The Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth has been an influential not-for profit organization in Calgary since 2001. USAY strives to provide essential programming and services to Calgary’s Aboriginal youth between the ages of twelve and twenty-nine.
USAY Mission Statement:
- The Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY) will enrich the lives of all urban Aboriginal youth by nurturing self-empowerment and fostering healthy collaboration and communication to ensure healthy future generations.
USAY Vision Statement:
- The Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY) will be recognized as a fundamental organization in society, empowering urban Aboriginal youth to envision and attain a healthy sustainable future while upholding traditional Aboriginal values.
Over the last decade USAY has provides Calgary’s Aboriginal youth with many different types of programming. Below is a list of programs that USAY is either currently running or planned to run in the near future.
Current
- Aboriginal Anti-Racism Movement (AARM)
- Created in partnership with the All Nations Theatre (ANT), and the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (CSIF): AARM strives to engage and empower youth to change attitudes and beliefs concerning racism, discrimination and human rights. Through the use of creative mediums such as film, theatre, and art, youth learn how small actions can lead to big changes.
- New Kicks 4 Kids (NK4K)
- USAY and Nike Canada have partnered together to help Calgary’s Aboriginal youth step into a healthy lifestyle with new shoes from Nike! Through USAY parents and/or youth can order quality Nike shoes at significantly discounted prices. Call or come into USAY to find out more information – offer is also open to non-profit organizations in Calgary
- Online eSeminars and Training
- Check out this link to find out more information on all of USAY’s online programming such as: Business Etiquette, Career Planning and Personal Finance. www.usay.ca/services
Future Endeavors
- Blackfoot Graphic Novel (BGN)
- This collaborative project between Aboriginal youth artists and Elders will produce a graphic novel that will chronicle an empowering story of a youth told solely in a local dialect of Blackfoot. This program has been designed to encourage youth to learn the endangered Blackfoot language, and also to encourage reading and writing in the community as a whole. The final piece will be distributed for free within the province of Alberta.
- Blackfoot Language Introduction (BLI)
- This online eLearning program has been designed to provide youth with the essential stepping-stones for learning a new language. ESeminars will provide participants with the opportunity to learn the Blackfoot language at their own pace. Pending approval, the Blackfoot Graphic Novel will be used as a learning tool for participants.
