University of Manitoba Medical Students (Jacob Penner Park Drop-In Centre)
September 2006 – May 2007 (Amount granted: $440)
Jacob Penner park Drop-In Centre is a non-profit organization that was started six years ago by U of M medical students. It’s a safe place for children in the neighbourhood to play, make crafts, and receive help with their homework. It’s operated entirely by volunteer medical students and other health care students.
Rossbrook House (After-School Crafts Program)
September 2006 – June 2007 (Amount granted: $460)
Catherine Metrycki, a student from St. Mary’s Academy, is working with Rossbrook House to offer a weekly crafts program for the kids who go to Rossbrook.
Dakota Collegiate (Operation Rudolph)
December 2006 (Amount granted: $1000)
Dakota’s Black & Gold Society planned and hosted a Christmas party for children from low-income areas surrounding their high school. This was their sixth year of Youth Connections funding.
Kelvin High School (Kelvin Bridges Initiative)
December 2006 (Amount granted: $1000)
Over 100 high school students participated in planning and hosting their seventh annual Christmas party, inviting about 200 students from Pinkham Elementary School to hang out with them for the morning. The purpose of the project – on top of just having some fun – was to “instill a sense of awareness and involvement for the students of Kelvin, and make holiday wishes come true for the students of Pinkham.”
St. James Collegiate (Homework Mentor Club)
December 2006 – June 2007 (Amount granted: $700)
St. James students re-launched this project they started in 2005/06. Once a week after school, senior high students go to Stevenson Britannia School to assist students with homework and act as mentors.
Power Up Together!
January – June 2007 (Amount granted: $1000)
Several university students have joined with the Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development to offer a free after-school program for adult students and their children. The families gather for a light snack and then the adults receive tutoring and homework help while their children are cared for by students in CAHRD’s Recreation Technician program.
Miles Macdonell Collegiate (Friends Around the World)
January – May 2007 (Amount granted: $585)
Once again, Miles Mac’s Friendship Committee has continued their project, designed to help EAL students feel welcome and part of the school community through lunch time and after school activities.
St. James Collegiate (Brooklands Literacy Project)
February 2007 (Amount granted: $825)
St. James students who live in the Brooklands area of Winnipeg returned to the elementary school in their neighborhood to cook breakfast and read to the children there. This project has been organized by the students for several years now, and it’s been a very worthwhile experience for everyone involved.
Victor Mager Boys and Girls Club (Multicultural Celebration)
March 2007 (Amount granted: $1000)
Regular members of the Victor Mager Winnipeg Boys & Girls Club invited community members to an event in celebration of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The event included multicultural performances and a buffet featuring ethnic dishes representative of the St. Vital community.
Kelvin High School (Camp Ooga Booga)
March 2007 (Amount granted: $1000)
A core group of students, assisted by another 15 – 20 of their peers, ran a free day camp for low-income families during spring break. Approximately 45 children attended this camp, which has now been operating for three years.
Somali Youth Association (Youth for Youth Day Camp)
March 2007 (Amount granted: $780)
Young leaders from the Somali Youth Association offered a 2-day camp that brought young children together to be educated about drugs, violence and other issues that affect recent immigrants and refugees in Winnipeg. Their hope is “that the youth will develop ties between one another and that they will try to incorporate their personal beliefs and cultures with their present society”.
Sister MacNamara (Boys and Girls Club) Youth Action Council: Youth Giving to Youth Community Dance
April 2007 (Amount granted: $1000)
On April 27, the Sister MacNamara Youth Action Council hosted a dance for youth in the community. By organizing the dance, members of the Youth Action Council enhanced their planning, communication and leadership skills. The evening dance was intended to offer a fun event that would bring diverse youth together to network, build positive relationships within the community, and boost their self-confidence through dance.
Springfield Collegiate: WCWRC Mother’s Day Celebration
May 2007 (Amount granted: $600)
Springfield Collegiate’s Social Justice League collaborated with the West Central Women’s Resource Centre (WCWRC) to celebrate the mothers who attend the centre. The celebration offered mothers the opportunity to receive special attention, care, support, and interact in a positive environment while their children were cared for. This collaboration was a great way for students of Springfield Collegiate to gain volunteer experience and foster empathy with the centre’s patrons.
Southeast Collegiate: Cultural Awareness and Traditional Pow-Wow
May 2007 (Amount granted: $1000)
The Southeast Youth Leadership Group organized and hosted a cultural awareness day accompanied by a traditional pow-wow. This cultural celebration was intended to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal First Nations teachings and practices for both students and the community.
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba: Family to Family
June to August 2007 (Amount granted: $1000)
Family to Family is a unique endeavor, organized by a youth volunteer, which paired five landed refugee families from the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM) with local Canadian families. To help address the sense of isolation commonly experienced by landed immigrants, the Canadian families helped their partner families to integrate into their new society through social and orientation activities. The goal of the project was to ease the transition of landed immigrants into Canadian society, enhance their sense of independence, and improve cultural tolerance in the city.
Argyle Alternative High School: BBQ and Games Day
June 2007 (Amount granted: $1000)
The Argyle Leadership Group hosted a BBQ and Games Day for students from Pinkham Elementary School. The day gave high school students the opportunity to interact with elementary students; build school and community spirit; and develop positive relationships between students. In working with elementary students, the group of participating high schools students developed their communication skills, patience, and served as positive role models for the students from Pinkham Elementary School.
Miles Macdonell Career Quest: Community Home Improvement Project
May to June 2007 (Amount granted: $1000)
For their eighth consecutive year, Miles Mac’s Career Quest students undertook the task of fixing up a house in the community for someone who was unable to do it themselves. Upon selecting the house, students worked on the house every afternoon until all projects were completed. Students helped with yard work, painting and minor repairs, which gave them the chance of affecting positive change for a household in their community and directly seeing the benefits of their work.
Vincent Massey: Alternative Energy Array
June 2007 on (Amount granted: $1000)
A small group of student volunteers plan on constructing an Alternative Energy Array (AEA) on the roof of Vincent Massey. The AEA will be composed of a small scale wind turbine and an array of photovoltaic cells. The project will promote positive relationships between students and the community and encourage students to adopt environmentally sustainable practices in their daily lives. Once the Alternative Energy Array is installed, the project promises to promote learning opportunities for future students of Vincent Massey.
Manitoba Somali Association Youth Committee: Summer Camp 2007
July 2007 (Amount granted: $1000)
A group of Somali youth organized a summer camp filled with fun activities such as soccer, basketball, tennis, and other games. The one day camp was intended to provide a positive environment where Somali youth can learn to respect each other, help one another and learn about their culture.
Youth Activist Retreat
August 2007 (Amount granted: $1000)
Started in 1999, the Youth Activist Retreat (YAR) is a free week-long retreat designed to teach young people about making a difference in their high schools, universities, workplaces, and communities. Through seminars and presentations, youth enhance their organizational and leadership skills, as well as their awareness of social, political, and economic issues.
Churchill High School: Women’s Health and Wellness Week
December 2007 (Amount granted: $1000)
The Churchill Women’s Health and Wellness Week will offer young women and men the opportunity to discuss topics that the student body finds important. To determine the topics that students are interested in, the volunteer committee circulated surveys, which revealed that students want to learn about and discuss topics such as body image, stress, personal safety, sexuality and depression. The workshops will take place both in school and in the community. Students hope that this positive initiative will minimize negative stereotypes of youth in the community.
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