Local Projects
A key youth project organized by WPP is the annual Rotary Adventures in Human
Rights program (RAHR), held in collaboration with the Canadian Museum for Human
Rights (CMHR).
For more information see:
ROTARACT
The Rotaract program is designed for young people between
the ages of 18 - 30 yrs.
It brings young people together to share ideas and have fun through service.
At the present time there is a Rotaract Club at the University of Manitoba.
Contact s.rotaractclub@gmail.com./.
Honouring Indigenous Peoples (HIP) Committee
One of the main goals of our club’s HIP committee is to engage in reconciliation by connecting students from Winnipeg schools with their counterparts in northern First Nations communities so that they can get to know one another, learn from and with one another and provide mutual support.
Our first partnership established in 2017-18 was between Kistiganwacheeng School in Garden Hill and Ecole River Heights School. The students communicated with each other and the ERHS students learned a great deal about life in Garden Hill. They were also able to respond to requests from the Garden Hill students which resulted in our sending a large shipment of skates, hockey equipment and the most current culturally relevant books to them. These were shipped via winter road courtesy of the North West Company. In the winter of that year a group of students from Garden Hill paid a visit to ERH School an spent a couple of hours with their fellow students there. The ERHS students received letters and many pieces of art work from the Garden Hill students. The students continue to communicate with one another.
During the 2019-20 school year we engaged with schools in Pembina Trails and Louis Riel School Divisions who learned about the challenges faced by their fellow students in remote northern communities. Students, staff and families helped us collect, sort and pack enough gently used winter clothing as well as books for children and youth in 5 different communities (Garden Hill, St Theresa Point, Wasagamach, Little Grand Rapids and Pauingassi). The boxes of clothing were flown out to the communities at the end of October.
In collaboration with Share the Magic we sent large quantities of books to each of the communities. We enlisted the help of the NorthWest Company to transport the boxes of books to the communities by winter road. The shipment included hockey equipment and skates for Garden Hill.
Our intention in 2018-19 was to create a second such partnership involving different schools. It turns out that we ended up with 3 new very successful partnerships!
1. Ecole van Belleghem in Louis Riel School Division is partnering with Wanipigow School (Hollow Water First Nation) to learn as much as they can about land-based education. Gabriel Hall, educator in charge of these programs has visited Ecole Van B school and spoken with students and staff. The plan is for the Van B students to go to participate in land-based activities along with their fellow students from Hollow Water. Ecole van B students conducted a fund raising drive and sent a large consignment of winter apparel for Hollow Water students to use on their land-based expeditions.
2. Three schools from Pembina Trails School Division (Chancellor, Ralph Maybank and Ecole Tuxedo Park) are teamed up with Omishoosh School in Pauingassi situated 280 kms northeast of Winnipeg. Students from Chancellor School have connected with students from Pauingassi who attend high school at South East College. An intense winter clothing drive resulted in the shipping of a large consignment of much needed apparel to the children and youth in that community.
As well a good deal of hockey equipment has been sent. Plans are to send a large consignment of children’s books for a community book giveaway as well as to help to establish stimulating summer activities for the children in Pauingassi.
3. St. Theresa Point Visit: From May 14-17, 2019, a group of eight students and five staff from Louis Riel School Division had the privilege of visiting the community of St. Theresa Point (STP) as part of a growing partnership between the two communities. St. Theresa Point welcomed and honoured LRSD in the warmest manner possible, treating their visitors as family. The week was filled with the outdoors, community building, and fun. Many of the activities centred on land-based and traditional practices, including a school-wide fish fry, a fishing afternoon, ceremony, and the making and playing of traditional drums. The students and adults of both communities formed meaningful relationships with each other, developing renewed understandings of the challenges remote communities in Canada face. LRSD is so appreciative of St. Theresa Point’s generosity, with their gracious sharing of their gifts, community, and spirit. It marks a new chapter in the two communities’ journey of partnership and reconciliation [ trip update compiled by Nika Martinussen, President, SHOW (Students Helping Our World) JHBruns Collegiate]
Summer 2019 Learning Enrichment Programs in St Theresa Point
Our Honouring Indigenous Peoples Committee partnered with school and community leaders in St Theresa Point to develop and deliver a variety of fun learning and recreation programs for the children and youth to engage in over the summer months.
We enlisted the help of the U of M Faculty of Kinesiology and Rec. Management to train youth from STP who attend high school at South East Collegiate in Winnipeg to run the Recreation and Reading program (follow the link “Rec and Read University of Manitoba - Indspire” for more details on the program). These students were offered summer employment and ran the program over a period of 6 weeks. We provided a large shipment of books from our partners “Share the Magic” for use in the program. At the end of the program students selected their favourite books to take home.
Our Honouring Indigenous Peoples Committee partnered with school and community leaders in St Theresa Point to develop and deliver a variety of fun learning and recreation programs for the children and youth to engage in over the summer months.
We enlisted the help of the U of M Faculty of Kinesiology and Rec. Management to train youth from STP who attend high school at South East Collegiate in Winnipeg to run the Recreation and Reading program (follow the link “Rec and Read University of Manitoba - Indspire” for more details on the program). These students were offered summer employment and ran the program over a period of 6 weeks. We provided a large shipment of books from our partners “Share the Magic” for use in the program. At the end of the program students selected their favourite books to take home.
We also provided 24 laptops loaded with fun learning games, a variety of board games, as well as soccer equipment for their summer soccer camps.
A major component of the summer program in STP was a 3-week long summer and soccer camp for boys and girls. We provided all the necessary equipment.
This initiative was a great success and we will be looking to expand it into more communities for summer 2020
SUMMER PROGRAMS 2020
Most unfortunately all our plans for summer programs had to be shelved because of the intervention of the COVID pandemic. However, we have been working with the communities to see how we could support their efforts to keep the children and youth engaged over the summer months.
We had arranged with Frontier College to offer their family literacy program in STP and Wasagamach. As expected the program had to be cancelled but we worked with them to send backpacks of fun learning materials for children in both communities.
We are also working with a national organization, True North Aid, to send backpacks of fun learning materials as well as sports equipment requested by the communities.
As a COVID response we contributed $500 to national HIP as well as $2500 to an organization called Finding Our Power Together based out of Ryerson University to provide support to remote FN communities in northern and NW Ontario.
Nurturing and Nudging Integration of Restorative Justice and Indigenous Peace-Making Methodologies in Manitoba Courts
by David G. Newman, Q.C.*
Caption: Brett Lee Shelton, and distinguished First Nations, Rotary, and Judicial guests after presenting on Indigenous Peacemaking at a presentation hosted by the Honoring Indigenous People Section of the Manitoba Rotary Club, on October 16, 2019.
RIBFEST
Ribfest is an annual family friendly free admission event held at the Forks festival ground with the goal of raising funds for youth projects in Winnipeg. The festival attracts the best ribbers from across Canada serving delicious BBQ ribs and chicken. Other treats include corn bread, ice cream, churros, hot dog, 50/50 contest, raffle prizes, kid zone, etc. Several local music bands also perform live at the event. See www.ribfestwinnipeg.ca for more information regarding Ribfest.
2020 RIBFEST cancelled due to COVID 19. Our 50/50 tickets are available on line at http://www.ribfestwpg5050.ca
We will be back in August 2021
MUNA - Model United Nations Assembly
MUNA was founded in April, 1957 to expose youths to the world of international politics, through participation in a simulated United Nations Assembly. This annual event was held in 2018 from May 3 - 6th at the Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), 2316 Grant Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Further details can be found on the website at http://winnipegmuna.ca/.
Some MUNA student representatives at the 2018 edition with some Rotary swag
Cross section of MUNA students voting on a UN resolution at the 2018 edition
Students presenting for their represented country (North Korea!) during MUNA 2018 session
Rotary Leadership Circle
The Rotary Leadership Circle (RLC) program, established in 1996, is a youth leadership development and summer work project for 165 youth ages 10 – 14 years of age. During a six-week period in the summer, youth leaders become positively engaged within their neighbourhood by taking on leadership and volunteer roles. Youth Leaders who complete 60 hours of service can earn $200 towards a supervised shopping trip before the start of school.
For more information call (204) 982-4940 ext. 236 or email to programcoordinator@youthagenciesalliance.com
Rotary Adventures in Citizenship
This program is run by The Rotary Club of Ottawa and is for High School Students between 16 - 18yrs. 200 Students from across the country are selected and are sponsored by local Rotary Clubs. The week long learning in Ottawa encompasses time at the Parliament of Canada and talking with members of Parliament among other adventures.
For more information contact patvallance@shaw.ca
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