YELLOWKNIFE (December 5, 2019) – The Yellowknife Community Foundation and RBC Foundation are pleased to announce the recipients of grants totalling $35,000 to support two youth-led projects in the Northwest Territories.  Grant recipients are:

• Foster Family Coalition of the Northwest Territories – 5052 Community Mural Project ($20,000)

The 5052 Community Mural Project will create a northern and Indigenous-inspired mural on Foster Family Coalition office building on the corner of 50^th Street and 50^th Avenue in Yellowknife.   The Mural is a collaborative art project involving the Foster Family Coalition of the Northwest Territories, MakerspaceYK, and a Yellowknife performance collaborative of visual artists, musicians, and traditional storytellers called Borderless Art Movement (BAM).

Indigenous artists will be among the eight youth selected to work on the project. Working in partnership with mentors from BAM, young artists will help design the mural, purchase materials with grant funds, and create the installation. After unveiling the mural, the young artists will also lead three workshops to share their new skills with other young artists and students in the broader community.

Korry Garvey, Project Coordinator – “The 5052 Mural is our way of improving our community by beautifying a downtown location and creating meaningful mentorship opportunities between youth and established artists.  With this public art project, young artists are getting a chance to improve skills, engage citizens in conversation about their identity, and drive cultural understanding.”

• Rainbow Coalition of Yellowknife – Rainbow Youth Mentorship Program ($15,000)

The Rainbow Youth Mentorship Program is a volunteer mentorship program for LGBTQ2S+ youth and adults that will allow them to build networks and connections, as well as gain a sense of belonging and inclusion in their community.  The project’s goals are to create a healthy dialogue between different generations of LGBTQ2S+ people in the Northwest Territories, help them share their knowledge and traditions and encourage youth to take an active role in their communities.

The project involves a partnership between the Rainbow Coalition of Yellowknife, local schools, youth serving organizations, counsellors, and young leaders in the community. These partners will identify who should be mentors or mentees, as well as serve as an access point/liaison for the program in connection with the Rainbow Coalition. The project will be piloted in Yellowknife with a plan to expand to other NWT communities once it is successful.

As a part of the RBC Future Launch Community Challenge, grants like these are being made to inspire youth-led projects in 150 small and medium-sized communities across Canada.  The program’s goal is to help ship the power to young leaders making positive social or environmental change in their communities, while enabling them to gain valuable skills and experience.

Yellowknife Community Foundation board member and project lead Sophie Kirby – “The RBC Future Launch Community Challenge is an exciting and valuable addition to the Yellowknife Community Foundation. We are looking forward to seeing how youth in our community step up to create solutions to urgent needs.”

Yanik D’Aigle, RBC Community Manager NWT – “We are pleased that youth-led initiatives in our area can benefit from the RBC Future Launch Community Challenge grants.  At RBC, we believe we have a responsibility to help young people prepare for the opportunities and uncertainties of the future. By unlocking their potential, we help them improve the social, economic and physical well-being of our communities.”

The Yellowknife Community Foundation was formed in 1993 to provide interested individuals and organizations with a means of supporting projects in our community for the enduring future. The Foundation is not singularly dedicated to any specific area of support. It embodies a simple concept – that people working together can make a difference.

For more information contact:

Yellowknife Community Foundation
Rosella Stoesz / Phone: (867) 446 4527 / Email: info@ykcf.ca