This stream will next open for applications in 2024
Project Summary:
Creation is a multi-level funding program that will support strengths-based, community-focused, and youth-led projects taking place in communities across Canada. Funding is dispersed through themed streams, which focus on specific funding gaps and needs in communities.
The Experiential Learning Stream will provide funding of up to $20,000 to Indigenous youth-led projects, groups and non-profits. Every year, our Indigenous Youth Advisory Circle selects emerging needs streams based on gaps they are seeing in their community and learning about from their peers. Experiential Learning is the process of learning by doing. It is an approach that emphasizes learning through direct experience, reflection, and active engagement. It involves hands-on, practical activities that allow youth
participants to acquire knowledge, develop skills, and gain insights by engaging in real-world situations and
encouraging youth to actively participate, experiment, and interact with their environment.
Priorities:
There is a priority in this stream to support:
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- Indigenous grassroots groups and collectives
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- Groups that have experience running programming and projects, but are looking to scale to a new level or try something new
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- Projects that have an appropriate scale and scope for the funding provided (i.e. engagement numbers and frequency make sense for the funding requested)
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- Projects that are multi-dimensional (i.e. are doing more than just one thing, and are looking to improve wellness overall)
Focus Areas:
Successful projects will fall within the following areas:
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- Being on the Land: Projects will provide youth groups with opportunities for land-based programming and learning. This can include hunting camps, learning traditional language on the land, connecting with plant and animal relatives, accessing traditional ceremonial practices and physical activities like canoeing/kayaking and rock-climbing).
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- Bringing Community Together: Projects will focus on bringing youth and community together, through programming, gatherings, community events, feasts, etc.
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- Improving Youth Spaces: Projects that enable youth to cultivate spaces that encompass a feeling of home. This includes activities like painting, renovations, plumbing, etc. Eligible projects in this category will only include community spaces (as example, a youth drop-in).
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- Learning about Different Communities: Projects will focus on youth going to other communities and/or cities. Projects can either be exchanges (where youth from two different communities have opportunities to learn together) or about
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- giving one group opportunities to explore and learn in a different community. Travel costs are eligible in this category.
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- Reclaiming Traditional Practices: Projects will provide youth access to traditional practices so that they can build skills to revitalize and reclaim these practices in community. Examples of traditional practices could include: traditional tattooing, throat singing, drumming groups, birth work, etc.
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- Skill Building Projects: will focus on opportunities for youth to learn skills that will increase their capacity and resources. This could include life skills programming (such as cooking), experiential employment programs (such as mentorship programs or placements) and/or other opportunities that will give youth space to learn new skills and increase their capacity.
Eligibility:
Funding in this stream will prioritize funding grassroots youth groups consisting of a minimum of 3 Indigenous youth. Please note: for the purpose of this program IYR defines Indigenous as status and non-status First Nation, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada, living both on and off reserve.
Eligible groups and projects include:
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- Unincorporated/grassroots youth groups and collectives
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- Incorporated youth groups with an organizational budget of less than $750,000
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- Youth Councils
Ineligible groups and projects:
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- Individuals
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- Projects that are not youth-led (or where the majority of the leadership is 30+)
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- Non-Indigenous organizations
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- Projects taking place outside of Canada
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- For-profit corporations and businesses
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- Groups that have an organizational budget of over $750,000
Ineligible Expenses:
IYR will NOT fund projects that are political in nature, or that involve distributing substances (i.e. alcohol, non-traditional tobacco, marijuana, illicit substances, etc). IYR will also not fund projects or activities that are taking place outside of Canada.
Review Process:
Applications will be reviewed by a Community Grants Committee that includes Advisory Circle members, community members, Indigenous youth and other knowledge carriers. All members will have experience running programs and initiatives, overseeing projects and offering community support. 100% of the review committee will be Indigenous, and a minimum of 75% will be youth.
Capacity Building:
All funded groups will be required to take part in online training/skills development workshops on managing, facilitating, evaluating, and reporting on programs. There will be orientation sessions for all new grantees. All grantees will be assigned a IYR staff member and will have individual meetings with this staff member throughout the project.
Reporting and Evaluation:
Grantees will be asked to report twice on their projects.
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- Midterm Check-In (6 months into the project): Grantees will meet digitally with a Creation staff to talk through challenges and successes. Grantees will share updates on budget spending, completed activities and youth reach.
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- Final Report (2 months after project completion): Grantees will submit an evaluation report that will include reporting on the final budget (how much money you spent), data on the number of participants reached in your project, data on time spent on the project and a narrative report on the project. The final report will likely take 3 – 7 hours to complete. Grantees will receive a copy of the evaluation report within the first month of their project start date.
Financial Oversight and Trusteeship:
Successful applicants over age 18 do not require an external funding administrator/trustee and, if successful, will receive the grant funds directly.
Successful applicants aged 15-17 will require a local non-profit or trusted community member over age 18 to serve as their grant trustee. This trustee may be someone the applicants are already familiar with or IYR can support in connecting them with a willing organization or community member as well as with creating a trustee agreement that ensures youth will be supported.
View under “What do we mean by a trustee” for how we define trustee.
Release of Funds:
IYR does not issue cheques. Funding will be sent to grantees via a Plooto bank transfer/direct deposit. Grantees will receive funds within two weeks of submitting a signed funding agreement.
Timelines:
| Stages | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Applications Open | Aug 1, 2023 |
| Application Deadline | Aug 31, 2023 |
| Decisions Released | Oct 31, 2023 |
| Project Start Date | Nov 1, 2023 |
| Midterm Check-in | Mar 4 – 15, 2024 |
| Project End Date | Aug 31, 2024 |
| Final Report Due | Oct 31, 2024 |
