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HealthWellnessSexualHealth8TuesdayMay202014EducationFederalGrantsByMARIACHURCHDatingandsexcanbestrangeanduncomfortabletopicsforyouthbutevery-onehasquestionsandyounggirlsintheNWTneedasafeplacetoaskthemsaysexualhealtheducatorsNancyMac-NeillandCandiceLys.BothbornandraisedNorthernersLysandMac-Neillarethetwowomenbe-hindFOXYanarts-basedsexualhealthworkshopandretreatprogramforyoungwomenintheterritory.FOXYwhichstandsforFosteringOpeneXpressionamongYouthisgearedforgirlsaged13to17toallowthemthefreedomtosharetheirthoughtsandaskques-tionsaboutbodyimagerela-tionshipsandself-expression.Wehaveapolicythateveryquestionthatgetsaskedgetsanswered.EvenifitssuperawkwardanduncomfortableandwetalkaboutitandtheneveryonesaysOKIreallydidntwanttoknowaboutthatwesayWellbetteryouknowaboutitthanyoudontMacNeillsharedwithTheJournal.WestronglybelievethatyoungpeopleneedavenueFOXYbackforroundtwoofempowermentcampswheretheycantalkaboutthesekindofthingsotherwisewearethrowingthemintoavacuumwithallthiscrazyin-formationandnowaytocon-textualizeitshesaid.Someofthemythsandru-morsandthingsthatwehearaboutsexintheseworkshopsarejustoutrageous.Itsthingsthatyouhopenobodywouldeverbelievebutbecausetheressomuchinformationoutthereitsreallyeasyforsomeonetoconvinceawholelotofsmartintelligentpeoplethatsomethingistruewhenitsnot.Afterasuccessfulpilotpro-graminHayRiverin2012theFOXYprogramranterritory-wideforthersttimelastyearholding25to30workshopsinhighschoolsfromTuktoyaktuktoFortSmithaswellasapeerleadershipretreatinAugust.TheFOXYprogramisthebrainchildofLysaPhDstu-dentbornandraisedinFortSmithwhochosetofocusherresearchonyoungNWTwomenandsexualhealth.HerthesisinpublichealthsciencefortheUniversityofTorontowilluseinformationgatheredthroughFOXYworkshops.NowintheplanningstagesforroundtwooftheFOXYannualpeerleadershipretreatatBlachfordLakeLysandMacNeillhavedecidedtofocustheweek-longcampondigitalstorytelling.FromJuly24toAug.125younggirlsfromacrosstheterritorywillbeintroducedtothebasicsofvideographyphotographyandthewrittenwordinordertotelltheirsto-riesthroughartwithawideraudienceusingsocialmediaandbloggingwebsites.Youhavetomeettheyouthwheretheyareifwearegoingtohaveanykindofimpact.Theyarenotgoingtocometoyou.WherearetheyTheyreonline.Givingthemopportunitiestosharethosestoriesandpromotetheirarttoalargeraudienceisare-allyvaluableskillforthemMacNeillsaid.Thesearesmartcreativepeople.TheseareNorth-erners.Artiskindofinthebonesshesaid.Applicationsarenowbeingacceptedforthisyearsretreat.FOXYintherunningFOXYiscurrentlyoneof13YellowknifenalistsfortheFieldLawCommunityFundcontestthatlookstosupportlocalinitiativesacrossWest-ernandNorthernCanada.Determinedthroughonlinevotingthewinningcontes-tantineachregionwillre-ceive15000towardstheirprogram.Formoreinformationaboutthecontestortovotevisithttpwww.fieldlawcommunityfund.com2014-voteYellowknifePhotocourtesyofFOXYFOXYparticipantsattheBlachfordLakeretreatlearnaboutselfexpressionandempowermentlastyear.ByMARIACHURCHToomanylowincomefam-iliesintheNWTarepassingupfreeno-strings-attachedfederaleducationmoneyforyouthaccordingtotheterri-torysliteracycouncil.ThegrantcalledtheCanadaLearningBondallowsfamilieswithahouseholdnetincomeoflessthan43953toreceiveupto2000towardseachchildspost-secondaryeducation.AccordingtostatisticsfromHumanResourcesandSkillsDevelopmentCanadaonly8.3percentofeligiblechildrenintheNWThavereceivedmoneyasofDecember2012.Itsfreemoney.Imaginetheresallthesepeoplethatareeligibleforityetnobodyistak-ingitup.Notmanypeopleknowaboutit.Wedidntevenknowaboutituntilwestarteddoing-nancialliteracycoursesHelenBalanoffexecutivedirectoroftheNWTLiteracyCounciltoldTheJournal.BalanoffsaidcouncilstaffstumbleduponstatisticsfortheCanadaLearningBondlastyearandwereshockedathowlowtherateisintheter-ritoryparticularlyincontrasttootherjurisdictions.AmongtheprovincesandterritoriesFamiliesmissingoutonfreemoneyLiteracyCounciltheNWThasthelowestpar-ticipationratesaveforNuna-vutwhichstandsata0.9percent.TheCanadianaverageis27.5percent.Theresearchshowsthatchildrenthathaveaccesstosavingsaremorelikelytonishhighschoolandgoontofur-thereducationsothatsobvi-ouslyanareathatweareveryinterestedinBalanoffsaid.CouncilholdsopenhouseInanefforttoeducatemorefamiliesabouttheCanadaLearningBondtheNWTLiteracyCouncilheldanopenhouseinYellowknifelastweek.Theeventinvitedtwobanks-theBankofMontrealBMOandCanadianImperialBankofCommerceCIBC-andanemployeefromEmploymentandSocialDevelopmentCan-adatoanswerquestionsaboutthebondandRegisteredEdu-cationSavingsPlansRESPs.Thebondworksinconjunc-tionwithRESPsrequiringparticipantstoopenasavingsaccountforthegovernmenttodepositaninitial500.Theac-countwillthensee100depos-itedeachyearuntilastudentturns15years-old.Oncethestudenthitspost-secondarytheycanwithdrawthemoney-atotalof2000-towardstheirschooling.FormanyNWTfamiliesamajorhurdleisthefederalpaperworkwhichrequiresasocialinsurancenumberSINforboththeparentsandthechild.InordertobeissuedaSINresidentsmusthaveabirthcerticate.ThoseservicesarenotasaccessibleastheyareinthelargercentresBalanoffsaid.TheopenhouseofferedthepaperworkforfamiliestolloutincludingbirthcerticateandSINformsbutitcouldstillbeweeksevenmonthsbeforetheycanopenanaccount.Thecouncilhopesnewsofthefreeeducationmoneywillreachthefamiliesofmorethan2500NWTchildrenwhowereconsideredeligiblebutunregisteredbythelatestcount.AsofDecember2012theNWThasonlyseen255youthrecipients.Around18peoplecameouttotheeventheldMondayatNorthernUnitedPlaceandwhiletheturnoutwasntashighasorganizershadhopedtheyvehadaspikeininquiriesabouttheCanadaLearningBondNWTLiteracyCouncilcoordinatorKatieRandalltoldTheJournal.Thewordisgettingoutshesaid.FormoreinfomrationabouttheCanadaLearningBondvisithttpwww.smartsaver.orgcanada-learning-bond.shtmlorcontacttheNWTLitearcyCouncilat1867873-9262.PhotoNWTLiteracyCouncilYouthareentertainedwhiletheirparentslearnmoreabouttheCanadaLearningBondatanopenhouseheldbytheNWTLiteracyCouncillastweek.Theresearchshowsthatchildrenthathaveaccesstosavingsaremorelikelytonishhighschoolandgoontofur-thereducation.HelenBalanoffNWTLiteracyCouncil