The Leaders in Training Conference is coming to Inuvik for the first time, thanks to a push from Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk youth who attended the conference earlier this year.
Photo courtesy of Youth of Today Society
The conference will take place from October 16-19 for youth ages 14-18.
Shelby Maunder, executive director of BYTE – the youth organization that facilitates the conference – said six youth from Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk attended the Leaders in Training Conference in Haines Junction in March 2018 and asked if the conference could be brought to their region.
"Northern youth always have to come to city centres for services, so we thought it would be really cool to take the conference to their communities," said Maunder. "So this is the first time it's happening in Inuvik and it's awesome. We're stoked."
The conference has been taking place for six years, and aims to provide rural Northern youth a space for building confidence, developing leadership skills, and an opportunity to network with other youth leaders from across the North through workshops, team-building games, local guest speakers and facilitation training.
Chukita Gruben, a youth from Tuktoyaktuk who attended the conference in Haines Junction, has been a driving force in bringing the conference to youth in the Beaufort Delta.
She said she has been working with conference coordinator Alyssa Carpenter since the beginning of the year to make it happen.
"At the beginning of this year I met Alyssa, and we started our conversation, and now 10 months later, what was just a talk turned into a goal, and now it's becoming a reality. This is just the start. A seed was planted and now it's sprouting." said Gruben. "We live in this small Northern region, and there's lot of blocks and barriers, and we're pretty isolated as well … so we're looking forward to having it in our region. It is a Northern forum, and it's never been here before."
Gruben said throughout her youth, she has taken part in many conferences and workshops like this and they have benefitted her greatly.
"These kinds of opportunities help youth gain stronger leadership skills, confidence, a clear vision and it helps them build relationships, which is an opportunity for them to open new doors for themselves," she said. "What I love to do as an individual is inspire youth to go see what's out there."
Gruben said she will be taking part in the conference as a behind-the-scenes staff member.
Carpenter said it is important to bring the conference to rural communities in order to make it accessible to more youth.
She said when she was younger and growing up in Sachs Harbour and Inuvik, she often took part in conferences in southern Canada. While these conferences were overall good experiences, she said they weren't without difficulties.
"A lot of the time, going to these conferences so far away from home is really uncomfortable and you feel alone, and it's hard to connect with groups when you feel that way," said Carpenter. "We hope youth will be more comfortable when we bring the conference closer to home."
Local guests, including Gerry Kisoun, Shirley Kisoun and Dez Loreen, will be speaking at next month's conference in Inuvik.
There will also be an Arctic sports demonstration organized by local athletes Chris Church, Underwood Day and Donald Kuptana.
Carpenter said the conference would not be possible without support from local community organizations who are partnering with BYTE to bring the conference to Inuvik.
Along with the Gwich'in Tribal Council and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, the conference is also being sponsored by Tides Canada and TakingITGlobal.