The BYTE Team in Dawson City

Two weeks ago, the BYTE team packed up and drove north for the Rural Experiential Model (REM) in Dawson City. It was our first tour of the busy fall season, and unlike most of our tours tours, the entire staff (except for our ED, who bravely stayed at the office to hold down the fort) got to go.

 

For the BYTE team, it was an opportunity for our new Community Outreach Coordinator Natalie Sands and Whitehorse Outreach Coordinator Angela Code to gain some valuable experience. Tanyss Knowles, BYTE’s outgoing Community Outreach Coordinator, came along to offer guidance and support. As for me, I tagged along to collect stories from the conference and to try my hand at facilitation.

 

 

The REM conference was the second of its kind held in the Yukon. Hosted by the Department of Education, REM is an opportunity for students from across the territory in grades 10 through 12 to access experiential learning opportunities in music, woodworking, cooking, traditional First Nations knowledge, and more. Approximately 100 students from Carmacks, Dawson City, Faro, Haines Junction, Mayo, Pelly Crossing, Ross River, and Watson Lake gathered in Dawson to take part in the conference, and they all got to interact with BYTE.

 

On the first night, the BYTE team ran icebreakers with over 100 youth so that everyone could get to know each other. On the second night, we ran a Leadership workshop for one of the REM sessions. The next day, we spent an evening at the Dawson Youth Centre running a Right to be Heard workshop and chatting with local youth about issues that matter to them.

 

 

It was my first time attending a BYTE community tour, and I was surprised by how many youth I had met before. As Communications Coordinator, I spend most of my time in the office rather than out facilitating workshops. Despite this, I recognized lots of youth from last year’s Leaders In Training Conference, from the Youth Directorate’s Leadership Camp this summer, and from previous BYTE programs I’ve been involved with.

 

The Dawson City REM was a great opportunity to see youth that I’ve connected with in the past and hear the latest on their lives and their communities. Whether I was playing Splat! with a group or asking participants to determine their own personal leadership styles, I connected with more youth, built new relationships, and got to know the Yukon’s rural youth a little bit better.

 

Thanks to the Department of Education and to the Dawson City Youth Centre for hosting us—we can’t wait for the next one!