The past year has seen an unprecedented wave of media attention regarding the overwhelming levels of discrimination that many LGBTQ youth experience from their family, peers, schools and communities. In particular, the story of Constance McMillen, captured the hearts...
Blog
Sexual Health for Youth
This spring SWOVA organized the first Sexual Health Fair at Gulf Islands Secondary School and an afternoon of workshops on sexual health for the grade 11 students. There were information booths set up during the lunch break for students from the whole school to browse...
Spark Fest Unplugged
What does it take to reach out to the community and let your voice be heard? A clear vision, a number of passionate willing youth, and ways to engage your audience. Kate Maurice, the Mentor Supervisor for the Pass It On Project on Salt Spring Island had the vision - a...
SWOVA Facilitator Training Goes Online
We thought if we were going to enter the 21st century, we would go all out! We are making our Respectful Relationships (R+R) Facilitator training program more accessible using online tools. This is an exciting new path for us, utilizing E-learning. Soon, when...
Sparking the Interest of Youth in the Community
One of the unique aspects to any of the initiatives conceived and implemented by SWOVA is that Salt Spring Island plays the distinct role of a Petri dish. The broader community on Salt Spring Island has always embraced SWOVA’s projects, with School District #64 being...
A Fearless Approach
The Pass it On Project had a late start in Uclulet, but the insights and learning from this unique collection of five distinct communities are enriching and enlightening. The five communities include Opitsaht, Esowista, and Hitacu which are reserves, as well as...
Feeling Rejuvenated
Val Jordan, the Mentor Supervisor of the Pass It On Project in Prince George, knows her community well. Prince George is the Northern capital of British Columbia with a population of approximately 70,000. There is a strong multicultural and Aboriginal component to the...
Guy Talk
One of the most important reasons why I work with youth around gender, stereotypes and healthy relationships, is that I get the opportunity to engage in complex and thought provoking conversations with young men. Speaking of self- esteem, emotions, conflict...
Bridging The Distance
Jennifer Quam is the Mentor Supervisor for the Pass It On Project in Valemount/ McBride, British Columbia. McBride has a population of 710 while 90 kilometers away is Valemount, with a population of 1100. The school population for both communities hovers around 100...
It Is So Emotional To See These Girls Shine
The Pass It On Project - Phase II is occurring simultaneously in 5 communities throughout British Columbia - Salt Spring Island, Uclulet, Valemount/McBride, Prince George and Kamloops. Kamloops is in the Southern Interior of the province with a population of 85,000....
The Pass It On Project Goes on the Road in British Columbia
This winter, I had the privilege of traveling around British Columbia delivering workshops with rural girls and young women as part of Phase 2 of the Pass it On project. These workshops were originally written for youth here on Salt Spring Island and thanks to the...
Exciting News at SWOVA
We recently found out that the Department of Justice Canada is funding us to work in partnership with the Musqueam Indian Band. As part of their Justice Partnership and Innovation Program - Access to Justice for Aboriginal Women, we will look at existing data from...