Objectives

The Arctic Children and Youth Foundation will target the following objectives:

Facilitation: the Foundation will work with governments and other child-serving agencies to ensure that national or international initiatives are adapted to the conditions and culture of the Canadian Arctic to ensure effective implementation and encourage positive outcomes;
Suicide and substance abuse prevention: the Foundation will actively work to reduce and eliminate the factors of hopelessness, isolation and poverty that lead to self- destructive behaviors such as substance abuse and suicide. It will adapt "best practice” prevention programs for Arctic peoples;
Conflict resolution: the Foundation will partner with appropriate organizations to design and implement culturally-appropriate workshops on conflict resolution. These will assist Arctic children and youth to acquire the necessary skills of mediation, dialogue and negotiation to enable them to articulate their positions, enhance their leadership skills, resolve conflict peacefully and encourage harmony among peers, families and communities. This initiative also aims to reduce levels of violence and incarceration among Arctic youth;
Literacy and numeracy: the Foundation will adapt and implement "best practice” programs in literacy and numeracy education with the objective of achieving standards of competence in these fundamental skills at least equal to those of southern Canada;
Technological capacity: the Foundation will enhance technological interest and capacity through the development of Arctic-based web sites targeted specifically to the interests, culture and information needs of Arctic children and youth. It will also strive to ensure Arctic access to internet technology at levels comparable with other regions of Canada;
Representation of interests: the Foundation will help to ensure that the interests of Arctic children and youth are represented at all levels of national and international child and youth policy development and will work to identify and prepare youth representatives who are interested and capable of assuming representational roles at youth events;
Arctic-based curricula: the Foundation will support sound decision-making through the development of school curricula, student-based research programs such as GLOBE, the new POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) and web sites that engage children and youth in environmental issues of immediate priority to the Arctic. These will include climate change, persistent organic pollutants and the preservation of biological diversity, as well as others of direct relevance to their health and culture and the sustainable development of their economy;
Research: the Foundation will work with appropriate partners to facilitate research, gather data and provide information on the health, economic and living conditions of Arctic children and youth for use by academics, northern communities and organizations, governments and other national and international agencies;
Reduction of smoking: given the unparalleled high levels ofArctic youth and families, and to some extent children, who smoke and the lifelong health and economic impacts of this addiction, the Foundation will work with schools and communities to adapt best practices in social marketing and prevention to the Arctic culture and context with the objective of reducing smoking addiction among Arctic children and youth to levels at least comparable with the national average;

Recognizing the responsibilities and jurisdiction of territorial and aboriginal governments in the North in relation to children and youth, the Foundation will:

Work with northern governments and agencies to assist, as appropriate, in co-ordination of programs relating to children and youth;
Work with local, regional and territorial authorities to identify and create opportunities for children and youth, particularly opportunities at a national or international level;
Act as a focal point for local, regional and territorial authorities who are seeking access to information on national and international programs for children and youth;
Assist or facilitate, as appropriate, Arctic communities in their liaison with national and international organizations offering programs for children and youth.