Cultural Connections for Aboriginal Youth

Table of Contents

• Objectives
• Eligible Recipients
• Guide for Determining Age-Specific Activities
• Eligible Activities
• Eligible Expenditures
• Ineligible Expenditures

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The deadline for 2012/13 funding has now passed

Objectives

The objectives of Cultural Connections for Aboriginal Youth (CCAY) are:

• To provide accessible, community-based, culturally-focused projects for Aboriginal youth aged 10-24 that promote one or more of the following themes:
  
  
  • Cultural development
  • Community engagement
  • Leadership development
  • Youth engagement
  • Life skills and wellness
    
    
• To involve Aboriginal youth in the management of CCAY through Aboriginal Youth Advisory Committee (AYACs).
  
  
• To improve the cultural, social, economic and personal prospects of urban Aboriginal youth.

CCAY projects must:

• Serve urban youth in a city, town, village or hamlet with populations of at least 1,000 (Please note: In light of the realities of the North, exceptions will be considered for projects found in Nunatsiavut, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and the Yukon.);
  
  
• Ensure that all youth are given the opportunity to participate, and;
  
  
• Demonstrate the involvement of Aboriginal youth in the:
  
  
  • Identification of needs, setting of priorities, and planning for projects;
  • Design and implementation of projects, and;
  • Delivery of project activities.

CCAY projects must also be culturally focused, incorporate Aboriginal customs, values, and traditional practices, and recognize and respect the distinctiveness among Aboriginal cultures. CCAY projects must provide opportunities for Aboriginal youth to explore and learn about Aboriginal languages and cultures, promote their engagement in the community, and build cultural awareness in the community at large.

CCAY provides funding support for projects. Funding provided to projects under CCAY must be for specific activities and is not to be used to support core funding.

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Eligible Recipients

• Eligible recipients must be located off-reserve, i.e. in a city, town, village or hamlet with a population of at least 1,000.
  
  
• Eligible recipients include not-for-profit, democratically controlled:
  
  
  • Aboriginal organizations, societies, ad-hoc committees and community groups;
  • Aboriginal service delivery and voluntary organizations;
  • Aboriginal academic institutions;
  • Aboriginal cultural, educational and recreational organizations;
  • Aboriginal youth organizations, and;
  • Where there exists an absence of an Aboriginal organization(s), non-Aboriginal organizations in a clearly defined partnership with Aboriginal organizations or Aboriginal advisory committees. In this case, non-Aboriginal organizations applying must demonstrate the need due to the gap in services provided by Aboriginal organizations within the community, as well as the involvement of Aboriginal youth in the planning, implementation and delivery of the proposed project.

N.B. CCAY third party delivery organizations are not eligible to deliver projects under the CCAY.

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Guide for Determining Age-Specific Activities

CCAY promotes the design of projects that incorporate a positive youth development approach where the needs of the various age groups are recognized and activities are tailored to these age-specific needs. The information provided in this section is supported by research and is to be used as a guide for determining age-specific activities. This information reflects general qualities found in each age group. It is recognized that the qualities listed are generalized to each age group, and that youth may demonstrate any of these qualities at any stage in their development.

Projects aimed at youth aged 10-14, will require appropriate supervision ratios and be more structured than projects aimed at older age groups. In general, youth within this age group:

• like to be a part of something important, and may be interested in service projects;
• are searching for adult mentors;
• like organized directed group work that will guide youth in pursuing acceptable activities;
• are interested in projects that provide social and recreational opportunities in settings where the youth feel at ease;
• are concerned with good health habits, and;
• are interested in projects that provide learning experiences that will develop and show off special abilities through demonstrations and participation in groups.

Projects aimed at youth aged 15-20, might focus on the development of leadership skills and community engagement. In general, youth within this age group:

• are ready to assume leadership and to prove they are capable of working in an adult manner;
• are interested in contributing toward something they can accomplish successfully, and;
• like projects that encourage group participation in community service projects.

Projects aimed at older youth 21-24, may foster the development of leadership, community engagement and entrepreneurship. In general, youth within this age group:

• are beginning to feel responsibility for contributing to group and community efforts;
• are interested in projects with self-directed group responsibilities that let youth plan and carry out projects on their own, and;
• are attracted to projects that foster the development of judgment and decision-making ability by helping them to see and understand what is important in life and factors to consider when evaluating alternatives.

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Eligible Activities

When planning activities for CCAY projects, please ensure that the activities and expenditures directly relate to the objectives of the project.

The following activities and projects are examples only and are not an exhaustive list. The activities need not necessarily fall within one theme only, but may fit within a number of themes.

Eligible activities must be directly linked to CCAY objectives and may include:

• Cultural Development
  
  
  • On the land camps which incorporate Aboriginal culture and languages;
  • Culturally focused workshops in media arts, or;
  • Cultural expressions such as traditional arts and crafts, artistic representations, traditional and Elder teachings, dance, jigging, throat singing, drumming, music, and storytelling
    
    Project Example: A project focuses on Aboriginal cultural development activities to approximately 40 Aboriginal youth participants. Through the following activities the expected results of this project are to increase the level of traditional knowledge with the Aboriginal youth. The activities include workshops for youth on making regalia, teaching drumming and songs, teaching powwow dancing, and preparing the youth to perform. An Elder is available during the project to provide guidance and support for the participating youth. Aboriginal youth will present the traditional knowledge that they will have gained by performing at the annual powwow that is hosted each year by the community.

• Community Engagement
  
  
  • Working with Elders;
  • Beautification or environmental projects, or;
  • Sharing values and traditions with other cultures to support greater intercultural understanding.
    
    Project Example: A project focuses on developing community engagement of Aboriginal youth through the development and delivery of an urban art and culture project. Through weekly art, painting, and textiles classes, youth are given the opportunity to gain an understanding of Aboriginal culture, traditions, customs, values and ceremonies and they will become knowledgeable ambassadors of their culture and heritage within their community.

• Leadership Development
  
  
  • Preparing presentations, public speaking, and participation in public meetings;
  • Mentoring, or;
  • Exploration of different business models for youth to develop a business concept.
    
    Project Example: A project focuses on leadership development by using a variety of youth based and culturally focused activities. Aboriginal youth gain cultural knowledge of Aboriginal cultural diversity, enhancing their resilience and well-being, and creating connections with Elders and others within the community. Once empowered, these youth will act as role models – connecting with the broader youth community, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal - sharing newly acquired knowledge and building awareness of Aboriginal cultures.

• Youth Engagement
  
  
  • Activities that offer positive peer interactions, mentors, role models, and alternatives to gang and other negative behaviour;
  • Culturally-focused workshops in dance, drama, video, singing and music, or;
  • Talking circles and theme-based movie nights with focused discussions.
    
    Project Example: Youth are involved in the design, planning, and implementation of a project through a youth advisory committee. The project focuses on youth engagement by offering after school workshops in Aboriginal arts and culture with youth aged 18-25 serving as instructors and mentors. This project helps Aboriginal youth participating in the project become more active participants in shaping their future and in contributing to the growth of their community.

• Life Skills and Wellness
  
  
  • Activities that enhance self-esteem, confidence, and support the development of a healthy and active lifestyle;
  • Activities that promote the intergenerational transmission of cultural knowledge, or;
  • Organized sports and recreation, and traditional games.
    
    Project Example: A project focuses on life skills and wellness activities thorough recreation and organized team sports activities. Youth participate in a healthy lifestyle, contributing to the enhancement of self-esteem, through recreational activities and organized team sports. Activities give the youth the opportunity to participate in an organized league in the inner city. Games and practices were organized in order to teach the participants the skills, rules and techniques of the game, as well as teamwork.

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Eligible Expenditures

Subject to approval, eligible expenditures must be directly related to the project activities and may include;

• Salaries and employee benefits directly related to the delivery of the project;
• Training directly related to the successful delivery of the proposed activities;
• Rental costs for facilities specifically required for the project and/or project activities;
• Equipment rental/service/purchase;
• Project supplies and resource materials;
• Photocopying/printing/translation directly related to project activities;
• Communications directly related to project activities;
• Honoraria for Elders and professional services/consulting fees related directly to the project;
• Travel within Canada related to the project;
• insurance directly related to project activities, and;
• Administration (see below).

Administrative costs may not exceed 15 percent of the total approved funding. Administrative costs at the project level may include;

• Bookkeeping services;
• Office supplies;
• Insurance;
• Telephone, fax;
• Utilities;
• Postage, courier;
• Photocopying/printing;
• Rent for office space;
• Audit;
• Legal, and;
• Translation.

In addition, expenditures under the CCAY related to transportation, meetings, and food are eligible provided that in combination with the administration costs they do not exceed 20 percent of the total approved funding, and are not found in the Ineligible Expenditures.

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Ineligible Expenditures

Expenditures related to the following are ineligible:

• Capital construction and renovation;
• Stipends, allowances or honoraria for attendance in a course/activity;
• Costs incurred before the application is received by the Department and/or before the start of the fiscal year;
• Salaries and honoraria for a principal officer or Board members;
• Contingency/miscellaneous fees;
• Deficit recovery;
• Core funding costs for organizations including:
  • Staffing;
  • Youth councils or youth committees that form part of the ongoing governance structure of organizations and whose activities fall outside the defined CCAY Roles and Responsibilities;
  • Annual general meetings, executive or board meetings of an organization or association;
  • Drop-in centres, or;
  • Social services .

• Any other costs related to:
  • Operating expenses for powwows, National Aboriginal Day, family days, community days, etc.;
  • Employment and skills training programs including apprenticeship or job training;
  • Conventions, symposiums, youth forums, and conferences;
  • Activities that limit youth participation to exclusive members and do not ensure that all urban youth are given the opportunity to participate;
  • Activities related to the acquisition of job skills, career fairs, K-12 and college/university education and seminars;
  • Activities that take place outside of Canada;
  • Activities of a primarily religious nature or that advocate specific political parties or positions;
  • Healthcare workers, social workers, counselors, family support workers, nurses, dental workers, justice workers, or any other position not related to the mandate of the Department;
  • Personal sports equipment;
  • Assets such as refrigerators, televisions, pool tables, etc;
  • Christmas parties, Halloween parties, birthday parties, beauty pageants, parades, etc.;
  • Leasing or purchase of a vehicle, or;
  • Firearms and ammunition.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. The determination of the eligibility of expenditures not found in the above list rests with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.