Project Journey Monthly Report

March 2018

Month of March 2018

Regular Programming

  1. Project Venture
  2. Description - Project Venture is a curriculum based program designed for youth ages 11 to 15, and proven to steer youth away from self destructive behaviour such as drug and alcohol abuse. It is delivered through a school setting and involves curriculum for in-class, after-school and out-of-school, which is based on the full value commitment of ‘Be Here’, ‘Be Safe’, ‘Speak Your Truth’, ‘Care for Self and Others’, ‘Set Goals’ and ‘Let Go and Move On’
  3. In-class is delivered weekly to grades 6 and 7. Grade 7’s join together into one class and Grade 6’s join 2 classes together and 1 class attends by itself. Curriculum focuses on relationships between peers, linking emotion to experiences, and understanding of self and community.
  4. After School is delivered to those students in grade 6 and 7 that choose to participate. Students attend the Project Journey room where they are provided necessary equipment to participate. Activities typically involve outdoor experiences that last for approximately 1 hour and are designed to build connection to the land and develop individual skills.
  5. Out of school activities are typically held on weekends and are designed to challenge youth to use the skills and knowledge they have learned during in-Class and after-school activities.
  6. Highlights - . During the month of March we delivered 1 in-class session and 1 after-school session. These included:
  7. In-class Session 19 - Session Theme: Speak your truth. Explore the importance of emotional honesty for healthy relationships. We played square up (a game where youth had to make shapes with a rope using their toes, while they are blindfolded) and balloon trolleys (youth are given a balloon, they draw a face on it, name it an emotion, and then pop the balloons).
  8. Youth have the opportunity to consider the importance of voicing their needs and ideas. Youth explore emotional vocabulary and name emotions underlying conflict. We reflected on: Different ways to communicate with the group to let others know about their ideas. What types of emotions came up as they were working with their balloons? Is it ok to have those kinds of emotions? What emotion did they write on their balloon? How did this emotion strain a relationship? How could you have avoided this emotion and the straing it caused? What full value commitment can help you get over a conflict? What are the consequences of not speaking your truth? What is it like to speak your truth? Why isn’t my truth the same as your truth?
  1. Meals on Wheels
  2. Description - Meals on Wheels is designed to bring youth and elders together. Youth in grades 8 through high school work together to give back to their community and care for their elders. Every Thursday youth prepare and cook a meal and then deliver it to elders homes’. Youth have the opportunity to connect and visit with elders while they are delivering food.
  3. Highlights - PJ is preparing and delivering nearly 70 meals for elders at the hands of the youth each week. The youth are learning cooking skills that they use at home. It is talked about often on the walkie and the elders are saying that the meals are good and surprised when the youth knock on their door. Youth have expressed an interest in cooking these meals for their family so the PJ team has begun sending kids home with a copy of the recipe. The diabetes awareness program joined us in creating healthy meal options for the elders.
  4. Archery Evenings
  5. Description - Archery Evening is designed to provide families an opportunity to attend an activity where participation is open to all and share an experience where all family members can participate and come come together. Archery is offered 2 nights a week and is held indoors at the school gymnasium. All community members are welcome to attend and participate. All equipment is supplied, instruction for inexperienced participants is provided.
  6. Highlights - We are running archery challenges at Family Archery nights involving team challenge. $10 gift cards were given to high scorers. We continue have good attendance with a variety of ages and community members. Teachers and community members are volunteering to run the evening with support of PJ staff. The diabetes awareness program joined us with their smoothie bar and served healthy smoothies to archery participants.

Special Programming

  1. Project Venture training in Albuquerque
  2. Description - Project Journey sent 15 participants down to Albuquerque for the Project Venture training hosted by the National Indian Youth Leadership Program. This group included 6 Project Journey team members (Chris Amell, Emily Atkinson, Becca Proulx, Delores Black, Rusty Keeper), grade 6 teacher (Ryan Saunders), culture teacher (Guy Strang), Pikangikum Police Officer (Clayton Kenney), and 6 youth leaders (Tony Peters, Christian Strang, Elijah Keesick, Gage Turtle, Jaylene Strang, Kansas Strang).
  3. Highlights - A great time was had by all, everyone really stretched themselves to get out of their comfort zone in trying new things and meeting new people!) The group went bowling, rock climbing, explored the Mall of America and Old Town Albuquerque, and Walmart a couple of times! Everyone enjoyed the burgers at Fuddruckers, the sushi and the grill at Hayashi hibachi restaurant, the spicy New Mexican food at Marie and Tito’s restaurant and the milkshakes at the 50’s style Route 66 diner!
  4. March Break Camp
  5. Description - Youth participated in a two day wilderness survival training with Donnie Maw from Red Lake. They learned about ice safety and emergency preparedness. They got their own survival kit backpack and were able to put their skills to use in building fires, quincy's and lean tos. Randy Moose worked with male youth to create regalia for three days. Delores Black worked with female youth on embroidery projects for three days. Amie Owen and Rusty Keeper took youth out to set the gil net and later harvest the fish from the gil net on two of the days.
  6. Highlights - 30 youth participated in the 5 day camp. MCYS youth probation officer joined the camp on Monday and Tuesday. Youth leaders facilitated the Rez Game and introduced younger youth to a new game that they had learned in Albuquerque. 3 boys completed their grass dancing regalia and are ready for powwow. Youth leaders stepped up to help out and teach embroidery. Three adults completed volunteer hours with PJ during march break. Barry Peters taught youth how to fillet pike and youth cooked up the fish for lunch.
  7. Student Teacher Saturdays
  8. Description - 6 teacher candidates arrived from Lakehead University on March 21st. They are completing 6 week teaching placements at EBS and delivering Project Journey programming on Saturdays.
  9. Highlights - Student Teacher Saturdays is open to youth in grade 4 and up. Youth have the opportunity to participate in cooking classes, photography workshops, science activities and drama games.

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Upcoming in the month of April 2018

Regular Programming

  1. Project Venture
  2. Description - Will deliver 4 in class sessions, 20-23 and 4 after school sessions.
  3. In-Class will include:
  4. Change in view- Explore the importance of seeing a situation from multiple points of view.
  5. Can it be right to be wrong - Explore how making errors can be a constructive process for individual and group success.
  6. All for one, one for all - Explore therelationship between individuals and the groups they form.
  7. Individual-Group Responsibility- Explore individual responsibility for group success, and group responsibility for individual success.
  8. After-School will include: focus on learning about camping gear and use, maintenance and repair, set up and proper storage.
  9. Archery
  10. Description - Archery Evening will continue 2 nights per week and focus on encouraging community instructors to participate in delivery.
  11. Play Group
  12. Description - Will continue once a week and focus on regular pick up and drop off. A variety of parents and baby crafts will be offered during playgroup.
  13. Drop In
  14. Description - Will continue each morning with focus on introducing younger youth to the full value commitment. Emilee, LU teacher candidate, will work with younger students to learn meditation and yoga before school.
  15. Project Venture
  16. Description - Project Journey is working with the PEA and FNSSP to hire a Project Journey teacher who will focus on delivering PV curriculum full time to grades 5,6,7.
  17. Wood Splitting
  18. Description - Now that the weather is warming up the wood splitting program will continue once a week with efforts to do a full day activity where more than one house can be completed
  19. Notes - Police will continue to be involved and assist each Wednesday
  20. Meals on Wheels
  21. Description - Continue once a week and make efforts to partner with other organizations to assist with preparation and delivery. The diabetes prevention program will be joining and assisting with healthy meal planning when they are available.
  22. Awards ceremonies
  23. Youth are recognized and rewarded with certificates to celebrate the hours of participation that they have completed with Project Journey programming.

Special Programming

  1. Activity Description - Dog Registration
  2. Logistics - efforts will be made to follow through with registering dogs with homes and their owners. A supply of collars has been received and will be issued to dogs that are registered to help identify dogs that are attached to a house.
  3. Purpose - PJ is attempting to remove one of the barriers to participation. We often hear that youth do not attend events or activities because that are afraid to walk to the venue due to the large dog population. This effort will help identify dogs that do not belong to a house which allow them to be easily relocated. The goal is to reduce the dog population that prevents participation.

Long Term

Activity - Bike Repair Weekend

●Description - Bike Maintenance and Repair Training Professionals will attend the community and train interested youth in skills necessary for maintaining and repairing bicycles. Tools and equipment needed will be supplied and efforts are being made to secure funding to hire youth to run program and storage facility for summer bike rental at newly create bike park

●Date - April

Activity - Biking Weekend and Trail Building

●Description - A group of volunteers will attend the community and work with 20-30 youth to build new bike trail as well as ride the trails and provide instructions on trail riding techniques

●Date - May

Activity - Canoe Certification

●Description - Youth interested in attending year end 5 day canoe trip will be provided the opportunity to instructed in canoe operations and receive canoe certification.

●Date - June

Activity - PV 5 day canoe trip

●Description - Youth that have had regular participation with Project Journey throughout year will be invited to attend a 5 day canoe trip on Jim Turtles trapline.

●Date - June

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