The purpose of the Wasa-Nabin Program is to provide support and guidance within a cultural framework for youth aged 13-18 who are at risk for specific negative behaviors and outcomes as a result of their circumstances in life. It will incorporate traditional cultural teachings and values to encourage healthy lifestyles choices, foster responsible decision making and influence critical thinking. It is hoped that youth involved with the program will enhance their skills, knowledge, attitudes and values, and will demonstrate positive personal choices and awareness of the consequences of negative behaviors.
Program Goals
The goal of the Wasa-Nabin Youth Program is to provide urban Indigenous youth ages 13-18 with support, tools and healthy activities which will build upon and foster their inherent ability to make healthy choices.
Program Objectives
- Provision of social supports to address self-esteem issues, victimization issues and peer pressure;
- Through outreach, aims to increase access to culturally appropriate series for youth in care and their families, and to include support and education for non-Indigenous adoptive and foster parents;
- Promotion of health and physical development to address inter-related health impacts of poverty, diabetes, and obesity;
- Increase support for youth in the education system through homework support, school suspension support, and to provide direct access to computers and literacy initiatives;
- Provision of support, preventative programming and/or intervention strategies for youth involved in the justice system through the use of tools such as “Streetwolf: The Seven Principles of Self Leadership”; and
- Addressing violence through collaboration with Kizhaay Anishnaabe Niin (I Am a Kind Man) and through the involvement of Elders.
Program Outcomes
- Improved Self Esteem in youth
- Assist youth into transitioning to adulthood
- Help youth make healthy life choices
- Provide alternatives to substance use or crime
Target Population
Indigenous youth ages 13-18
Services Offered
- One-to-One Peer Counselling
- Service Navigation
- Individual Advocacy Support
- Justice-Related Individual Supports
- Individual/Family Support
- Individual Traditional Teachings
- Healthy activities
- Referrals to Other Friendship Centre Programs and Services
- In school programming
- Evening and weekend programming
- and Correctional Services
- Misiway Health Centre
