In April 2005, the Nisga’a Lisims Government, in partnership with Rural Voices and the Federal Rural Secretariat, launched a project entitled the Integrated Hub Model (IHM). The decision of NLG is to target the project on youth 15-29 years of age living in the four villages. This decision was guided by the collaborative activities of the IHM with the focus on leadership, capacity building through the development of local youth councils for each village/urban local and the development of the Nisga’a Youth Advisory Council (NYAC). The NYAC is designed to provide feedback and consultative advice on issues such as education, employment, careers, citizen engagement and leadership on broader youth issues such as the environment.

In 2006 the NLG submitted a proposal for YES funding for a project called Youth Organizing Youth Project (YOY). The project included 10 youth 15-29 years of age living in the four villages. The focus of the service portion was on mobilizing area youth to help increase youth participation in both the policy and decision making processes of the Nisga’a Nation. The YOY Project was implemented in three phases, each phase is designed to increase both the leadership responsibilities of each youth participant and the engagement of community youth as a whole in community issues of the Nisga’a Nation. The YOY participants provide critical support to the development of youth councils and a strong youth voice in the community. They provide the “arms and the legs” that allow volunteer youth council members to gather the information and host the public events necessary to begin to bring the many voices on.

Accomplishments to Date

NYAC

• NYAC recognition as a subcommittee of the P&S Committee
• Approved Terms of Reference
• Strategic Planning
• Approval to submit a proposal to the Gordon Foundation

NYC

• Membership meetings and youth events
• Approved Terms of Reference
• Development of Web Page to share activities and upcoming events
• Development Work Plan

YOY

• Two consecutive terms of YOY Placements in our community providing opportunity for 17 people and bringing over $100,000 into our community
• Gathering of community data over past two years (surveys, focus groups and key informant interviews)
• Development of Web Page to share their activities and upcoming events

NYAC, NYC and YOY Collective Accomplishments

• Successful First Annual Youth Assembly (involving over 200 youth)
• Successful (historic) Youth lead Policy Forum held in November 2007
• All Nisga'a Youth Council's Forum (November 2008)

IHM PROJECT

• Supported the development of youth leadership in the Valley through various capacity, skill development and resource development activities
• Completed the development of CARS training modules (formerly the IHM - Integrated Hub Model) with in partnership with the Nisga'a community (CARS means Communi- ties Achieving Responsive Services)

What's New

1. 2007-08 YOY Project (presently employing 6 youth from the Nass)
2. The Gordon Foundation Proposal (linking youth development in the Nass Valley with Youth in Whitehorse, Yukon
3. Funding proposals being developed by local youth to assist in responding to youth issues
4. New CARS project in the valley involving parents with young children and service providers supporting families in the Nass