Tag: Canada

Consultation opportunity for Indigenous youth from Care!

The Indigenous Youth Advisory Council at ANCFSAO has a new series called the “Youth Led, Youth Friendly Document Series”. This Series aims to broaden the network and understanding for children and youth in care and how they engage with the system.

As part of the series, they want to engage with youth across the province for the following dates (all meetings will be 4:30-6:30 PM to accommodate school/work schedules): 

  • December 18th, 2024
  • January 8th, 2025
  • January 15th, 2025
  • January 16th, 2025.

These engagements will include fun ice breakers along with interactive activities and questions to get a sense of what the youth wish was more youth friendly about the system, their learning styles. Each youth who engages will be provided with honorarium for attending and engaging.

ANCFSAO aims to create deliverables based on this consultation phase (podcasts, infographics, short animated videos, pictures, etc.) to help youth find additional routes to understanding the navigation of their journey in child welfare. 

After this they will be re-engaging with the youth groups so they can provide feedback on the deliverables and if they think these truly are youth led and youth friendly. Once they have amended from the feedback they will begin rolling this out online and through their networks by holding sessions to introduce and teach their new sets of tools to Child Wellbeing and CAS agencies across Ontario.

Eligibility

Indigenous youth between the ages of 14-24 across Ontario who have been involved with a CAS or Child Well being agency and want to share their stories and provide feedback to help the next 7 generations. 

They are accepting up to 18 youth per engagement, once you have received the invitation to the meeting it means your registration has been accepted. If they have reached the limit they will reach out to inform you or reschedule you for another date. 

Sign up

Please follow the link Here to sign up! Please forward to any youth you think would be interested.

Nia:wen and we really look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions reach out to prevention@ancfsao.ca 

Voices Scholarship Program 2024 – 2025

The Voices Scholarship Program consists of five awards: The Voices Bursary, the Marie Christian Award, the Reaching for the Stars Scholarship, the Honouring Our Youth Scholarship, and the Kiwiytin Scholarship:

The Voices Bursary is made possible through the fundraising efforts of Voices members and staff, and donations from the public.  Administered by The Winnipeg Foundation, this award of $1000 is given to a youth in or from care from any community in Manitoba, in recognition and celebration of how far you’ve come, and where you’re headed.

The Marie Christian Award (also known as the Lemonade Award) is a $1000 award is given to youth in or from care who embody leadership qualities including integrity, compassion, kindness, and bold audacity. Additional consideration will be given to youth who exhibit a positive attitude and determination to take sour circumstances and create delicious opportunities.

The Reaching for the Stars Scholarship, valued at $500, will be awarded to one female recipient in or from care in Manitoba who is attending post-secondary education, to help that young woman reach for the stars and obtain her highest aspirations.  The scholarship is sponsored by Chapter H of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The Honouring Our Youth Scholarship, valued at $1000, is sponsored by the Child and Youth Care Workers Association of Manitoba (CYCWAM), a non-profit, volunteer association of child and youth care workers in the province of Manitoba.

The Kiwiytin Scholarship, is valued at $2000. This award is given to students in or from care who have a clear sense of their Kiwiytin (their North Star) and are taking steps in the right direction towards achieving their dreams.

https://voices.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024-2025-Voices-Scholarship-Application.pdf

Remember to save your copy to your device before filling it in. If you would prefer a paper copy be mailed to you, send us an email at ask@voices.mb.ca.  Application deadline: September 23rd, 2024.

Network Retreat for Youth from and in care in Manitoba

Youth in and from care, ages 14 to 24, are invited to join VOICES for a weekend of learning, sharing, and making friends.  At the Retreat, you will learn more about yourself, your connections to community, and ways to use your experiences to be empowered. You can also climb things, jump off things, swim, go for walks by the lake, and play weird games.

The theme for this retreat is “Living Expert. Sacred Story.” We are the expert of our own lives, and we hold within us our sacred stories. We can choose to share our stories to help us heal, and to help inform and educate others. During the retreat, you will learn and practice the art of sharing your stories in safe ways.

The BOLD Show: Based on the success of VOICES’s talent show last fall, participants are once again invited to share their gifts and talents and reveal their identity at the BOLD Show on Saturday night. Sing, dance, yodel, recite your poetry, show us your art, twist your legs into a pretzel, throw webs from your wrists.

The Fall 2024 retreat will be held October 11th to 13th, 2024.  Download and save your registration package to your device before filling it out.  Once complete, return by email to ask@voices.mb.ca or drop off at 3rd floor, 61 Juno Street (BGC Winnipeg head office) by Monday, September 23rd, 2024.

https://voices.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/Participant-Registration-Forms-Fall-2024.pdf

https://voices.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/Adult-Support-Registration-Form-Fall-2024.pdf

Support to Action Webinars: Free and Online

Employment Ontario is offering free online webinars geared towards educational liaisons, case workers, independence workers, child and youth workers, child welfare system staff who support youth, foster parents, adoptive parents, youth in transition workers and community partners who support at risk youth.

You will learn

  • What is the Trades Ready Youth Program by Child welfare PAC
  • What is a trade and what is an apprenticeship
  • What it means to be “Trades Ready”
  • What are the five things that a youth can do to be a trades ready youth?

Presenter experience includes:

  • Retired Director of Service, Child and Family Services
  • Apprenticeship Youth Advisor
  • Education Specialist in Apprenticeship Pathways

Date and Time:

  • September 17 at 3:00 – 4:15 pm
  • September 18 at 7:00 – 8:15 pm

45 minute presentation & 30 min question and answer session.

Register now at Support to Action Webinars | Trades Ready Youth (childwelfarepac.com)

Recruiting Former Youth in Care for Research Study on Career Development Experiences – Second Call for Participants

Researchers at the University of Calgary are conducting a study on the career experiences of young adults who aged-out of foster care, kinship care, or community-based care in Canada. The study is called ‘What Helps and Hinders in the Pursuit of Career Success?’.

To be eligible to participate in this study, you need to:
• Be at least 18 years-old
• Have previously spent at least two years in foster care, kinship care, or community-based care in Canada
• Have aged-out of care in Canada
• Self-identify as doing well in your career development

If you are interested in participating, then you will be asked to:
• Complete a short demographic questionnaire.
• Participate in an interview where you will be asked to share your career development experiences; Interviews will be conducted 1-on-1 virtually or in-person.

To express gratitude for contributing to this research you will be provided with an e-gift card.

If you have any questions or if you would like to participate in this study, please contact Ashlee Kitchenham at ashlee.kitchenham@ucalgary.ca

The University of Calgary Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board has approved this study [REB23-1099].

Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada’s 2024-25 Scholarship Application is Now Open, Apply Today!

Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada post-secondary scholarships award young people $5000 for each academic year until they finish their program (to a maximum of 7 years from their program start) through a once yearly competitive application. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, January 24th, 2024.

If you are starting or continuing in full time studies in the 2024-25 academic year, and aren’t already receiving a Foundation Scholarship ($5000 a year)*, apply here for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada Scholarship today!

Visit our website for the link to the online application form, full eligibility information and answers to the most asked questions, or contact the Foundation’s PSE team at grants@cafdn.org .

Scholarship applications are open to youth with both financial need and the potential to succeed in their program of study. To be eligible, a student must be:

  • Be attending a post-secondary institution full-time or on a reduced schedule due to an academic accommodation, for a full school year starting in September 2024 or January 2025
  • Have been or will be in the temporary or permanent care of the Ministry or Department responsible for child protection services up until your age of majority birthday or had been in permanent care of the Ministry or Department responsible for child protection services for at least 12 months
  • Are under the age of 30
  • Are over the age of 30 and have not received a CAFC Scholarship or Bursary before

If you have any questions about the application form, process, or eligibility, we can help!  

Email grants@cafdn.org with your questions and visit our website for more information and the application link.