KENORA – The Treaty #3 Oshkiniigiig Youth Executive Council (T3YEC) is a grassroots group of youth who were traditionally selected in 2019 to provide a youth voice within Treaty #3, provincial, and federal forums. The Treaty #3 territory is 55,000 square miles across Southern Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.
“On behalf of the leadership, I would like to extend congratulations to the Treaty #3 Oshkiniigiig Youth Executive Council and to Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong for their collaborative efforts to secure this funding,” said Grand Council Treaty #3 Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh.
The T3YEC has received a grant towards supporting Indigenous youth in transition with a $249,600 Youth Innovations Stream grant over three years from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The Youth Innovations Stream invests in projects led by grassroots groups that are youth-led, or youth-adult, to test an idea or grow a successful project.
“We are thrilled the Treaty #3 Oshkiniigiig Youth Executive Council has received this funding –as youth we’ve experienced gaps in support services targeted at education and training, or transitions from care, or from the justice system. This grant will allow our group to develop resources to support youth through transitions in their lives and offer insight into all the things we wished someone told us about becoming an adult,” said T3YEC member Winter Dawn Lipscombe.
Through the Youth Innovations Stream, the T3YEC, in collaboration with Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong, will develop a resource toolkit with a series of complementary videos and develop a career mentorship network for youth transitioning into adulthood in the Treaty #3 territory. Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong plays a vital role in helping Treaty #3 communities build strong work forces and offers important expertise in education, training, and career-readiness.
“Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong is honored to be the Organizational Mentor for the Treaty #3Oshkiniigiig Youth Executive Council Youth Opportunities Fund project. We are committed toproviding the support to the Council to improve the wellbeing of our Treaty #3 Youth, parents, guardians and caregivers and breaking down the systemic barriers as they move forward in their education, training and employment goals. Our common values and principles will ensure the project meets its deliverables. We will guide the project team using the management and governance experience gained from the management of the federally funded Indigenous employment and training agreement for the past 30 years,” states Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong Executive Director, Marie Seymour.
If you are interested in learning more about the Treaty #3 Oshkiniigiig Youth Executive Council, please check out our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/treaty3yec or email theT3YEC at youthexecutive@treaty3.ca
