Close to 300 north Qikiqtani high school students are gathered in Pond Inlet for youth leadership conference

(POND INLET, Nunavut, Oct. 2, 2019) – Today is the first day of Nipivut Youth Conference, which is being held by the Canadian Red Cross and the Government of Nunavut at Nasivvik High School in Pond Inlet. Nipivut means “our voice” in Inuktitut and represents the importance of the voices of youth.

The two-day event includes high school students from Pond Inlet, Grise Fiord, Arctic Bay, Clyde River and Igloolik.

The conference features workshops for students on developing healthy relationships, first aid, suicide prevention, learning from elders, and learning how they can take care of themselves and the people around them during difficult situations, including times of grief and loss.

Students are being given an opportunity to hear from different speakers at the conference. There is also a talent show, which is scheduled for tonight.

This is the fourth annual Nunavut youth conference but the first for the north Qikiqtani region. Each year, the conference has been held in a different part of Nunavut – previously it has been held in Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay and Rankin Inlet.

The Canadian Red Cross and the Government of Nunavut have been education partners for several years and work together to provide necessary education and support to students throughout Nunavut in a variety of areas, including healthy youth relationships.