Young people to promote sense of community while learning

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Native and non-Native youths in the Pincher Creek area in southwestern Alberta are being offered an opportunity to improve their marketability.

In a pilot project the Napi Friendship Centre, 15 young people between 15 and 30 years of age are being sought to not only learn academic, life and employment skills, but also to improve the relationship between Pincher Creek and the nearby Peigan reserve.

"We'll be doing some service projects, becoming involved with community organizations to do something useful in the community, something that fills a gap," said volunteer Debbie Simmons, who's helping to co-ordinate the Youth Services Canada Project through Napi. "But we'll also be building better relations between the Peigan Nation and Pincher Creek."

Volunteer Ken Williams said it's exciting because of the degree it draws partners from the community.

To that end, organizations in both Pincher Creek and the Peigan reserve have been lined up to offer opportunities to the participants.

Working on both cultural and environmental projects, participants will be spending their time at a number of organizations, including the nearby Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre, the Castle Crown Wilderness Coalition in its stewardship program, the Peigan Friends Along the River Society, the local newspaper putting together a supplement, the Pincher Creek museum, the Old Man River Cultural Centre in Brocket, the Pincher Creek Board of Economic Development, and the Peigan band's research department.

Most importantly through all of this, said Simmons, the youth will be enhancing the work done by the Peigan Nation and Pincher Creek community relations group.

The program is to reflect the overall goal and show a community of people working together, she said.

Not only will Native and non-Native youth be working side by side, but they will also be working to get the residents of Pincher Creek and the Peigan reserve together to take part in such projects as the Head-Smashed-In interpretive program and a cross-cultural display at the Pincher Creek museum.

Along with community projects, participants will be learning in the classroom.

"The home-base will be in the classroom, but the active learning will be in the community," said Williams. "There will be full days in the field and we will have a flexible weekly schedule."

Participants in the program will receive a $200 weekly stipend. Upon successful completion of the program, as well as successful enrollment in an educational facility for obtaining employment, young people will be eligible for a $2,000 bonus.

The federally funded program, said Alma Provost, career counsellor at the Napi Friendship Centre, has much to offer.

"It's a very good initiative for young people," said Provost. "These people are coming in with all kinds of baggage and this program gives the support needed."

Those eligible for the program must be out of school, unemployed, not able to make the transition to the workforce, and face multiple barriers to getting a good job. Deadline for resumes is March 15, with the program running 23 weeks beginning March 22.

Williams said time would be spent during the program to help participants apply successfully for schooling or for a job.

Provost will also be keeping in touch with the participants up to six months following the end of the program.

"It's quite a departure from the standard idea of education and the classroom," said Williams. "There's a greater emphasis on experience."