Who We Are

Vision: We envision a future where Indigenous youth are empowered and connected as dynamic leaders in vibrant and thriving communities.

Purpose: As a national Indigenous youth led organization, we collaborate with communities to provide programs, grants and opportunities that are grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and being and designed to strengthen and amplify the voices of Indigenous youth.

Guiding Principles: Centering Indigenous youth perspectives, we have 7 deeply held principles that guide us in our work and in the way in which we relate to each other:

Programs

CRE is a registered charity that provides Indigenous-based leadership, learning, and experiences to every youth that participates in our programs. CRE organizes three main types of activities: leadership training programs, workshops, and gatherings.

Check out the programs we offer!

CREation is a multi-level funding program that supports strengths-based, community-focused, and youth-led projects taking place in communities across Canada. Grassroot youth groups/collectives (comprised of Indigenous youth ages 15-29) are eligible to apply for funding to support community programs and projects while receiving innovative mentorship, training, and capacity-building opportunities.

Indigenous Youth Policy School provides space for Indigenous youth (aged 18-29) to engage with peers through interactive online sessions on a local and national level. The School is a tuition-free program with no academic or professional requirements. Youth can be at any level of learning and understanding about policy (brand new to policy, or with a baseline); we will help ensure everyone starts at the same place.

The Research Hub is a part of the Centre for Indigenous Policy and Research. It provides opportunities for youth-led and community-focused researchers to undertake research projects that address the most pressing questions facing reconciliation in their communities and across Canada

The Peer Program is a 4-year program that aims to advance the personal and professional capacity of Indigenous youth (18-29). The program is specifically designed for youth across Canada who have limited access to education and employment experience. 

The Culture and Wellness Program aims to create spaces for youth to access programming that nurtures cultural connection and the concept of (w)holistic wellness. It provides programming that focuses on traditional knowledge, storytelling, land-based education, earth-working and arts-based workshops. 

Gatherings are three days events that bring together young movers and shakers from across the country come together to learn, play, and work towards improving relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth participate through youth-led workshops, intergenerational events, and local excursions that place a focus on reconciliation, Indigenous history, and cultural revitalization, dispelling stereotypes, health and wellbeing, and decolonization.