Design and Implementation of the Wemindji Career Program
Through extensive community consultation, we worked with the Cree Nation of Wemindji in Northern Quebec to design a one million dollar social integration program to help Indigenous youth feel more empowered, develop positive self-esteem, and to find productive ways to integrate in and engage with their community. We brought together key stakeholders (Cree government organisations, private companies, local employers, and youth) to design the program, and provided regular capacity development support throughout the program implementation. We successfully obtained program funding from multiple donors, designed the program’s M&E plan, developed training and on-the-job learning materials, and documented results through the publication of community newsletters and annual reports. The program has become self-sustainable and is still ongoing under the autonomous leadership of the Cree Nation of Wemindji.