Calling all policy learners, leaders and change-making Indigenous youth!
Do you find yourself thinking of policies that affect your community and wondering how you would shape them to better serve the community?
Do you wish that you could connect with others who share the same passion and desire to create community change?
Are you looking for a place where you can showcase your knowledge and ideas for policy change, as well as learn from peers and experts in the field?
The Indigenous Youth Policy Hackathon is for you!
Participants will work collaboratively in a supportive virtual learning environment to increase their policy capacity in critical analysis, innovation and advocacy efforts. Learning from policy experts, and peers with the support from mentors and guidance from CRE staff, participants will be given the tools to deconstruct topical policy issues that are impacting Indigenous communities in Canada. Most importantly, you will have fun while doing it!
What is a Hackathon?
A Policy Hackathon is an event where teams are given a case study outlining a policy problem, and given a limited amount of time to come up with policy solutions to that problem. Their recommendations are then evaluated by a panel of judges, and a winner is declared. By their nature and structure, Policy Hackathons create space for imagining innovative policy solutions while also building people’s capacity to work in the policy field.
This hackathon will focus on exploring a youth focused approach to an orientation to the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework (FNMWCF).
What is the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework?
The First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework (FNMWCF) is a national framework that addresses mental wellness among First Nations in a culturally strengths-based and coordinated approach. The Framework was developed through collaboration between the Assembly of First Nations, Indigenous Services Canada, Thunderbird Partnership Foundation, First People’s Wellness Circle as well as other community mental health leaders.
To better support implementation of the Framework, this group of partners now formalized as an Implementation Team is developing a comprehensive orientation helpful to those who work in this field or in associated sectors such as the social determinants of health.
One of the key groups that the Implementation Team hopes to engage with and support through orientation is partners who work with youth. With this in mind, a specifically youth-focused dialogue (in this case through the Hackathon) is envisioned to develop a youth-focused approach to an orientation to the FNMWCF.
Goals
The goals of the Hackathon would be to explore:
- Understand youth priorities in mental health
- Seek areas of intersection between youth priorities and the FNMWCF
- Understand youth needs for orientation to the FNMWCF
Participants
While the FNMWCF is First Nations specific, we are seeking to explore all Indigenous youth (First Nations, Metis, and Inuit) priorities and explore more ways in which the FNMWCF could be useful for all Indigenous communities.
Open to youth between 18-29 years of age.
Approach
Hosted online over two weekends, the Hackathons schedule is designed to be a nurturing, and encouraging space where youth can come together and develop innovative policy solutions. While also providing enough time off for participants to fully recharge and come to each session excited to engage with the material of the day.
Dates and Times
This Hackathon will take place on the following dates:
Weekend 1: July 15th, 16th, & 17th (12:00-4:00PM EST)
Weekend 2: July 23rd & 24th (12:00-4:00PM EST)
Closing Engagement: July 27th (6:00-8:00PM EST)
Optional working sessions will be available throughout the week for teams that wish to collaborate outside of program hours.
Apply by July 3!
Contact Information
We are so excited to collaborate with you on this innovative, fun, and important initiative.
For more information, please contact alannah@canadianroots.ca
Partnership
Thank you for your support!
