We are beyond thrilled to announce some fantastic news for the youth in North East Saskatchewan! The Melfort Youth Evolution (under the direction of NEOSS) will be offering an exciting new program called"KEEP IT 100"!
This new, universal program is free for any youth between the ages of 10 and 19 years of age, and is a safe, all-inclusive space where each participant can speak freely without judgement, fear and duress. "KEEP IT 100" is looking to address the issues of Healthy Teen Relationships, gender inclusion, bullying and all other forms of violence. Being from a small community, most of the time, means that individuals have a hard time understanding that these issues exist where we live, that they are not just issues that happen in the cities and urban centres. This leaves the teens in our communities feeling vulnerable and scared. They do not feel that they will be accepted for who they are, or who they want to be and this can lead to very unhealthy behaviors. We want to create a space where all teens can feel safe, accepted, and "normal", and where they can learn how to live lives free from violence. The next step in this is then teaching the basis of a healthy relationship whether that be with family, peers, teachers, friends, or in partner relationships. Teaching them that violence in anyway is not an answer and it is not acceptable.
The program will be run monthly, for 4 hours each time with adult allies and teen mentors as the coordinators. Our monthly workshops will take place at a variety of settings and will be respectful of the COVID-19 regulations set out by the province of Saskatchewan. "KEEP IT 100" is free for everyone and will include activities, workshop materials and snacks! To register, or for more information, please feel free to contact our main office at 306-752-9464, Kathryn Carswell at 306-921-9966 / kcarswell@neoss.ca, or Jennifer Peterson at 306-874-7232 / jpeterson@neoss.ca. There is also a registration form attached to this article and in our upcoming events page, you can fill it in and submit on-line or print and drop it off at 124 McKendry Ave W in Melfort.
We would also like to thank the Community Initiatives Fund for awarding us with a $25,000 grant in order to offer this very valuable programming in our communities. The Community Initiatives Fund contributes to the quality of life of Saskatchewan’s residents by providing grants for projects supporting healthy growth and development of children and youth, individual and community well-being, and nonprofit and community leadership.
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