Learn Fit

With the financial support of the Ministry of Health Promotion New VU began developing the LearnFit program in 2008. LearnFit demonstrated innovative approaches to teaching provincial curriculum in an outdoor, experiential context. The program was open to K-12 students in any school within the region. Human powered modes of transportation were used to take students from their school to the outdoor learning site. The distance travelled was recorded and various schools within the region challenged each other to see how far they could travel by foot, snow shoes, bike or canoe. In 2009 the program expanded to include LearnFit Leadership Adventures which taught young people how to provide leadership within LearnFit style programs as well as other physical activities within their schools.

Click here to see our "Education" programming.

"I Wonder" Program

Run during the 2009-2010 school year the goal of this program was to demonstrate how a Multiple Intelligences approach to teaching and learning could be used to introduce various science topics to children ages 4-8 years. For half a day children would come together for a morning of exploration using stories, song, art, science demonstrations and field trips.

Experiential Grade 1 Classroom

Using Seed Money raised through our efforts we secured funding through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund to develop curriculum based experiential learning programming for young learners. During the 2010-2011 school year we partnered with Sioux Mountain Public School in Sioux Lookout, Ontario to focus this programming within a grade 1 classroom which we hoped would model teaching approaches that could be used throughout the grades.

Strive

In 2007 New VU began developing this unique experiential program designed to help grade 8 students successfully transition into high school. We partnered with the Awekgo Youth Program of the Nishnawbe Gamik Friendship Centre to secure funding from the Ministry of Education to pilot this approach which included students, teachers and parents. After five years of offering the program, anecdotal and statistical evidence is showing how effectively this program is preparing students both academically and socially for the challenges of high school. We have begun expanding the program throughout the province and have developed Northern STRIVE, a program specifically designed for students coming to school from First Nations communities, and a STRIVE program for students moving on to college or university. We have had the privilege of presenting on this program at the provincial Circle of Light Education Conference, offering it as a best practice for increasing student success.

Click to see our "Education" programming.

Community Partnerships

Cedar Bay Revitalization

New VU's interest in the Cedar Bay Recreation Complex began in 2007 when it was identified as a site for potential social, cultural, recreational and economic growth for Sioux Lookout, Ontario and area. While the facility was in need of repairs the scenic location was ideal. New VU approached the Municipality of Sioux Lookout to discuss New VU building a ropes course on the site in hopes of raising the use of the facility through recreational, educational and professional development workshops. Our hope was that increased use of the facility would encourage people to consider how it could be repaired and managed, resulting in a sustainable enterprise that benefited the community and region. With the support of the Municipality, New VU built the first part of the ropes course in 2007 with additions built in 2009. We began hosting local school, professional, personal development workshops within the space and soon began welcoming groups from throughout Northwestern Ontario. We are pleased that the interest in utilizing this community resource has grown over the years both within the Municipal Leadership as well as within the greater community. See www.cedarbay.org for more details about the revitalization efforts.

Cedar Bay Daycamp

In 2009 New VU approached the Municipality of Sioux Lookout (www.siouxlookout.ca) proposing a partnership for the upcoming Day Camp season. During the previous summer New VU and the Sioux Lookout Creative Arts Circle partnered to run specialized arts programming within the community while the Municipality operated the Day Camp. Our hope was that combining the two initiatives would result in one amazing resource that would attract the attention of youth from Sioux Lookout and surrounding area. For the 2009, 2010, and 2011 camp seasons we partnered with the Municipality of Sioux Lookout, Sioux Lookout Creative Arts Centre and other community businesses and organizations to build the camps capacity within the areas of programming (recreational, art and leadership), staff training, safety and facility standards. The result has been many great days of safe, fun and enriching programming for local youth as well as the many national and international youth that visit this area!

Friends of Cedar Bay Stables

One other partnership New VU has embarked on has been with the Friends of Cedar Bay Stables. In 2008 we began working with them towards the goal of increasing the use of the equestrian programming offered through their cooperative. After several very successful programs that involved the horses in educational and therapeutic programming, New VU began to promote this resource as a programming option within our workshops. Our hope is that the income raised through this partnership will help them reach their goals to continue improving their facility and having trained staff.

A-Frame Gallery

In 2008 New VU was made aware of an ambitious community arts project being undertaken by Donna and Chris Giles. Privately funded, they were working to create the first arts centre in Sioux Lookout, Ontario. The ultimate goal was to work towards the creation of a not-for-profit arts group that would manage the facility and promote a variety of arts related opportunities within the community. At that time they were joined by a handful of art enthusiasts that were beginning to navigate their way through the process of establishing themselves as an arts group. A mutually beneficial partnership was established. In exchange for shared office space within the A-Frame facility New VU agreed to provide the logistical support needed to apply for grants to run youth related arts educational programming, as well as co-ordinate the programs once funding was received. This partnership allowed local and regional artists to begin working together to provide art programming within the community while still in the process of building their own organizational capacity.

With funding from the Ontario Arts Council a variety of performing and visual arts programming and training was initiated resulting in much forward momentum and enthusiasm for the community. Among the highlights is a creation from one of the arts camps for youth ages 8-12 yrs. The wool felted piece was featured in the 2010 MULTIFAITH Calendar, which is distributed throughout North America. Another highlight is the creation of IMPACT Theatre and two original theatrical productions, 'Bounce' (2008), and 'A Rough Translation' (2010).

In 2011 the Sioux Lookout Creative Arts Circle received funding to hire full-time staff to operate the Arts Circle programming utilizing the A-Frame Gallery space! We congratulate Chris, Donna and the Arts Circle Board of Directors in reaching this substantial goal and look forward to future creative partnerships!

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Family Support Group

In 2007 Community Living Dryden-Sioux Lookout requested our support in further developing a Family Support group for families living with FASD. New VU worked with the organization and parents to create a structure and format for their monthly meetings which included guest speakers, discussions and programming for the youth. For roughly a year New VU facilitated the meetings with the long-term goal of helping the group become self-sustaining. Since that time the group has continued to meet under the leadership of the dedicated staff. New VU is happy to have been able to provide early support to help this very important initiative and have learned so much about FASD because of our involvement in it!

Katimavik

"Katimavik challenges young people to take advantage of an amazing opportunity to make a difference for Canadian communities and themselves!"  Since 2009 New VU has been a work partner for Katimavik volunteers in Sioux Lookout, providing an opportunity for youth from all across Canada to experience what it is like to work for a community development organization in north western Ontario.  The volunteers have worked in all levels of New VU, including in youth programs such as our Experiential classroom and youth leadership workshops, and in our professional development workshops as assistant ropes course facilitators and workshop planners.  Past volutneers have also been given the opportunity to plan, advertise and facilitate their own youth day programs, and have been trained on various outdoor education equipment such as the rock wall and ropes course.

New VU has also provided team development workshops for each Katimavik team that has come to Sioux Lookout.  Using our ropes course facility and other innovative team building experiences, New VU has assisted the teams in learning more about team dynamics and stages of team development, as well as provided some conflict resolution and leadership development.

Finally, New VU has also provided overall program support to the local Katimavik program, including finding other work partners, providing ideas on how to improve the local program, attending community presentations, and promoting the program to local youth. We have also partnered with various local work partners by sharing our volunteer in order that they can experience a wide variety of opportunities in Sioux Lookout.

 "New VU has graciously  given their time to run a team building low ropes course for the volunteers, tailoring  the challenges to the needs of the specific group... they have helped the volunteers expand their understanding of group dynamics, the importance of healthy conflict and an overall appreciation of effective communication"

- Project Leader for Katimavik -

Scouts Sponsorship

In 2011 New VU started supporting the Sioux Lookout Scouts branch as a "sponsor" in order to assist them in their continued goal to educate our youth in what the unique wilderness the Canadian shield has to offer. The scouts club has many programs to offer the youth in a outdoors environment. They have overcome many financial issues with strong volunteers and great community support. They are presently a club with 70 members, both male and female. New VU has been adding to their vast activities by providing canoeing, both day and night trips by giving ropes course experiences to the Scouts club along with helping them gather experience and joy on the climbing wall. One of their major events includes all the regional scouts groups gathering at the Sioux Lookout club for their annual jamboree.  The assistance that the Scouts group has received in the past and present has made the club both stable and a great place for our youth to spend their time learning about nature and how to survive in it.

Leadership & Community Development Program

Currently in the developmental stages, New VU is working with accredited academic institutions and Global Youth Network to create an experiential learning opportunity that teaches the valuable skills and knowledge needed to lead change within communities.

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