The Young Indigenous Women’s Circle of Leadership program is focused on developing young Indigenous womens’ self-worth, pride and respect of self and others through the learning of cultural values using Indigenous languages.

About YIWCL

The Young Indigenous Women’s Circle of Leadership is a program that is assisting young women in their journey to discover and to reclaim their ancestral language and knowledge.

YIWCL is open to young Indigenous women, ages 10-18 and is focused on the Cree language with a foundation in Cree knowledge and spirituality through immersion experiences. Our eight-day on-campus summer camp welcomes 20-30 Indigenous teenage girls from communities around Edmonton, northern Alberta, northern and central  Saskatchewan, and Northern Territories.

The program has seen an increase in the number of girls who return each year— these returning youth become mentors to the new participants.

Being on campus also provides girls with the opportunity to meet empowering role models: Indigenous faculty and staff who inspire them to visualize an unrecognized and exciting future for themselves. The virtual programs have expanded our geographical reach for these youth to engage in Indigenous language learning opportunities.


YIWCL CALENDAR OF EVENTS

If you are interested in any of the upcoming events, please contact cilles@ualberta.ca for more details.

 

Media
" Young Indigenous Women's Circle of Leadership is the only Cree immersion youth program within Alberta. "
Who It's For
Indigenous Teens and Young Adult Learners who are beginning to engage with their language.