Empowering Indigenous Youth in Governance and Leadership (EIYGL)

Empowering Indigenous Youth in Governance and Leadership (EIYGL) has been a Registered Charity since 2009 (#841475429RR0001).

EIYGL is Indigenous and youth led that provides important ingredients that builds effective leaders through meaningful skill development.

EIYGL believes that it’s important that Indigenous youth leaders (future decision makers) are well educated in traditional community practices and contemporary leadership skills, which include all aspects of capacity building that can be passed on from our Elders, our communities and modern professionals.

EIYGL contributes to the community through volunteerism and provides a dynamic leadership pool of young people in Canada. Members are 15-35 years of age, are active in a leadership capacity, and are seen as role models in the community.

How Do I Get Involved?

To become a member, please contact:
Melanie Dean, Executive Director
Phone: (204) 940-1700 | Email: melaniedean@ildii.ca

EIYGL relies on the generous support of our friends and partners

EIYGL is a registered charity and relies on the generous support of our friends and partners.

Eiygl In Action Volunteering And Mentorship

EXECUTIVE TRAINING
Members of EIYGL are offered free access to executive training throughout the year. Seats are limited; Youth are encouraged to register:

  • Facilitator Training
  • Nation Building: The Harvard Project
  • Writing Proposals and Grants
  • Managing the Media
  • Governance Requisites for Leaders
  • Board Training
  • How Government Works
  • Administration
  • Project Management
  • Financial Management
  • Human Resource Management
  • Team Building and Staff Development
  • Indigenous Life Skills Coach Training
  • Indigenous Cultural Awareness
  • Strategic Planning
  • Negotiation
  • Workplace Conflict Resolution

FACILITATOR TRAINING
Members of EIYGL are offered the opportunity to be mentored by certified expert Indigenous facilitators of the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute. The mentorship model works as a circle of life with the Mentee first observing the training then is encouraged to lead pieces of the agenda as a Co-Facilitator until they are confident enough to lead training on their own.

Since 2009, numerous EIYGL members have gone on to lead and facilitate training in organizations and Indigenous communities at a professional level across Canada and are now mentoring the next generation of EIYGL members.

WORLD INDIGENOUS BUSINESS FORUM (WIBF)
Each year EIYGL members are selected to travel to the World Indigenous Business Forum to engage and network with dynamic speakers from around the world who drive innovation and change in business. WIBF takes place in a different host country each year and youth are selected to participate based on their professionalism, EIYGL activity, and must participate regularly in an EIYGL WIBF Planning Committee.

SPEECHCRAFT CLUB
Each year EIYGL members are invited to participate in a (10) week mini-version of toastmasters to master the art of listening, thinking, and speaking… vital skills that promote self-actualization, enhance leadership potential, foster human understanding, and contribute to the betterment of your community. Oral communication is a definite asset to building your leadership potential, anyone can do it… it just takes practice.

FUNDRAISING
EIYGL relies on fundraising to cover EIYGL program costs. All fundraising is youth led and provides the opportunity for youth to build confidence through professional development and engage with Indigenous leaders in the community. Fundraising is a team effort where youth gain experience in project management, strategic planning, and leadership. Previous EIYGL fundraising activities are:

  • Indigenous Leadership Luncheons for Youth: Indigenous leaders from the community are invited to share their vision for youth and expose key elements for success in their industry.  Special guest speakers share their stories with youth at sold out youth led luncheons.
  • Broken Circle-The Dark Legacy of Indian Residential Schools National Book Tour: Youth scheduled (5) stops across Canada for a national Book Tour to launch Mr. Theodore Fontaine’s, Broken Circle-The Dark Legacy of Indian Residential Schools: A Memoir.
  • Book of Voices: Voices of Aboriginal Adoptees and Foster Children: Project collaborators shared their experience with adoption and with a project in which they collected Indigenous adoptee stories from across Canada and the U.S.
  • Indigenous Youth Leadership and Sports Dinner: Indigenous Youth in Leadership and Sport were honored for their accomplished with an award. Indigenous leaders in sport were keynote speakers at the event as well Indigenous cultural performances were shared.
  • EIYGL Night with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers: A sold out fundraising event at a Winnipeg Blue Bombers Football game. A designated area in the end zone was allocated to EIYGL where various fundraising activities took place.
  • T-shirts by EIYGL: Youth screen printed various sizes of t-shirts with various logos such as “Empower Indigenous Youth” and “Unity in Diversity” to sell at various markets and events.
  • Throughout the year EIYGL coordinates various Raffles, Merchandise Bingos, and 50/50.

Past Projects Of Eiygl

ASIST TRAINING 4 TRAINERS is a 5-day course to prepare participants to be trainers and deliver the 2-day ASIST workshop. The 5-day ASIST course involves a two-day skills building workshop that focuses on providing suicide first aid interventions and three days of coaching, independent study, group presentations, and seminars. This builds capacity within organizations allowing staff to confidently address suicide. ASIST T4T helps to create a local suicide prevention network and represents a major contribution to the community’s health and wellness.

CHANGE UR TUNE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM provided an opportunity for inner city youth to train with musicians, local artists, music teachers, and vocal coaches to learn the instruments, voice training, and all genres of music (country, hip-hop, traditional Indigenous, fiddle, classical, blues, folk, and Rock). The program selected (20) youth from Winnipeg’s inner-city to engage in a 28 week program.

GET REAL BE REAL engages students to tear down walls of separation, break down racial barriers, reduce peer pressure to positive peer pressure, reduce teasing, oppression and all forms of violence. Students identify the hurt created by social oppression, promote healthy emotional expression and reduced stereotypes and racial, gender and socio-economic tensions.

YOU MATTER, YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT, MAKE A DIFFERENCE is a roundtable discussion comprised of Indigenous youth about the upcoming Federal Election, to brainstorm ways to encourage our community to vote and discuss the relationship between Federal and Indigenous Governments.

GOVERNANCE: BEST PRACTICES IN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES provides youth an opportunity to explore and get educated on governance and best practices related to elections, membership, decision-making, law making and enforcement, financial management, human resource management, admin, and community involvement.

UNITED NATIONS – PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES provides an opportunity for youth to gain knowledge of indigenous issues through global dialogue and information exchange at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.