African Communities of Manitoba Inc. (Youth Soccer Tournament)
September 2007 (Amount granted: $1000)
The African Communities of Manitoba Inc. organized a youth soccer tournament for African youth in Winnipeg. The tournament featured seven African Canadian teams including African Lions, Congo, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Zion Dominion. By participating in the tournament, African Canadian youth had the opportunity to showcase their talents and build positive relationships with their peers and with the African Canadian communities in Winnipeg.
Dakota Collegiate (Operation Rudolf)
November 2007 (Amount granted: $1000)
Dakota’s Black and Gold Society organized and hosted a Christmas party for children from the area surrounding their high school. The project shows both the children and volunteers involved the importance of giving. The project team “can tell at the end of the day we really made a difference. The smiles and thank you’s make it all worthwhile.” This was their seventh year of Youth Connections funding.
St. James Collegiate (Stevenson Homework Mentor Program)
November 2007 (Amount granted: $700)
A group of students from St. James Collegiate spent one hour on Thursdays with students from the Stevenson Britannia Elementary School to help them with their homework. This time also give the high school students the opportunity to act as mentors and develop friendships with their homework buddies. Many of the high school volunteers attended Stevenson Britannia Elementary School themselves and felt that this was a great way of giving back to their community.
Kelvin High School (Kelvin Bridges Initiative)
December 2007 (Amount granted: $1000)
Kelvin High School hosted a Christmas Breakfast for students from Fort Rouge Elementary School. The project included a pancake breakfast followed by festive activities. The day concluded with a visit from Santa, who distributed gifts to the kids. This project instilled a sense of community awareness and leadership for the students from Kelvin, and gave the students from Fort Rouge Elementary School the opportunity to interact with positive role models.
Technical Vocational High School (Principal Sparling Holiday Party)
December 2007 (Amount granted: $ 970)
A group of 8 students from Tech Voc High School organized a Christmas breakfast for students from Principal Sparling School. Participating students enjoyed a fun filled morning of crafts, games and learning Christmas songs. And, at the end of the morning the students received a visit from Santa, who brought some greetings and a bag of gifts.
St. James Collegiate (Brooklands Literacy Program)
January 2008 (Amount granted: $825)
During February – I Love to Read Month – students from St. James Collegiate visited Brooklands Elementary School to cook a pancake breakfast for the students. This was followed with group reading sessions to instill the value of reading in participating elementary students. And, at the end of the project, each child received a brand new book to encourage them to continue read reading.
Anishinabe Pride Female Basketball Club (Anishinabe Pride Junior Sport Clinic)
January 2008 (Amount granted: $1000)
Anishinabe Pride – a female basketball team aged 12 to 14 – ran a 2 hour sports clinic weekly for about 2 months for students from Shaughnessy Park School. Each session featured drills and activities to teach the students team work and commitment. For participating in the clinic, the students received a healthy snack per session; a jersey (donated by Manitoba Aboriginal Sport) which read ‘Anishinabe Pride Small Ballers’; and at the end of the clinic, each child was presented with a basketball to help them further develop their skills.
Maples Collegiate/University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Physical Education (Aboriginal Youth and Sport Recreation Program)
February 2008 (Amount granted: $1000)
A group of Aboriginal students from Maples Collegiate, with the help of students from the University of Manitoba, designed and delivered an after school mentorship program at James Nisbet Elementary School. The project features recreational activities to develop leadership, self-confidence and team work skills in all students involved. At each session, the project team leaders created a circle of sharing and learning where university, high school and elementary students share the skills and knowledge gained from their experiences.
Children of the Earth/University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Physical Education (Aboriginal Youth and Sport Recreation Program)
February 2008 (Amount granted: $1000)
Similar to the previous project, a group of Aboriginal students from Children of the Earth High School, with the help of students from the University of Manitoba, designed and delivered an after school mentorship program at Niji Mahkwa School. The project features recreational activities to develop leadership, self-confidence and team work skills in all students involved. At each session, the project team leaders created a circle of sharing and learning where university, high school and elementary students share the skills and knowledge gained from their experiences.
Victor Mager Boys & Girls Club (Multicultural Festival)
March 2008 (Amount granted: $1000)
On March 20th, Victor Mager Boys & Girls Club held a Multicultural Festival to celebrate and build understanding around the diversity evident in the community. The festival featured a range of ethnic performances, such as Filipino bamboo dancers and African drumming. Although this event was free of charge to the public, families in the area were encouraged to bring an ethnic food dish to build a sense of community. The festival was a great way of building social capital as it brought together members of the community in a positive and safe environment
Miles Macdonell Collegiate (Literacy Mentorship Project)
March 2008 (Amount granted: $1000)
The Literacy Mentorship Project was developed by Miles Macdonell student to enable them to work interactively with grades 1, 2 and 3 students from Prince Edward School. Through reading and writing, the project team encouraged literacy, created a sense of community, and became positive older influences in the lives of the younger students. In organizing this project, the project team wanted to demonstrate to their community that the youth in the area are interested in volunteering their time to benefit the community.
Kelvin High School (Camp Ooga Booga)
March 2008 (Amount granted: $1000)
During spring break, Kelvin students hosted a four-day camp for students from Mulvey School and Pinkham School who may not have had a safe place to go during the spring break. The kids participated in cooking, arts and crafts, and sports. This project has been taking place for the past 6 years because school administration and the parents of the children who have participated in the past offer positive feedback. This project gave young children a chance to engage in positive learning activities, interact with their peers and high school students, and have fun.
Kelvin High School (Multicultural Day)
April 2008 (Amount granted: $205)
Inspired by Folklorama, Kelvin High School’s Hopeful Aware Students Taking Action (HASTA) group held a multicultural event during one lunch hour at their high school. The purpose of the event was to display the diversity and multiculturalism present in the school. Students from various ethnicities were invited to participate by showcasing their culture. The lunch time event included cultural performances and ethnic food from diverse local restaurants and families.
REAL (Girl Outreach)
April 2008 (Amount granted: $500)
REAL is a one night event that gave about 300 Winnipeg girls in grades 9 to 12 the chance to come together to have a girls-night-out at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The night’s entertainment included a local band performance and a hip hop dance team performance. The girls received one of three services (hair, make-up or nails) by stylists and estheticians from local salons. At the end of the night, three keynote speakers shared their real-life stories of struggle and how they were able to overcome their challenges. The event has since received positive feedback from the participants who shared that the whole night was inspirational and empowering.
International Centre (Family Movie Night at the International Centre)
May 2008 (Amount granted: $300)
A group of young people from the International Centre held a free movie night for newcomer youth and their families. The feature presentation was a family movie followed by healthy snacks and a draw to win door prizes. The project brought together families from the community to enjoy a fun, relaxing night. It was also a great way to introduce new inner-city families to the classes and resources offered by the International Centre.
International Centre (Spring Soccer Tournament for Newcomer Children and Youth)
May 2008 (Amount granted: $300)
A group of five youth between the ages of 14 to 16 who participate in the International Centre’s Youth Leadership Training Program organized a spring soccer tournament for newcomer children and youth. The tournament took place at Central Park and was open to children aged 9 to 16. Soccer was chosen as the sport because the team felt that it is very popular among immigrant children and can teach essential life skills such as commitment, team work, and communication.
Miles Macdonell Collegiate (Home Improvement Project)
May 2008 (Amount granted: $1000)
The Home Improvement Project is driven by the grade 12 Career Quest class at Miles Macdonell Collegiate. The students renovate the exterior of a house in the East Kildonan or Elmwood area. The students took full responsibility for developing the criteria to select the house, and worked collaboratively to make the final selection of the house. This project has taken place for the past 11 years because every year students learn skills such as landscaping, painting, effective communications, and leadership.
Churchill High School (Women’s Health and Wellness Week)
May 2008 (Amount granted: $925)
This project took place during the first week in December 2008. The project leaders felt it was necessary to have an awareness week for girls/women, focusing on the many issues they face. Each day of the week there were seminars and activities full of advice, support and education on the well-being of teenagers.
Kelvin High School (Pink Houses Project)
May 2008 (Amount granted: $322)
A group of students from Kelvin High School painted a house in the Point Douglas area. Within a four day span, the group of young volunteers successfully painted a one and a half storey house, despite the risk of rain showers. This initiative came to life in the spring of 2007 after a group of students participated in the United Way Youth Day of Caring. The project was named ‘Little Pink Houses’. (The house was not painted pink. The project was named after a John Mellencamp song). The students volunteered their time and energy to reach a united goal and demonstrated a significant act of kindness to a local homeowner.
Youth Activist Retreat
June 2008 (Amount granted: $1000)
The Youth Activist Retreat has been an annual event since 1999. Volunteers organize and run a week-long program of seminars and workshops designed to teach young people about making a difference at their high school, university, workplace, and in the community. This year the retreat took place in Clearwater Manitoba at the Harvest Moon Centre.
Manitoba Somali Association (Somali Youth Day Camp)
July 2008 (Amount granted: $1000)
A group of nine youth hosted a two day camp which involved various recreational activities and educational workshops on gangs, bullying and violence. This project was very youth-initiated and led. Over the past four years that this project has taken place, it has attracted more and more volunteers who gain leadership and problem solving skills. Children from the Somali community had a unique opportunity to interact with members of their ethnic group and engage in positive cultural experiences.
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