This case study identifies the components of an environmental education and leadership development program that are uniquely important to engaging a specific group of learners: Inuit youth from across the Circumpolar Arctic. The introduction of a community-building pre-program, customized to the perspectives of these youth and held prior to…

The Outdoor Adventure Leadership Experience (OALE) is an outdoor health promotion initiative primarily designed for youth. This program was developed through community-based participatory research in a First Nations Community in northern Ontario: Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. It is a 9- or 10-day intensive program involving a wilderness canoe…

It has been argued that sport is a way for youth to develop psycho-social skills that lead to holistic development. However, participation itself in sport does not lead to this growth; mechanisms for growth must be intentional, often conducted by coaches. Thus, the purpose of this descriptive study was to understand the integration of positive…

In this paper, we use a postcolonial lens to analyze the impacts of Aboriginal youth's participation in Alberta's Future Leaders Program's youth leadership retreat. While the retreat appeared to have positive lasting impacts on many of the participants, it seemed to have the greatest impact on those who already displayed Eurocentric leadership…

First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) youth experience many health disparities in comparison with their mainstream Canadian peers. Researchers have recommended that interventions developed to enhance health and well-being for FNMI youth apply a strengths-based approach that acknowledges contextual challenges. This article uses a qualitative…

Student "Mentor" and "Leadership" Programs impact the climate and culture of schools. Students are capable of outstanding leadership when given the opportunities and constructs to be successful. The evidence is clear that those schools that embrace student leadership and mentor programs have more positive events, activities,…

This article describes a study of the Cultural, Economic, Political, and Social Youth Leadership Development Program (CEPS), an identity-building program for disengaged youth, conducted by a community-university alliance in northern Manitoba, Canada. The study was conducted through the lens of transformative learning theory. Findings indicate…

This article reports findings from qualitative case studies of three youth-led community arts hubs, a program that is rooted in, and utilizes a self-determined learning approach. Qualitative case studies of three program sites sought to generate meaningful data that could lead to rapid ongoing program development and inform the development and…

First Nations youth in Canada demonstrate disproportionately high rates of negative behaviors such as violence, substance abuse, and leaving school early. An understanding of historical context and current environment helps explain these patterns. Providing culturally relevant opportunities for youth to build healthy relationships and leadership…

This article describes the Leave Out Violence (LOVE) program, which was founded in 1993 by Twinkle Rudberg many years after her husband's murder by a fourteen-year-old mugger in downtown Montreal. Realizing that the young person responsible for taking her husband's life was also a victim of violence, Rudberg was inspired to create a violence…

Given the number of negative influences on youth and the resultant potential for adverse outcomes, it is crucial to support their positive development. Leadership training programs can promote the development of adaptive intrapersonal qualities. The Teen Leadership Breakthrough (TLB) program claims to create sustainable changes in youth using…

Based upon accumulated field staff experience from years past, the bilingual manual is designed to be used on both a day-to-day basis as needs present themselves and for long-term planning by staff of Katimavik, a nine-month volunteer community service and learning program for 17 to 21-year-old Canadian youth. The manual is divided into three…

The Gulf of Maine Institute (GOMI) is striving to empower youth to take on stewardship roles in their communities. Through its Community Based Initiative (CBI) program, GOMI addresses environmental degradation by working with teams of students, teachers, and community members from around the Gulf of Maine to inspire youth to be stewards of the…

The "ISSS Annual Conference Proceedings" is a peer-reviewed professional publication published once a year following the annual conference. (Individual papers contain references.) [For the 2009 proceedings, see ED504973.]