While school is back in session across much of the territory, many youth had a great time during summer vacation thanks to day camps.

The Get Happy Summer Day Camp, organized by the Recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut (RPAN), wrapped up its fifth season late last month with 15 communities in all three regions having took part. Whale Cove and Rankin Inlet were two of the new communities involved in the program this year.

Dawn Currie, RPANSA国际影视传媒檚 executive director, said the program has become RPANSA国际影视传媒檚 signature initiative and it showed again this year.

SA国际影视传媒淪anikiluaq and Whale Cove were two of our standout communities this year,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭aloyoak was really good also. People enjoy it so much and the people keep coming back every year. We had about 15 to 20 people this year who were once participants in the program come back and become leaders.SA国际影视传媒�

Everything began back in June with the training of staff, which happened in Yellowknife. From there, the leaders went back to their home communities and planned six weeks worth of programming, which included a mixture of arts and crafts and sports-themed activities such as baseball and flag football.

There was also a summer sport camp pilot program which went to Coral Harbour, Iglulik and Rankin Inlet with Alayna Ningeongan of Rankin Inlet as the lead.

Currie said that was a successful start to something she hopes will grow.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 confident we can move forward with it,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淎layna and her team figured out what worked and what didnSA国际影视传媒檛 and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 important because they were our eyes and ears on the ground. Hayden Hickey (of Iqaluit) was our day camp co-ordinator and he did the same thing: figuring out what was working and what could be changed. We can plan and get all the money but weSA国际影视传媒檙e only as successful as the people on the ground.SA国际影视传媒�

The people on the ground are the important part, she added, because itSA国际影视传媒檚 helping to build capacity in the territory.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e training young people and weSA国际影视传媒檙e providing employment,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭his is a great way to prepare them for the future and also giving communities people who have the organizational skills to run programs.SA国际影视传媒�

Something new to the program this year was the Recreation North Youth Leader Certificate, which day camp leaders were able to obtain if they worked enough days during the camp.

SA国际影视传媒淭hat was another first for us,SA国际影视传媒� said Currie. SA国际影视传媒淚t shows weSA国际影视传媒檙e growing even more.SA国际影视传媒�

With another year down, the focus now turns to planning for 2020, which could feature an expanded program but not inside Nunavut.

Currie said there have been some initial discussions about taking the model outside to other Northern communities in provinces such as Manitoba.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e talked to places around The Pas and OCN (Opaskwayak Cree Nation),SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭he program is tailored to small communities and there are several smaller communities in those areas where we could see the program be successful.SA国际影视传媒�

Expanding inside Nunavut may be a challenge, she added, simply because of training.

SA国际影视传媒淭here is room to grow but getting the people trained could be the issue,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淟ogistically, weSA国际影视传媒檙e pretty close to the maximum of communities that could host the program. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 been tremendous growth, which shows itSA国际影视传媒檚 been successful, but we may stay at the number weSA国际影视传媒檙e at for now.SA国际影视传媒�