Sandra, right, with placement buddy Angela

I was placed in London, Ontario. The city has two huge malls which are popular and the weather is about 30 degrees. Arlene and Gary (my host parents) have invited me and my buddy, Angela, to stay in their home for the summer. They are very nice. They have no kids and no pets. Arlene is an amazing cook. They try to do everything possible for us; if the plan doesn’t work out we don’t get upset because there’s more to do than what we have planned. Arlene and Gary’s neighbour once invited us over to swim in their pool and says we can go swimming in their pool anytime. I was taught to swim in Ottawa when we were brought to the pool during Orientation. I now really enjoy swimming and I’ve been working with Angela teaching her how to swim. Arlene has brought Angela and I out bowling, it was my first time. It was pretty fun, I only had one strike and Angela had three strikes. After bowling we got to play different games in the same building, I was playing basketball and challenged Angela, and won the game! Then I played alone and got to the fourth round! I had a blast. We have also had the chance to meet up with other participants (Kyla and Alisha) that were also placed in London. We all went roller skating. It was difficult at first but I got the hang of it. My work placement is at the University of Western Ontario. I was told it is a popular university. I am placed in the Department of Indigenous Services. They work with First Nations and Inuit. They run a program where students get to experience what it’s like to be a university student. They are very friendly and they enjoy learning about Inuit life and culture. My supervisor has taken me out for lunch and one of my other co-workers and I are planning to go see a movie.

2015 Canadian and International Participants prepare to leave Orientation

With another Orientation come and gone, NYA’s 2015 Participants have officially begun their summer placements. Our 35 Canadian Program Participants have each travelled to their host communities across Canada to begin volunteering for 5 weeks. Participants are spread out across the country in 18 communities from Nova Scotia to Vancouver Island, living in pairs with their host families. The 12 International Program Participants are settling in at Algonquin College, where they will be hard at work taking courses in the construction trades before travelling to Guatemala at the end of July.

His Excellency, The Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada answers questions from NYA Participants

Orientation was quite busy this year, as in the past, but included some exciting new components as well. This year featured all of NYA’s standard Orientation sessions such as coping with homesickness, culture shock, workplace safety, job preparation, conflict resolution, first aid, leadership, etc. but also saw some new additions, such as a presentation on budgeting from TD Bank employees and ABC Life Literacy’s Money Matters program. Orientation included some exciting field trips too. Once again, Participants from both programs were invited to visit His Excellency, the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada for a brief meeting and tour of the residence. Participants were eager to meet His Excellency and ask lots of questions before receiving a tour of the residence that included the Ball Room, Tent Room, Library, Drawing Room, private green house and the gardens. The participants were also delighted by the bus trip through downtown where they were able to see Parliament Hill and other national landmarks throughout the capital. For some, this was their first time seeing the insides of a city if they’d never travelled south before!

Another highlight included a trip to the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Centre to receive Swim to Survive training. Aside from learning how to swim safely, participants had a great time making use of the diving board and slide, playing games and enjoying a fun, refreshing afternoon away from the heat. The real high point of Orientation for everyone, however, was attending an Ottawa Champions baseball game.

Canadian Program Participants learn to swim at Orientation

Canadian Program Participant Allison Apples of Gameti, NT, receiving an autograph from an Ottawa Champions player

The Ottawa Champions Baseball Club invited NYA to watch a baseball game and donated tickets for all participants, staff and facilitators. For many Participants, this was their first professional sports event ever, and it did not disappoint. The Participants made the most of their experience by leading the crowd in cheers and chants, clocking the speed of their pitches, singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh inning stretch and meeting some of the players to get autographs. International Participant Mickey Iqaqrialu of Arctic Bay had his birthday announced over the PA and some members of the NYA section even made it onto the jumbotron! It was definitely a night that will not soon be forgotten.

2015 Canadian and International Program Participants, Group Leaders, Facilitators and Staff at an Ottawa Champions baseball game

With a healthy balance of work and fun, Orientation was a great success! All of the Participants, Facilitators, Group Leaders and Staff Members worked incredibly hard and made this a fun, productive and memorable camp.

Now into the first week of the summer placements, Participants are getting used to their new routines with their host families and becoming more familiar with their summer communities. By volunteering every day and enjoying activities on evenings and weekends, our participants are developing skills, knowledge, confidence, experience and memories to bring back home with them in the fall and make use of when pursuing their goals. No matter their aspirations, be they completing high school, going to college, beginning a career, becoming a leader, improving confidence, etc, NYA is helping provide northern youth with the tools and capacity to achieve them.

Best of luck to each of our Participants and a big thank you to all of our volunteers, including Host Families, Volunteer Workplaces, Facilitators, and Group Leaders for your commitment and hard work this summer!

Canadian Program Participants departing from Orientation

With our fresh new website so recently unveiled, we don’t have any blog posts yet! But that doesn’t mean there aren’t tons of great NYA stories waiting to be heard. They’re just all still hiding at our old blog. You can read past NYA participants’ stories here, and once this year’s participants start their NYA experience we’ll post their blogs for you to enjoy right here on our new site!

There’s less than one month until NYA’s summer programming kicks off, but there’s still plenty of time to show your support and contribute to the success of another group of NYA Participants! Two quick and simple ways you can help out and make a direct impact on Participants are by sponsoring a Canadian Participant Placement Kit or donating Aeroplan Miles to assist with travel costs. Find out how to get involved and make a difference for this year’s Participants below.

Participant Placement Kit Sponsorship
Living away from home isn’t easy. In fact, NYA’s programming relies on that fact. Through 7-week summer placements, NYA challenges its participants to step outside their comfort zones by living with a host family in southern Canada, experiencing new places, customs, and cultures while fulfilling a full-time volunteer position. Through this experience, Participants gain workplace skills, earn 9 high school credits and participate in cultural exchange, all fostering their self-confidence and independence while investing in their ability to become future leaders of the north. NYA does its best to prepare Participants for this journey by ensuring they have all the tools required to achieve success. One way that we do this is by providing each Participant with all the basic supplies that they may need for their summer placements in a Placement Kit.

You can help make a tangible impact on a Participant by sponsoring a Participant Placement Kit. With a donation of $45, you can subsidize the cost of one of these kits to provide a Participant with everything they need for a successful NYA experience, without the worry of forgetting or not being able to afford basic supplies. Participant Placement Kits include a backpack, water bottle, tooth brush, tooth paste, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, body wash, NYA T-Shirt, and NYA Sweatshirt. While $45 is the requested amount for the sponsorship of one Participant Placement Kit, donations of all sizes are accepted and appreciated.

To donate, follow this link and be sure to select the NYA Participant Placement Sponsorship Fund.

Aeroplan Miles Donation
Travel is the backbone of NYA’s programming and plays a significant role in contributing to the organization’s impact on Participants. By leaving their comfort zone each Participant builds independence, confidence and resilience; all important factors in future success. As an organization dedicated to the North, the high cost of northern travel has a substantial impact on NYA’s budget every year. While we are incredibly fortunate to receive generous support from our long-time funding partner, Canadian North Airlines, travel still remains the most costly element of NYA’s programming. You can help alleviate NYA’s travel costs by donating Aeroplan miles that can be used to book flights for Participants. Aeroplan also contributes an additional 10% for every donation, so for every 100 points you donate, NYA receives 110! You can donate your Aeroplan miles here.

Thanks so much for your continued support,

The NYA Team