Earlier this year I wrote a letter of support in the bid to nominate NEC for an award. I like to think I managed to capture the essence of what NEC is and means in this letter, and today I want to share it with you along with a video from a local event hosted by NEC. I went to the event - and it was a blast, confirming everything I have believed about NEC from the start.
It has truly been my honour to watch as Northern Elements Crew has grown, developed and begun to change lives. I have a few favourite organizations in this community, and NEC ranks right up near the top for me - mostly because they always, always manage to make me smile and feel optimistic about our youth and our future. I want to thank them for all they do for our local youth and hip hop enthusiasts - and for allowing me to be part of the journey.
Northern Elements Crew
I am submitting this letter in support of
the nomination for Northern Elements Crew. I have had the pleasure of watching Northern
Elements Crew from the very beginning of their journey in this community, and I
would like to lend my full support to recognizing them with this award.
Northern Elements Crew began last January
with a core of some adult community members who have a passion for dance,
hip-hop in particular. What began as a small group of adult dance enthusiasts
has blossomed into a hip-hop community that has taken the community by storm,
and embraced local youth with an interest in hip-hop dance and culture.
As a parent who served on parent council
for many years one of my concerns was the number of young adults we were
failing to engage in our community. These students, who didn’t always fall into
the categories of the “athletes” or the “mathletes” were slipping through the
cracks as we were not reaching them through the programs currently being
offered in our community. Having spent time with some of the troubled youth and
young homeless individuals in our community I knew how easily young people who
are not being engaged can lose their identity and fall into difficult
lifestyles. I was concerned about these young adults, seeing them as children
and becoming young citizens, and I was worried about how we would reach them
and provide them with a community in which they could
grow and develop as individuals. I am
pleased to say that I have now seen some of these local youth involved with
Northern Elements Crew, finding a community based on their shared interest.
Through the Northern Elements Crew they are finding adult mentorship, peer
support and a group that is encouraging and fostering their development as
young adults and citizens.
The weekly practice sessions attract youth
from across our community and a wide age demographic. In a safe and supportive
environment the youth are learning not only the art of hip-hop dance but the culture
and history, instilling in them a sense of the importance of history and
culture as it relates to a genre of dance they enjoy while also opening their
minds to the general importance of history and culture in our world. The
participants have had the opportunity to dance at several community events,
such as:
• Flash mob at MacDonald Island
• Roller derby Performance at Casman Centre
• Fort McMurray’s First Community Hip Hop
Battle
• Unity Day in July
• Young Choreographers Ball
• Grade 7 Youth Conference at Ecole
McTavish
• Justin Slade Youth Conference at Westwood
High School
• Pink Shirt Day at Ecole McTavish
The key point is that this exploration of
hip-hop builds upon an interest they already hold, and is enabling them to
develop connections and networks with their peers and with adults who hold
similar interests. It is remarkable to see what Northern Elements Crew has accomplished
in just over a year, and the potential for continued and increasing positive
impact in our region is profound as they are able to welcome more youth and
engage even more individuals in the hip-hop community.
What is also remarkable is that these
youth, particularly the ones I have been so troubled that we would lose over
the years as they grew disaffected with our community, are now forging
connections beyond the hip-hop group as they interact with individuals from
across the community at the events where they perform. Northern Elements Crew
is not only encouraging local youth in the exploration of dance but in developing
connections with the community that run deeper than hip-hop and that will, I
hope, enable them to find a sense of belonging in our community both in and out
of the dance world.
The adult mentors in Northern Elements Crew
believe in capacity building, and are fostering capacity in the group by
encouraging the youth to become leaders in the group, but my belief is that the
skills and abilities they are fostering go far beyond the dance crew. I believe
they are building capacity in these young adults to be the leaders of today and
tomorrow in whatever occupation or life they choose, and that the leadership
skills they are learning with Northern Elements Crew will serve them well
through their entire lives.
To summarize I truly believe that Northern
Elements Crew is not just teaching hip-hop dance – I firmly believe they are
changing the lives of these young adults, and through a shared love of dance
they are enabling local youth participants to become part of the fabric of our
community. Through the dedication, commitment and passion of the adult mentors
in the group the young participants are finding their own and I sincerely
believe that this group is quite likely altering the trajectory of some of these
young lives. I look forward to seeing what Northern Elements Crew can continue
to accomplish and achieve in the years ahead, as what they have founded is
nothing short of amazing and I believe we will have future community leaders
who will one day cite their experience with this hip-hop community as one of
the guiding forces in their life.
Sincerely,
Theresa Wells
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