Alumni

The alumni program is an excellent opportunity for students who excelled on the AYL expedition, and are motivated to further develop their leadership skills, to undertake a second more intense program. Selected alumni will be offered the opportunity to choose from a selection of appropriate courses that meet their needs and fit within the program’s budget for the year. First offered in 2006, as funding allowed, the value of this second-level advanced program is in its ability to provide further support for inspired young leaders as they develop confidence and experience in applying their leadership skills. While supporting youth who are determined to achieve their potential is the primary objective, this program also enables the AYL team to identify young leaders with the tenacity and capacity to excel.

The basic concept is that students are sent on a leadership development program outside of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, as a participant in a program through an outdoor leadership schools. For the past three years, students have been sent to courses at Outward Bound and National Outdoor Leadership School where they participated in outdoor education/leadership programs with other students from around Canada and the United States.

In order to allocate spots for the Alumni program, a separate selection process is undertaken. All previous students of the Arctic Youth Leadership program are eligible to apply. The application process involves potential candidates sending a resume and cover letter and answering the questions "Why do you want to participate in a second leadership program?" and "What leadership contribution have you been making in your community?" These have to be sent in by a set deadline and are then evaluated by a committee at IDC. Selected students are then given the opportunity to participate in a program - usually some selection is available in terms of courses. Additionally, the applicants are required to demonstrate initiative by researching the leadership program that interests them, and detail this with their application. Students are then enrolled in the program and their travel is arranged by AYL to and from the program.

The alumni program is an excellent opportunity for students who have excelled in the AYL program to undertake a second opportunity and build on their skills. The alumni program is extremely popular, and there are always lots of applicants.

Parents need to be comfortable with younger students travelling to the course start locations that are outside the NWT. AYL does not provide chaperones for travelling to and from the selected programs. Parents are welcome to travel with the students as chaperones, but AYL covers only the cost of the students' travel.