Hosted at BDene Adventures on the shore of Akaitcho Bay on Great Slave Lake, the Canada Workshop promises collaborative experiences and cross-boundary conversations initiated by a cohort of Arctic youth leaders. Fostering a youth-led approach to challenges faced by Arctic communities, emphasizing storytelling and communication, and building on themes and lessons learned in previous workshops, this event will serve as a vehicle for the fellows to reflect, cooperate, and celebrate their growth as emerging leaders at the end of a year of robust programming. 

The Canada Workshop will be a multi-day immersion experience. Beginning with an orientation and welcome ceremony, the fellows will dive into guided sessions on resiliency, resurgence, and empowerment in the Arctic. Building from prior workshops, the fellows will work through various topics and ideas, from philosophical inquiries into the nature of resilient communities to the development of proactive solutions to unique Arctic issues. Following meetings and presentations from locals and Tribal elders, the weekend will culminate in a graduation ceremony with a performance from the Yellowknife Dene Drummers. 

The fellows will also unveil their personal resiliency projects, tangible products of the fellowship that reflect a year’s commitment to resourceful community development. The graduation ceremony will mark and formally celebrate the first-year fellows' dedication and growth as informed leaders, setting the stage for continued positive impact. Amid collaborative discussions, mentoring opportunities with fellowship staff, sessions with local Tribal Elders, and hands-on culturally affirming activities, the workshop will weave together individual skill-building with focused community engagement and conclude a crucial chapter in ARCYF's journey. 

ARCYF's mission is to empower Arctic youth to advocate for sustainable solutions to complex issues and become leaders in building resilient Arctic communities. Through this transformative initiative, a future for Arctic communities is envisioned where:

  • Youth voices are appreciated, respected, and welcomed as the citizens of the pan-Arctic region seek solutions for the challenges of a rapidly changing Arctic landscape.
  • Youth voices recognize the long-term implications of activities in the Arctic region for Indigenous communities, focusing on food security and sovereignty, self-governance, economic development and subsistence lifestyles, climate change, and other matters impacting traditional ways of life in the Far North.

Directed by the Institute of the North and North Star Group, ARCYF received a significant investment from the Government of Canada, and invaluable support from partners, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Greenland School of Petroleum and Minerals-KTI, Alaska Airlines, the Rasmuson Foundation, the George and Stephanie Suddock Foundation, the Denali Commission, and the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association. While 2023 marked ARCYF’s the inaugural year, the initiative's concept stems from work conducted through the Arctic Council's Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) working group's Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Arctic Mining (MBAM) initiative.  

To learn more about the ARCYF program, its mission, and objectives, visit ARCYF.org. To inquire about partnership opportunities or request additional information, please contact the program through info@arcyf.org.