Objectives

Objective One - Building Knowledge: As the North matures , it is key that there are programs in place that invests in it's greatest resource, its youth. Knowledge is built by preparatory assignments, orientation and reorientation workshops and through the facilitated experience of new cultures.

Objective Two - Cross-cultural Awareness: Participants are encouraged, prior to embarking on the program, to think about their own culture and to recognize the values and beliefs they themselves hold so that they may better understand the views of others. Awareness of participants’ own culture is enhanced by the opportunity to share their culture with others. Cross-cultural awareness is built by living with a host family, volunteer work placement in a southern Canadian community and an African community, reintegration into the home community.

Objective Three - Completion of High School: Participants are exposed to the opportunities available to them after graduating high school. They earn high-school credits by completing program assignments and gain the confidence and will to continue their studies in order to achieve their aspirations.

Objective Four - Global Education: Exposure to and analysis of social, economic, and political factors which influence the lives of people wherever they live, is a critical component in the process of identifying and ultimately pursuing community based solutions .

Objective Five - Job Training: Participants have the opportunity to acquire some basic skills in a chosen field of interest. This experience will inform the participants' own career goals and aspirations and inspire them to pursue the schooling necessary to reach their goal. Job training fulfilled by a 5 – 7 week volunteer work placement in an environment suitable to the interests and skills of the youth.

Objective Six - Community Development: Participants share a common objective of learning about their own and other's communities with a view to improving, in some small way, their own community.

Objective Seven - Leadership Development: Participants are encouraged to take on progressively more responsibility for their own learning. Participants' self-confidence increases as the cross-cultural and community experience becomes integrated with a person's own life, issues, and aspirations. Participants experience decision-making in a group setting as well as conflict resolution and other group dynamic related skills. Finally, participants are challenged to apply their newly developed leadership skills within their home communities upon return from their placements.

Objective Eight - International Citizenship: With the advent of e-mail and other communication technologies, Northern Canada is not the isolated place it once was. Northern youth need to participate in global society: the North will become increasingly important in the ongoing search for resources,- a truly international dilemma which will require the participation of northern residents with international experience such as that provided through the international placements.

Objective Nine - Improved Self-Confidence: The NYA program greatly increases participant's self-confidence, especially with respect to their ability to live away from home for an extended period of time. This self-confidence is essential if youth are to successfully pursue college, university or an apprenticeship program and avoid the pitfall that many northern youth have fallen into- abandoning their studies due to homesickness. This is a unique, profound and very real obstacle for youth from small isolated northern communities.