Laylu’s awesome!!

Hayley on placement in Truro

Hi, my name is Hayley Totalik and I’m from Taloyoak, Nunavut. This is my first time with NYA. I got a phone call from the NYA staff a day just before I left home asking if I wanted to go on this trip. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go, but now with all the things I’ve learned and accomplished I’m glad I got to do this. In the past 25 days I’ve grown so much in so many ways; independence, self-confidence and job experience. I’ve realized how important my culture is. I’m so excited to do my presentation about my home in my host community because I want more youth to realize that there is so much more out there, to tell them that you could do anything if you set your mind to it.

In Ottawa during orientation we did lots of fun activities, we went to a baseball game which was fun, even though I didn’t really pay much attention. We got to go swimming, and one of my favourite things we did is the time we ate smores near the camp fire then later that night we watched fireworks. I also got to meet so many awesome people from all over Nunavut and Northwest territories.

I’m placed in Truro, Nova Scotia. It is such a beautiful place. We went to Victoria Park and climbed Jacob’s Latter and so many other fun things- like shopping at the mall and exploring the city. I’m volunteering at food bank and the people there are so nice, I’m happy I got to do this. I’ve stepped way out of my comfort zone to do all these amazing things. I want to thank the NYA staff for giving us this once in a life time opportunity that I know all of us who took part in this program will never forget.

My work placement is CSI it’s a program for kids to spend time with teachers and keep learning while there still on summer break, they provide breakfast and lunch everyday to make sure that kids had something to eat or they’re not hungry during the classes. My supervisor is Ms. Maryjane and she is the principal for Duffrin School. She provides exciting trips for the kids and makes sure everything goes as planned.  There is volunteers there older than me and younger than me, it’s kind of inspiring to see that the volunteers give up their summer break to see that kids are having fun and a safe summer.

Kelsey enjoys a walk in the park with her Placement Buddy and Host Family

My host family is Melissa McGregor, Richard McCrae and their son Andrew. My Placement Buddy Skylynn and I stay in Winnipeg and  get up at 7:30am to get ready for work and then we leave the house before 8am so we can catch our bus. I take 2 busses to work and Skylynn takes 1 to work. We both don’t start work until 8:30am as it will take 20 or 25 minutes to get to work, after work we go home at 3:30pm. Sometimes we do some dishes if there are any, or sit in our rooms and wait until Melissa gets off work at 5pm. When Melissa gets home we will decide what to do as a family. We have gone to the Golden Boy, the humans rights museum, the Fringe Festival, and a public pool.

The difference out here from the north is there is a lot of people around wherever you go. Wherever you look there are people doing their own thing and daily routine, either walking where they need to be or using busses and some people have cars. There are also hotter days down here, and less breeze because of the high buildings they have. There is less day light as it will get dark before 8pm or 7pm. In my home town of Fort Providence we don’t have many people that walk around everyday unless they have to be somewhere, also less walking distance so we don’t need busses in my community and people have vehicles. It’s also not as hot in my hometown because we don’t have much big buildings, so there is always a breeze and we also get 24/7 day light.

This is my time in Winnipeg for the summer and I had a good experience with Skylynn Cook and my host family.

Talia enjoying a quiet hangout in her Host Family’s backyard

My name is Talia Martel and I’m from Hay River, Northwest Territories. I was placed in Hamilton, Ontario which is pretty amazing. It’s really hot. It doesn’t get this hot where I live. Also it’s more busy here, like somedays when I’m going to be leaving for work, or we’re going somewhere all together. There are a lot of stores, houses and also a lot of traffic. I’ve joined NYA to experience more job opportunities. NYA let me meet so many people from different places. At first I was surprised that we were camping in the bush for the first week, but I’m pretty glad that we did. Because I’ve gotten to meet so many great people. It was fun.

The host family I’m staying with are really kind. They have such a nice house. They have two cats, they’re so cute. We eat dinner together each night, which is different than at home. I like eating the food they cook.

It’s fun when we do activities all together and I really enjoy doing stuff with them. We went biking on the lakeshore in Hamilton. We also went to Toronto with them which was exciting. In Toronto we went to the CN Tower, the Eaton Centre and the Aquarium. We went to the Grand River Pow Wow, which is something I have never done before. It was pretty amazing to see how the people danced.

The place I’m volunteering at is the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre, and I’m enjoying working here. I’m working with kids for the Summer Day Camp. I’m working  with 6 year old and older kids and the kids are all so sweet and cute. The people working here are all very friendly. I really like doing the activities with the kids, like going to the beach, swimming pool, the park and Gage Park, even to the movie theatre.