YouthVERGE

This September, Volunteer Bénévoles Yukon is launching its new YouthVERGE program.  YouthVERGE is a leadership & skills development program funded in partnership with Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation, The Yukon Territorial Government, and the Northern Strategy Trust Fund.  The acronym in YouthVERGE stands for Youth “Volunteerism and Education Resulting in Gainful Employment.”  We felt that the term “verge” was especially appropriate because the definition of the word is “the point beyond which something begins,” and the youth this program is aimed at are at a phase in their lives that makes that definition very apt.  Our mission is to facilitate and deliver leadership and employment training, life skills development, and experience to First Nation and non First Nation youth in Yukon by assisting them to tap into the volunteer and non-profit sectors and other opportunities within their communities.  Throughout the two-school-year duration of the program, we will be reaching out to communities across the Yukon to provide youth with opportunities to improve their employability and skills while at the same time making a difference in their home-town, Canada, and the world.

YouthVERGE is designed to bring together the Non-Profit Organizations of the Yukon with the youth population in the territory, to foster mutual benefit.  Youth ages 14-25 will be engaged by Volunteer Yukon to commit volunteer hours to be donated to NGOs with need of volunteer support.  It is the hope of Volunteer Yukon that, though volunteerism, youth in the Yukon Territory can gain the skills and experience they need to take an active role in shaping their own futures, and that of their communities.  We want to help them complete their graduation requirements and improve their résumés and university applications.  We want to help them feel connected with the world, and empowered to affect it in positive ways.

We all know that volunteering is a great way to gain experience in a particular field of interest before investing in years of University education or to “try on” a role, to get one’s foot in the door of a field where employers want to see demonstrated skill before hiring, to improve chances of being accepted into prestigious study programs, to support social justice and learn about civic engagement, and, besides all that, it’s incredibly personally enriching and fulfilling.  Volunteer Yukon wants to share all these benefits of volunteerism with the youth in territorial secondary schools and the Yukon College campuses, or wherever they may be, and we’d like your help in getting the message out to them.

Do you know a youth who has a school requirement this semester to put in volunteer or “work experience” hours?  We can help them find a fun and enjoyable way to complete the assignment!  Know someone thinking about taking a particular program after high school?  We can help them find a position where they can gain some skills and experience in that field of interest to boost application and résumé profiles!  Is there a cause or movement that someone you know feels passionately about?  We can help them get in touch with the right organizations or learn the right skills to help make changes in the world!

Thank you very much for your interest, and for taking the time to read through this.  I look forward to hearing back from you at your earliest convenience.

Ph:  867-456-4304 Fax: 867-456-4302