PRESS RELEASE
Rotary Youth to Youth Cultural Exchange Involving Indigenous and Non-indigenous Youth
The Rotary Club of Picton is very pleased to announce that we will be active participants in anew Rotary Youth programme. This new programme which is called Youth to Youth (Y2Y) comes as a result of the Truth and Reconciliation report and is an effort on the part of Rotary to try to build bridges of understanding between the indigenous and non-indigenous groups that share this land of ours.
The Y2Y programme is a weekend experience which will bring 25 indigenous and 25 non-indigenous young high school students who are currently in Grades 9-11 from two Rotary districts in eastern Ontario and have them spend the weekend getting to known each other and each other’s positions. Through this process, there will be an opportunity to develop a better understanding where both groups are coming from and develop linkages with each others’ communities.
The first ever in Canada event this year will be held over the Thanksgiving Day long weekend and will take place at Camp Kawartha – just outside of Peterborough.
This land camp (referred to as “the event”) will bring together 50 youth representing Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups living on Williams Treaty territory for an immersive land-based learning experience centered on building relationships with one another, the land, and Elders and Knowledge Holders of the territory.
While the Rotary Club of Picton is covering the cost of the student attending this event, itexpects and hopes that the applicant will then be prepared to share the knowledge that they will have gained with their community and school when they return home.
This innovative program aims at empowering the next generation of leaders by uniting Indigenous and Non-Indigenous youth and inspiring them to take action towards creating sustainable change.
Each event is uniquely developed based on traditional teachings from the host territory.
Participants:
If you are an Indigenous or Non-Indigenous youth (male, female, two-spirit, & disabled) interested in being an agent for change and currently enrolled in grades 9 to 11, this program is for you.
More information and applications can be found at https://honouringindigenouspeoples.com/reconcili-action/.The application deadline is August 15. Applications from interested county youth should be sent to Don Wakefield at dwakefield@bell.net.