Youth Leadership Summit
OUR VISION
To provide a comprehensive leadership development program for Indigenous youth, to inspire them and to increase their leadership skills and provide opportunities to share their culture and learn from other cultures. Teach non-violent communication skills and anti-bullying strategies to inspire, motivate, and build positive relationships, while improving their fitness, health and cultural knowledge. We are committed to providing experiences that will have a life changing impact on our Indigenous youth.
The Leonard George Indigenous Youth Fund
The Leonard George Youth Leadership Fund was created by Lemon Cree Non-Profit Society to generate funding for cultural & leadership exchange programs. This scholarship was created to inspire Indigenous youth leaders to reach their potential in their chosen fields of career.
With a shared core value of promoting healthy living, Lemon Cree and Life Sports Fitness have collaborated to travel Indigenous youth from Canada to southern Florida for a crosscultural and leadership learning experience.
This trip will provide Indigenous youth with a unique opportunity to experience and learn about leadership, networking, anti-bullying strategies, cultural diversity and empathy and life-work balance, through a wide variety of activities during their stay in Florida.
The Youth Leadership Summit is comprehensive—incorporating culture, wellness & leadership through inspirational and hands on workshops to develop strong career skills—our goal is to shape motivated youth into the workplace and develop future leaders with all the right tools they need to succeed.
- Ages 17-30 years old
- Min 10 /Max 20 Participants for 2018
Contact us for more information on project details and funding needed.
info [@] lemoncree.org
Tel: 778.960.4778
LEONARD GEORGE
Elected Chief of Tsleil Waututh Nation (TWN)
Director of Economic Development TWN
Chief Negotiator TWN
Founder of Takaya Developments
Actor (Little Big Man, Smoke Signals…)
The late Leonard Henry George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) in North Vancouver, British Columbia was a man of many titles throughout his life: Elected chief of TWN, residential school survivor, spiritual leader, actor, director of economic development, chief negotiator, husband, father, and friend to many. Leonard illuminated the future for many Indigenous people not only in his community, but across the world.
TWN underwent drastic damaging changes after contact with colonial policies. In 1989, the unemployment rate on the TWN reserve hovered between 60% and 80%, and had pervasive substance abuse problems. Today, it is less than 3% – a change that can be traced to Leonard, through his instinctive business acumen, desire to create partnerships, and ability to see vast potential in his people. Adversity never stopped him, in any aspect of his life. He worked tirelessly and without complaint until the day he passed, constantly pushing the envelope to ensure the security of his people.
TWN now owns and operates several businesses, and has many ongoing real estate development ventures with business partners. One of the last major contributions Leonard made in his career was to help bring together the three nations —TWN, Squamish, and Musqueam (MST)—as a bargaining unit to secure an unprecedented First Nation land acquisition.
Taught by and having worked closely with spiritual and traditional elders, he demonstrated that incorporating the spiritual teachings when doing business with First Nations leads to success. He always advocated for our youth to be educated and build leadership skills that would sustain the Nation for generations to come—“The most important thing in development is the development of people”.
ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGN
Lemon Cree, Absoloot and Life Sports Fitness are committed to taking positive action to stop bullying and violence in all its forms, amongst all ages, races and genders, in the work place and schools, at home and in our communities. Our workshops educate to bring about awareness and gain skills and strategies to cultivate non-violent communication, mutual respect and understanding.
Absoloot, a conscientious Hip Hop artist, has created a series of unique anti-bullying comics and together with Life Sports Fitness works tirelessly to stop bullying in their communities. After meeting with our Youth Ambassador Nick George from Tsleil Waututh Nation, he was inspired to base the next book on Nick’s life and experiences on how he overcame bullying.
Your support makes it possible for us to continue to educate and spread awareness on bullying in Canada and create peaceful communities now and for generations to come.
TESTIMONIALS
YOUR CONTRIBUTION
By sponsoring this project, you are providing an opportunity for Indigenous youth to experience diverse culture, learn anti-bullying strategies, improve their health and fitness and develop strong leadership and career skills.
These youth will bring the tools they’ve learned through this experience into their communities and the workforce. They will become leaders and examples on how to excel in their chosen field, foster mutual respect and bring growth to their communities.
With the growing need for skilled workers and the rise of disease such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and depression there is no better time than the present to provide these programs. The skills that our youth will learn, can be used to combat these negative physical and mental conditions and foster positive and healthy life choices within our communities and the workforce.
Our mentors and collaborators are building a brighter and safer future for our Indigenous communities. Together with your support we can develop more leaders and provide more opportunities to enrich the lives of Indigenous youth for generations to come.