Project name
Development of Professional Practices

Project summary
The Centre for Indigenous Theatre (CIT) is seeking support to enhance their current programming available for students.  This enhancement will bridge the connection between the performance training and the application of such training to the ‘real world'.

The project contains the following key components:

1. Resume development
2. Developing a comprehensive performance biography and comprehensive artistic statement.
3. Seeking funding sources to assist in furthering education.
4. Developing a professional funding proposal for an independent artistic project.

UAS funding
$27,821

Project name
Urban Aboriginal Women for Tomorrow

Project summary
The Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO) is seeking support to deliver theAboriginal Women for Tomorrow Workshop Series in Toronto, Ontario. These workshops are geared to provide aboriginal women with the practical knowledge and skills such as public speaking, governance skills (roles and responsibilities of a Board/Council member), Business operational and financial knowledge, Management/ownership skills and Human resource management planning.

These workshops will offer a holistic and culturally sensitive training on the above geared toward Aboriginal women. The workshops are delivered by women as facilitators. Participants will benefit from three distinct phases of the program: needs assessment, workshops, and mentoring and advisory Services.  Participants will have the opportunity to tailor their training opportunity through the needs assessment. The workshops will be made up of the following five areas: building personal skills (2-day workshop), communication (2-day workshop), business readiness (2-day workshop), business/organizational governance (1-day workshop) and financial management (1-day workshop).

At the end of the training series, each participant will be assigned a volunteer advisor (VA) to work with them to further develop their employment readiness skills, leadership skills and/or open their business.

UAS funding
$42,735

Project name
Daughters of the Earth

Project summary
The Elizabeth Fry Society of Toronto is seeking support to provide specific programming for Aboriginal Women in conflict with the law as they are over represented in the criminal justice system. Currently, programming is available for any woman in Toronto who is in conflict with the law.  The proposed Daughters of the Earth Project through the Elizabeth Fry Society of Toronto will be a holistic community based drug and alcohol intervention program for Aboriginal Women that will be delivered using Traditional Healing approaches to treat the mind, body and spirit to restore balance and confidence in individuals to improve themselves, the family and the community as a whole.

The project contains the following key components:

1. Pre-test for as many as 12 Aboriginal women who wish to participate in a drug and alcohol intervention program.
   Questions will be asked regarding one's knowledge of self and knowledge of culture. This test will be administered to collect baseline data for comparison and review of the effectiveness of the pilot project.
2. Pilot the Daughters of the Earth Project.
   Elizabeth Fry Society of Toronto currently provides programs for drug and alcohol intervention.  However, the program currently does not yield more than approximately 30% participation from Aboriginal Women. It is intended that they participation rate for Aboriginal women in the new program will be 100% and the likelihood of improving the well being of these individuals will increase exponentially as a result.
   Using the Medicine Wheel Recovery Model, discussions will centre around the ‘disease' of addiction. The project goal will be to examine the Mental, Emotional, Physical and Spiritual components of the addictive and recovery process.
3. Post testing of participants in the Daughters of the Earth Project. The same test provided prior to the program will be administered to seek input on the effectiveness of increasing one's knowledge of self through their culture as a means of improving their current situations.

UAS funding
$23,258

Project name
Student Cultural Exchange Program

Project summary
The First Nations School of Toronto is seeking support to provide opportunities for cultural exchange to their students.  The project will allow students and staff to share traditions, cultures and language via real time (live) broadcasts around the world with various aboriginal groups.  This will allow for increased cultural knowledge and understanding by students through their ability to speak to and see other groups around the world.  At the present, the school's language and cultural learning is limited to opportunities within the immediate community. This multimedia opportunity will allow for exchange with the larger population of Aboriginal people.

The project contains the following key components:

1. Purchasing the equipment
2. Training on the use of the equipment.
3. Trial use of the equipment.
4. Ongoing usage of the equipment in daily learning.

UAS funding
$45,000

Project name
Aboriginal Post-Incarceration Supports Research Project

Project summary
The John Howard Society of Toronto is seeking support to undertake a research study on Aboriginal Post-Incarceration Supports in Toronto.  This study will have two Aboriginal John Howard staff members and outside Aboriginal

Consultant undertake the following components:

1. Literature Review
2. Research Consolidation
3. Focus Groups with both incarcerated and post-incarcerated individuals to find out what supports they want or need.
4. Meetings with Aboriginal and Mainstream Service Providers to identify existing supports
5. Development of Recommendations for strategies to better support indviduals with existing supports and, if necessary, to develop new supports.
6. Cost-benefit Analysis on Proposed Recommendations.

UAS funding
$24,149

Project name
Reuniting the Family: Aboriginal Women Reclaiming Sacred Roles

Project summary
The Native Women's Resource Centre of Toronto is seeking support to undertake the development of a Strategy for the Enhancement of programming available to aboriginal women in the City of Toronto.

The project contains the following key components:

1. Pre-planning of weekly discussion circles to gain input from the community.
2. The first step of developing a strategy for enhancing programming available to aboriginal women in the City of Toronto is planning the events.  An elder and a facilitator must be hired to undertake the delivery of the learning circles and develop the final report which will encompass the feedback from the circles.
3. Marketing/communicating the planned activities with the community. Notification is given to the community of the intentions of the Native Women's Resource Centre and the calendar of workshops.
4. Eight weekly workshops Workshops will be provided weekly with a key focus area each week. Four key areas will be discussed: Housing and Homelessness, Health, Arts and Culture and Education.  Each area of focus will be discussed over a two-week period with the first week being an exchange of experiences and an opportunity to learn coping and healing strategies for those who are participating.  The second week will more centre more around gaining ideas from those individuals with experience on how programs and services can be improved for aboriginal women in the Toronto area on that specific area of focus.
5. Report drafting and finalization. The report will be developed based on all of the input shared over the eight weeks of workshops.  This report is anticipated to provide a strategy for enhancing programming currently available in the Toronto area for aboriginal women.

UAS funding
$26,389

Project name
Elders Gathering

Project summary
The Native Canadian Centre of Toronto (NCCT) is seeking support to host an annual Traditional Awareness Gathering, March 20 – 22, 2008. This conference is geared to elders and allows for the sharing of traditional teachings and increased understanding of the Aboriginal culture. The theme for this year's conference is youth and the coming together of elders and youth to share the knowledge of aboriginal culture through oral teachings.  With this event planned, the opportunity is clear for feedback from the elderly community of Toronto to provide some input and feedback on the programs and services available in Toronto to seek advice and recommendations on improvements.  This input will be sought during the conference.

The project will be comprised of the following components:

1. Planning and invitations
   Planning of the events for the conference and preparation of an agenda, as well as planning speakers for the conference is currently underway.  The events and accommodations for participants will need to be set ahead of time and the evaluation forms will need to be developed to measure the success of this year's conference.  This event has developed a great reputation across Ontario and this year's conference will need to be planned well in order to maintain the reputation through to 2009.
2. Conference – March 20 - 22
   The conference itself will comprise of many activities including but not limited to:
   • elders welcome dinner
   • Sunrise Ceremony at the NCCT
   • Opening ceremony and introductions
   • Various speakers sharing stories and culturally important messages with attendees

During the conference, workshops will also be provided to discuss the current programs and services available to the older aboriginal population of Toronto to collect feedback from participants on potential improvements.

UAS funding
$12,880

Project name
NDN Uncensored

Project summary
The Native Canadian Centre of Toronto (NCCT) is seeking support to develop a dedicated website to enhance the ‘NDN Uncensored' youth driven magazine. The magazine provides the youth of Toronto a medium for sharing information among their cohort as the magazine is developed and maintained by aboriginal youth. The development of a website would an enhancement to the magazine.  The website would allow youth with an ongoing medium between publications to retain their interest in the magazine. Also, allowing for the magazine to evolve in to a website would allow the youth currently involved with the magazine to increase their skills by learning about the natural evolution of media and technology.

The project will be comprised of the following components:

1. Creating the team of experts: The NCCT will hire an IT professional and two youth staff members to oversee the development of the website. This IT professional will be hired also as a ‘mentor' to share his/her knowledge with the youth overseeing the development of the website.
2. Workshops for all youth involved with NDN Uncensored: Workshops will be provided by the IT professional for upwards of ten youth volunteers and two staff members who will participate in the development of the website. This will further their knowledge of the technical side of the internet. The youth will also receive training on the maintenance of the website to be able to maintain the website once it is launched.
3. Launch of the NDN Uncensored Website: The website will be launched in draft form in March 2008 with the complete website being launched post March 2008.

UAS funding
$44,231

Project name
Engaging the Aboriginal Community in Recreation Centre Planning

Project summary
The Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre (PARC) is seeking support to engage the Aboriginal community in the Parkdale area to become involved with the strategic planning that is already occurring at the Centre.  Currently, PARC is undergoing a review and planning process that will improve programs and services provided to the community.  At this point, the Aboriginal community has not been engaged in this planning process.  The activities below will support PARC in improving the programs and services provided to the Aborginal community in the Parkdale area. The project contains the following key components:

1. Staffing: Parkdale will hire on aboriginal project coordinator to undertake the activities related to engaging the Aboriginal Community.
2. Four Community Events: The project coordinator will work to organize and prepare facilitation requirements for the Aboriginal community members in the Parkdale area to come together and discuss the programs and services available at Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre. These community events will take place to seek advice from the community on how the PARC could improve services to the Aboriginal Community.  Five community members will be supported to lead small group discussions during the workshops. These individuals will provide input to the Coordinator for the development of the final document. It is anticipated that approximately 30 to 50 participants will be at each of the sessions.
3. Final Report - Recommendations: Outcomes from the four information sharing sessions will be rolled up by the project coordinator and will be delivered to thePARC Board for consideration during their Strategic Planning exercise which is currently underway.

UAS funding
$19,033

Project name
Winter Fire

Project summary
The Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFS) is seeking support to host a youth strategic planning conference.  The intention is to find the voice of high risk Aboriginal youth in the City of Toronto. Youth will not only be the voice of this document, but also the main driver behind the planning, implementation and development of their own strategic plan.

The project contains the following key components:

1. Gathering the team and the youth council: Staff and youth will be hired to undertake the activities outlined within this work plan.  Staff will begin planning and the youth council, previously funded by the Urban Aboriginal Strategy, will be reconvened. The conference planning will begin and greater definition of what this strategic plan will contain will emerge.
2. Planning the Event: The agenda for the conference will be developed.  Invitations and marketing of the event will take place.  The youth council will be provided with capacity development in public speaking and leadership skills, as well as facilitation and planning skills.  While meeting to discuss and plan the agenda, the Council will be provided with training in various capacities to provide them with the means to undertake the full leadership role in the planning and implementation of a conference and the planning and implementation of a strategic plan following the conference.
3. The Conference: The conference will take place with participation from the Aboriginal youth population of Toronto and key stakeholders including other aboriginal organizations from within Toronto and government representatives. The strategic plan will be discussed and will be the focus of the conference. It is anticipated that at least 200 individuals will participate in the two-day conference.
4. Developing of the Strategic Plan for Youth: The Aboriginal youth of Toronto will articulate their needs, design recommended programs and will outline next steps for increased youth engagement in the Toronto Aboriginal Community as a whole and for implementing the plan and improving services available to Aboriginal youth in Toronto.

UAS funding
$99,958

Project name
Arts History Access for Aboriginal Learners Project

Project summary
The Association for Native Development in the Performing and Visual Arts (ANDPVA) is seeking support in furthering their efforts to service the City of Toronto.  Through previous work supported by the Urban Aboriginal Strategy during its pilot stages, ANDPVA began collecting and organizing many historical art collections with the ultimate plan of housing a comprehensive reference library for aboriginal art work.  These efforts are now in their final stages of development.

Similarly and in relation to the work above, ANDPVA is also looking to move forward on some of the outcomes of previous meetings supported by the UAS.  Gatherings were held with key aboriginal art stakeholders and one of the recommendations made by this group to increase the profile of aboriginal art was the development of a new aboriginal arts curriculum for elementary schools.

The project contains five key components:

1. Workshop with key stakeholders regarding education and art history
2. Logic model for the development of a curriculum
3. Cataloguing a reference library
4. Field trip/in-school workshops for Toronto students
5. In-school workshops for Toronto students

UAS funding
$57,071

Project name
Toronto Urban Aboriginal Capacity Agreement

Project summary
The Toronto Urban Aboriginal Management Committee (TUMC) will collaborate with Native Canadian Centre of Toronto which will act as the administrative vehicle to support TUMC's efforts in the management of the Toronto Urban Aboriginal Strategy.  The objective is to move to the next phase of the committee's development which will include an updated terms of reference, development and implementation of a five year community plan, the development and implementation of a community information and consultative process for the plan and a review and potential revision to the committee's framework.

UAS funding
$85,054.95

Project name
Literature Review & Analysis – Toronto UAS Reports

Project summary
A third party consultant will analyze, review, and compare the various documents and reports relating directly or indirectly, to the Urban Aboriginal Strategy in Toronto from 1998 through 2006.  This will serve as a basis to determine TUMC's approach to itsUAS community plan.

UAS funding
$21,107