The BYTE Leadership Fund was launched in 2018 to celebrate youth leadership in our community! The goal of the fund is to support young people in pursuing their passions, gifts, leadership skills and identity through awards of up to $1500.
Since 2018, BYTE has awarded approximately $10,000 to young people aged 14-25 in Yukon, the Western Arctic, NWT and Atlin, B.C. As we open our application period for the 2020/2021 year, we are also taking a look back at some of our past recipients! Enjoy their stories below!
Michaela St.Pierre
Michaela applied for the Leadership Fund in 2018 to help fund a one-week study abroad opportunity in Brussels, Belgium. With support from the Leadership Fund, Michaela travelled to Brussels to study the Flying Low dance technique at the Tic Tac Art Centre. Flying Low is a technique that is not being taught in North America so this was an amazing opportunity for Michaela learn from trained teachers, surrounded by dancers who are practicing the technique regularly. Michaela also planned to pass on the technique to students at Leaping Feats dance studio and to company members of Borealis Soul, a Yukon based dance collective that she is a member of. While in Brussels, Michaela also sought other classes and performances to enrich the experience even more such as taking classes with Ultima Vez, an international contemporary dance company.
Nathan Muir-Cressman
Nathan is passionate about the health and wellbeing of his community, no matter what their age. As an aqua fitness instructor at the Canada Games Centre, Nathan does his part to “help folks rehabilitate from injuries, give people a workout to achieve or help them on the right path to a healthy life.” Nathan also leads summer camps and coordinates outdoor activities to promote the healthy lifestyle to children. He believes “if we can have a healthy community in the summer then it will make going through the long winter easier both mentally and physically.”
In 2018, Nathan was funded by the Leadership Fund to attend the Training for Trainers Aqua Fitness Conference in Montreal put on the Canadian Aquafitness Leaders Alliance. Attendance at the conference provided Nathan with the certification to be able to train new instructors to teach aqua fitness at the Canada Games Centre!
Wynter Grant
Wynter is an aspiring photographer who enjoys taking pictures because “photography is a way I can open up without using words. I like to choose my words carefully but with photography I can share my interests and my perspective without having to talk.” Wynter regularly takes amazing pictures of animals and landscapes on his phone and shares them on Instagram.
In 2019, Wynter applied to the Leadership Fund for support to purchase a camera with the goal of growing his interest and skills in photography. With a new camera, Wynter is learning new techniques and is feeling “able to take better photos!”
Calandra Roberts
Calandra was funded to attend the Dreamcatchers Indigenous Youth Conference at McEwan University. At the conference, Calandra participated in a variety of workshops aimed at personal and professional exploration and included: a tour of MacEwan University Campus, participation in MacEwan Day with the Indigenous Education Centre (IEC) – kihêw waciston, Crime Scene Investigation – Is CSI a career for you?, Empowering Indigenous Youth through Building Self-Esteem and Resilience and Claiming Identity through Story and Dance.
Other opportunities funded:
$1500 for two youth to attend the Bridging Gender Divides workshop.
$1300 for a full carving set for an aspiring young carver. Check out some of their work here.
$550 to support a pan-highschool Gender and Sexuality Alliance retreat organized by the Porter Creek Secondary GSA. Funds from the Leadership Fund supported accommodation costs for the retreat.
$350 to support camping supplies needed for a youth to attend their Fish Camp.
$1100 to support a youth to attend an art opening in Victoria and the American Studies Association conference in Honolulu, Hawaii where an art project the youth worked on was being shown and presented on.
There is currently $5000 available in the fund for the 2020/21 year! Youth ages 14-25 can apply anytime between now and March 31, 2021 for up to $1500.
For more information about the Leadership Fund, please visit our page and don’t hesitate to contact info@nullyukonyouth.com or 867.667.7975 with questions or help applying!