It is with mixed emotions that we bid farewell to our beloved Community Outreach Coordinator, Natalie Sands. As Natalie works to wrap up her portfolios and prepares for her next adventure, we pulled her aside to reflect on her time at BYTE.

Q: When did you join BYTE and what attracted you to the position?

Natalie: I first became involved with BYTE in 2014 at the organization’s annual Leaders in Training conference. I have worked with youth in many different capacities in the Yukon, focusing mostly on experiential learning and outdoor education, so I had BYTE on my radar for a while. I was pretty keen to help facilitate at that conference so in order to make it happen I was actually facilitating during the day from 8 am to 5 pm, and working during the night from 9 pm to 3 am guiding northern lights tours (Hah!). The conference was incredible and well worth the lack of sleep.

BYTE has always had a very strong reputation for experiential education with youth in the Yukon, and for its community outreach. I grew up in Atlin, BC and moved to Whitehorse in order to finish high school like so many youth from the communities must do in the Yukon. BYTE is one of the few organizations going to the communities to provide education and interactive learning there, instead of requiring community members to travel all the way to Whitehorse to access essential services. Community outreach was the role I wanted to pursue at BYTE.

Q: What experiences in working with BYTE have changed you as a person?

Natalie: If I look back my time with BYTE, I really do think the experiences that I have had in our Yukon
communities have changed me for the better. First, I realized that although I am from a northern community (well a BC community that I think could be adopted into the Yukon) and have called Whitehorse home for half my life, I really had not seen most of the territory. During my time at BYTE, I traveled to thirteen communities that we work with, most of them two to four times each. Every community is incredibly unique, with its own culture, languages, traditions, land, and sense of place. I had a lot of learning to do and I was pretty humbled by that. Second, I was also surprised by the similarities between communities and lifestyles. When I spent time in the communities I felt at home, like I hadn’t felt since I had left Atlin. Realizing this, I tried to pass this lesson on to the youth I met in our workshops: to always know where you come from and to be proud of that. One of the most impactful lessons that I have taken from BYTE is how to be a better ally in working across cultures and living in a diverse world. In my own learning, this lesson was to look around more, be quiet and to listen.

Q: What is one of your most memorable experiences?

Natalie: My most memorable experiences at BYTE were out on the land where we were invited to join youth at different camps. This past year I was lucky enough to spend a week at T’loo K’at, about a twenty-minute boat ride up the Porcupine River from Old Crow. While we were at camp delivering programming to the youth, caribou were crossing the river! In between workshops on Healthy Relationships and Ending Bullying we ended up helping to skin caribou, cut and dry meat, and set net. This winter we ski-dooed into Tatleman Lake, two hours from Pelly Crossing, and spent a few days learning to set net under the ice the ‘old way’ while delivering the workshops This is Our Land and Healthy Minds. These were the most important experiences in learning to be a stronger ally, and getting to see the youth out on their land.

Q: Is there a story that stands out that illustrates the impact BYTE workshops have the youth that attend?

Natalie: During a community mapping and goal setting activity at Tatleman Lake, Pelly Crossing youth outlined their goals, which included ‘learn about my culture,’ ‘get a big lake trout,’ ‘be proud,’ ‘give my respect to the people here and the land’ and ‘go home feeling good and knowing something.’ I had worked with these same youth in a previous workshop in town at their school, and I could not believe the difference in their thoughtfulness, maturity, respect for each other and overall calm and content composure when they were out on their land with elders and community leaders. This camp really solidified the importance of the approach to education that BYTE is taking through its workshops; by providing interactive and engaging methods that really meet Yukon youth where they are at, we were able to see the real potential in these youth as future leaders and knowledge holders.

Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of?

Natalie: The experience that stands out strongly in my mind is one that is pretty close to my heart. Last summer I helped to initiate ‘BYTE River Camp’ which combined raft guide training with BYTE’s leadership programming and took Haines Junction youth out on the river. Champagne-Aishihik First Nation, Tatshenini Expediting, Crime Prevention Trust Fund and BYTE all worked together to make this happen. Having raft guided for Tatshenini Expediting in previous years, I had seen first-hand the potential of paddling and raft guiding for empowerment and leadership skills especially in youth. On day one we were working hard to encourage youth to take the guide seat and steer the raft as their eyes almost bulged out of their heads and their commands came out as a nervous squeak. On day four, these same youth, some as young as twelve, were steering us down class three rapids shouting commands louder than I ever had, as if they had been doing it for years. My highlight was when one youth in particular guided us down the main class three rapids without any steering corrections from our guide. This was my highlight because that morning it had taken me two hours of constant ‘cheery’ good morning singing and tent shaking to wake him up and convince him to put on the wetsuit just one more time. At the end of the day, he asked me with a huge grin on his face if I thought he could work as a raft guide one day. My response was ‘hell ya!’ This brings me to my next adventures.

Q: What is next for you?

Natalie:  After two school years at BYTE, I will be leaving this spring to pursue my passion on the rivers again. I will be raft guiding on the Kicking Horse River in Golden, BC for the summer, and hope to keep pursuing youth work with more of a focus on outdoor education and guiding.

Q: Any final things you want to say?

Natalie: Thanks to all the amazing community members I met through this work. You are making big changes for your communities and we see how hard you are working! Thank you for taking the time to offer us your teachings and inviting us to be a small part of your communities.

Thanks Natalie for your years of hard work and dedication to Yukon youth (and adopted communities ;-). We are sad to see you go, yet excited for your new adventures and the youth you will continue to provide impactful experiences for! All the best!

Please feel free to leave any comments for Natalie below to wish her well on her new adventures!