Nipissing First Nation (NFN) will welcome and host 10 Aboriginal youth this weekend as they prepare for a four month internship experience in Colombia.
The delegation will be greeted by Chief Scott McLeod and treated to a traditional welcome ceremony when they arrive on Sunday to begin the second leg of their pre-departure training.
“Our youth are one of our strongest resources – they will build our tomorrow and they are starting today,” says McLeod.
“We are honoured to share our community to help get them ready for their work in Colombia.”
Two youth from Nipissing First Nation are part of the delegation that will travel to Colombia once they have completed the required training. The three-day training session conducted by Canada World Youth will take place at Nbisiing Secondary School from August 24-27 and will see Nipissing First Nation lead the First Nation cultural training seminar.
The land, elders and knowledge keepers, singers, videographers and caterers are just a few of the resources that the community will provide to the project.
The exchange program involves over 20 students from across Canada and aims to provide opportunities for youth to experience other indigenous cultures by showcasing different communities and the talents of local youth.
Once they arrive in Bogotà, Colombia, youth will travel to various communities and participate in projects such as reforestation and environmental education. Experiential learning and hands-on skills development in an international setting will provide the interns with employability skills, ideas and opportunities to consider for future education, as well as an increased knowledge of the indigenous world in the southern hemisphere.
