NYA:WEH Aboriginal Youth Program Wins National Award from Eva’s Initiatives’

A national $25,000 award has been announced for the Niwasa Aboriginal Education Programs/HWDSB partnership that delivers the Native Youth Advancement With Education Hamilton (NYA:WEH) initiative in four HWDSB secondary schools.

Eva’s Initiatives, the Sprott Foundation and Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group, have announced that NYA:WEH will receive $25,000 on June 10 to support its work with homeless and at-risk youth. NYA:WEH is among the four winners of this year’s Eva’s Awards for Ending Youth Homelessness.

“Today we are celebrating some of the best examples across the country of how to break the cycle of homelessness and have significant impacts in the lives of vulnerable youth,” said Maria Crawford, Executive Director of Eva’s Initiatives. “These communities should be proud of the pioneering work that they are doing locally and of their larger contribution to the national goal of ending youth homelessness.”

At HWDSB, NYA:WEH is located in four Delta, Mountain, Sir Winston Churchill and Sir John A. Macdonald secondary schools.

“This award is both recognition and support to continue the amazing work being done at NYA:WEH thanks to all of the students, staff and community members who make it possible,” said Amy Smith, NYA:WEH Co-ordinator.

NYA:WEH increases traditional knowledge and cultural identity, encourages post-secondary education, seeks to connect youth to options for their future and works with educators to link cultural programming to education provided by the Ontario curriculum.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Sharon Stephanian, Superintendent, Leadership and Learning, 905-527-5092 ext. 2386
Amy Smith, NYA:WEH Coordinator, 905-528-8363 ext. 239

NT5