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Program Manager
Lieutenant Governor’s Aboriginal Literacy Summer Camps (LGALSC) Project

Location:                      Toronto, Ontario
Term Position:              May 2005- October 31, 2005
Salary Range:               $30,000.00 – 35,000.00  for 6 – month contract
Placement Date:            May 2, 2005
______________________________________________________________

Nature and Scope:

Planned in collaboration with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), the LGALSC Project is a three–week summer camp for 75 Aboriginal youth ages 8-14 that will be offered in five remote First Nations communities in northern Ontario during July and August 2005. The goal of the LGALSC is to improve literacy rates among young people through participation in a summer camp program that focuses on fostering within participants insights, feelings, knowledge, and skills about the learning process.
The LGALSC is a collaborative project of the NAN, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Scouts Canada, National Indigenous Literacy Association, World Literacy of Canada, Frontier College, Toronto District School Board, and YMCA Ontario (the Steering Committee). The Steering Committee considers the LGALSC to be a pilot program, with potential to be continued after 2005.
While the position will operate out of Scouts Canada’s Toronto’s office, the Program Manager will be expected to be based in northern Ontario during the summer months. A relocation allowance will be provided during the summer months.

Responsibilities:

• Reporting to the Steering Committee, the Program Manager is responsible for the overall management of the five summer camps, ensuring a high standard of program development and delivery.
• Develops the pilot program operational policies and procedures.
• Monitors all aspects of the summer camps operations including camper care, site administration, food service, and staffing.
• Recruits, hires, trains, coaches, and leads a team of five Camp Directors and youth camp counselors from Aboriginal communities and Southern Ontario.
• Manages the summer camp budget.
• Designs and monitors a risk management program to ensure the health and safety of each camp participant.
• Attends all Steering Committee meetings.

Qualifications:

• Knowledge of project management tools, techniques, principles and practices  
• Demonstrated experience volunteering or working in an Aboriginal context.
• Demonstrated planning and problem-solving skills
• Post-secondary degree or diploma in recreation, education or related field
• Successful record of managing large implementation projects
• Successful completion of a criminal reference check.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Supervisory/management role in a summer camp or similar youth-focused organization.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience of youth Aboriginal issues.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with First Nations communities

Competencies:

• Leadership: Motivates and inspires self and others to take action to achieve desired outcomes.
• Relationship Building and Collaboration:  Builds positive interactions both internally and externally to achieve work-related goals.
• Creativity and Innovation: Develops new ways or adapts existing ideas to help achieve desired results.
• Planning and Organizing: Establishes a clearly defined and effective course of action for self and others to accomplish short and long-term goals.
• Results-Oriented: Ability to manage and lead to achieve and exceed identified goals.
• Concern for Health and Safety: Acknowledges and understands how to manage and educate others of risk and harm reduction
• Tolerance for Ambiguity: Functions effectively in situations of less than perfect or incomplete information.

_______________________________

Curriculum Developer
Lieutenant Governor’s Aboriginal Literacy Summer Camps (LGALSC) Project

Location:                      Toronto, Ontario
Term Position:              May 2005- September 15, 2005
Salary Range:               $22,500.00 to 27,500.00 for 6-month contract
Placement Date:           May 2, 2005
______________________________________________________________

Nature and Scope:
Planned in collaboration with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), the LGALSC Project is a three–week summer camp for 75 Aboriginal youth ages 8-14 that will be offered in five First Nations communities in northern Ontario during July and August 2005. The goal of the LGALSC is to improve literacy rates among young people through participation in a summer camp program that focuses on fostering within participants insights, feelings, knowledge, and skills about the learning process.
The LGALSC is a collaborative project of the NAN, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Scouts Canada, National Indigenous Literacy Association, World Literacy of Canada, Frontier College, Toronto District School Board, and YMCA Ontario (the Steering Committee). The Steering Committee considers the LGALSC to be a pilot program, with potential to be continued after 2005.
While the position will operate out of Scouts Canada’s Toronto office, the Curriculum Developer will be expected to be based in northern Ontario during the summer months. A relocation allowance will be provided during the summer months.

Responsibilities:

• Reporting to the Program Manager, the major responsibility of the Curriculum Developer is to coordinate the development of the summer camp literacy curriculum, in consultation with the partner organizations and the Program Manager.
• Based on the defined goals and objectives of the camp curriculum, develops and organizes training sessions for camp directors and youth counselors, in consultation with the partner organizations and the Program Manager.
• Develops future summer camp leaders through a focus on mentorship approaches and programming.
• Assists the Program Manager in directing camp operations including camper care, site operations, health and safety matters, and supervising and coaching camp directors, as required.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience in curriculum planning.
• Minimum of two years in a supervisory/management role in a summer camp or similar youth-focused organization.
• Demonstrated experience volunteering or working in an Aboriginal context.
• Demonstrated ability to work closely with and share leadership with other managers.
• Post-secondary degree or diploma in education, recreation or related field 
• Possesses or has the capacity to obtain a valid CPR and First Aid certification
• Successful completion of a criminal reference check.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated knowledge of literacy issues
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience of youth Aboriginal issues.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with First Nations communities.

Competencies:

• Leadership: Motivates and inspires self and others to take action to achieve desired outcomes.
• Relationship Building and Collaboration:  Builds positive interactions both internally and externally to achieve work-related goals.
• Communications: Ability to speak, write, listen and secure information in a variety of settings.
• Planning and Organizing: Establishes a clearly defined and effective course of action for self and others to accomplish short and long-term goals.
• Teamwork: Participates actively and positively in teams and teambuilding for maximum organizational effectiveness.
• Results-Oriented: Ability to manage and lead to achieve and exceed identified goals.
• Tolerance for Ambiguity: Functions effectively in situations of less than perfect or incomplete information.

A letter of application and resume should be sent by April 1st to:
Scouts Canada
Central Ontario
265 Yorkland Blvd.
2nd Floor
Toronto, Ontario M2J 5C7
FAX:    416-490-6911
Email:  psundborg@scouts.ca
We would prefer to receive your letter of application and resume via email

Attn:   Peter Sundborg
          Executive Director

The hopes of this project is to show youth in the NAN territory other youth's success as a means of inspiring, giving positive examples, sharing stories, and mentoring. WE all need positivity and hope as the National Chief shared with us yesterday. Our young people need to be safe, need to be healthy, and need to dream and live their lives to their fullest. This is a huge task for NAN since over 50% of our population in the NAN territory are under the age of 16.

The youth who are participating in the Poster Series are a true testimony to success that our youth have, and can have with some hard work, creativity, determination and a positive self esteem.

When given the opportunity to figure out how we can reach out to youth in the NAN territory, posters were decided as a method to educate communities on the issue of bullying and to profile some of our most successful youth.

By using our own youth, we show our own youth several things:

• They are successfully contributing to society.
• Their words and picture can motivate other youth.
• Their image sends a strong message that Aboriginal youth are strong, and healthy.
• NAN youth take a stance against bullying.
• A life without violence is possible.

For many Aboriginal youth today, it is not uncommon that we face great difficulties. From an adult point of view, since I am no longer a youth, I see the issues that our youth face. When the police see more than one Native youth together in the streets, they sometimes are labeled being in a gang, our youth are labeled shy, our youth are also labeled at risk. Is this always true? I think that part of empowering our youth is standing strong, and showing that we can do many things. Not just what the mainstream society wants us to be.

When the call out for the poster series took place, youth were nominated by a community member or leadership.

All youth met the following criteria:

• Were an inspiration to someone
• Lived a life without violence
• Mentored other youth
• Had a positive attitude

It gives me great honour to introduce the youth selected      

• Catherine Cheechoo, Moose Cree
• Duane Moonias, Neskantaga
• Rebecca Kakegakumic, Sandy Lake
• Christina Morris, Wagoshig
• Kevin Kakegamic, Keewaywin
• Amy Iserhoff, Ginogaming
• Rachael Yesno, Fort Hope
• Darren Spence, Marten Falls
• Paige Mawakeesic, Sioux Lookout
• Jon Lazarus, Moose Cree

Click here to see some pictures from the Embrace Life gathering in Thunder Bay, March 2005.

 These youth all have amazing stories to share and to tell. They are all working with other youth, and are involved. They are finding solutions for the problems by helping out and by caring for other youth.

We chose to also do a poster on the Dennis Franklin Cromarty Highschool Senior Boy's Volleyball team to recognize their atheletic excellence. They have won three consecutive championships in the city of Thunder Bay, and it is wonderful to see their hard work, team work and individual commitment to play this sport reflect in their winnings.

For more information visit http://www.treatyninecommemoration.on.ca

NAN Women’s Gathering November 22-26, 2004
Travelodge Airlane Hotel
Thunder Bay, Ontario

Thunder Bay, Tuesday 9th November 2004: The Chiefs of Matawa First Nations are publicly stating their collaborative rejection of the proposed Hydro Site Allocation policy that is set to be announced by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Following a presentation by Minister David Ramsey at the NAN Chiefs Assembly in Thunder Bay on November 4th 2004, the Matawa Chiefs agree that the proposed policy does not meet their expectations or provide the adequate foundations for First Nations to pursue Hydro development opportunities.

The Matawa Chiefs believe that the proposed policy neither addresses the need to engage First Nations in a formal communications format, nor provides sufficient clarity with respect to First Nation involvement in hydro development opportunities in the North. The Minister was able to divulge the content of the policy during the meeting last week but when questioned by the Chiefs, he could not adequately explain how the policy will be implemented in a practical manner for First Nations. The Matawa Chiefs were seeking a much stronger definition surrounding the MNR’s commitment to economic development opportunities.

On behalf of the Matawa Chiefs, Chief Charlie O’Keese of Eabametoong First Nation stated; “What the Minister had to say may sound good on the surface but we need a hard written definition in order for our communities to support this policy. At present, the Minister is asking us to support a policy that we have not seen and that he has only talked about. Historically, this approach by government to First Nations has resulted in the loss of opportunity for First Nations. If this policy is as good as Minister Ramsey claims, then why has it not been presented to First Nations for a thorough review?”

Chief Veronica Waboose says; “It is completely inappropriate for the Ministry to ask the First Nations to blindly approve a policy that we have not been given the opportunity to review. One particular note of concern from my understanding of the policy is that it divides Ontario First Nations, giving some First Nations in the far North direct award of sites but telling the rest of the First Nations in the South that they will not be offered the same level of opportunity. I find it inconceivable that the Province would want to introduce such a divisive and contentious document at a time when the Matawa communities have worked so hard to build relationships with the Province and its various ministries.”

The Matawa First Nation Chiefs have sent an official letter to the Premier, Dalton McGuinty to request intervention and mediation in resolving these issues for the benefit of all concerned parties.

The Matawa communities have repeatedly stated that they are not opposed to development but that they are no longer prepared to witness the ongoing lack of opportunity provided to First Nation communities.

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For more information please contact: Stephanie Ash or Vakerie Marasco at: 807 767 4443 or email: stephanie@firedogpr.com.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation

Special Chiefs Assembly

November 2 to 4, 2004.

The Governing Council Extends An
OPEN INVITATION TO

Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Education & Training Institute's
2004 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

DATE: Wednesday, November 3, 2004
TIME: 8:30 am 12:30 pm

at the

Victoria Inn's Regency A Conference Room
555 Arthur Street West
Thunder Bay, Ontario

The Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Education & Training Institute was established in 2001 by the Chiefs of Nishnawbe Aski Nation to develop and deliver post secondary education and training to our communities based on needs and requirements.

The membership of the Institute is open to the 49 First Nations of Nishnawbe Aski Nation. Each community is entitled to one member who is over 18 years of age, who may be the Education Director/Coordinator or any individual appointed by the First Nation. If you have not appointed your member yet, please do so immediately. A letter template is attached. Your representative will be eligible to stand for election to the Governing Council.

If attending the Annual General Meeting completed registration forms should be signed and returned to our office by fax at 807-345-2924. As funding is limited, travel expenses will be the responsibility of your member.

For more information or to obtain a registration form please contact Natalie Loone at our office by email nloone@oshki.ca or by phone through 807-346-2770 or our toll free number 1-866-636-7454.