Engaging and Empowering Aboriginal Youth: A Toolkit for Service Providers

Description

Not a week goes by without a negative news story reporting the rates of problem behaviors among Canada’s aboriginal youth. These statistics don’t tell the whole story| and the paradigm must shift from focusing on deficits to a more strengths-based approach. “Engaging and Empowering Aboriginal Youth” presents a wide range of guidelines| strategies| templates| and case studies for those who work with aboriginal youth. Divided into five sections| this toolkit provides a historical context for understanding the challenges facing aboriginal youth and makes a case for the importance of building youth engagement and empowerment; offers a series of assessment tools to help identify the starting point for change; identifies four key tenets of effective programming with aboriginal youth: understanding and integrating cultural identity| increasing youth engagement| fostering youth empowerment| and establishing and maintaining effective partnerships; highlights challenges and opportunities in working with partners in the educational system; offers a range of considerations for program evaluation and other types of research. A guide for frontline service providers| facilitators| educators| community partners| and researchers to adapt or develop programs| “Engaging and Empowering Aboriginal Youth” combines conceptual guidelines and practical strategies.”