Outside Looking In- Future Leaders Program
Outside Looking In Future Leaders is an enrichment program for returning program youth in grade 10 or higher who want to challenge themselves to reach above and beyond the requirements and criteria of the regular Outside Looking In experience to explore the art of leadership. Through Outside Looking In’s Future Leaders program, started in 2012, youth explore their goals and dreams, and understand the necessary steps needed to realize those dreams!
The purpose off the program is to:
• Prepare youth for “next steps” beyond graduation by building personal management and employability skills, defining opportunities and pathways and growing a supportive network
• support Outside Looking In youth who are approaching graduation to explore future opportunities through a positive and encouraging mentor relationship.
• foster two-way communication between Mentor and Mentee that will enable them to learn from each other’s experience and learn about each other’s respective community.
• engage with Indigenous leaders to form a better understanding of skills required to become future leaders in their communities and beyond.
• provide additional opportunities that help build skills and relationships for youth who wish to strive beyond the requirements of the regular Outside Looking In program
The Future Leaders program is:
1. A mentorship program: At the beginning of the program, youth who are accepted into the Future Leaders program are paired with a mentor who supports the youth in becoming a leader. Mentors work with youth in creating goals, determining the steps necessary to realize their goals, and helping youth to follow through on the steps to achieve their goals. Together, the mentor and youth develop a supportive and motivational relationship.
2. A high school credit course: With the input of principals, a credit course focused on leadership, mentorship, and/or career design is selected and a course of action is prepared for prospective Future Leaders. Course topics include: Learning Skills and Strategies, Career Education, Employability and Personal Management Skills, Post-Secondary Education Planning and Transitions
In order for youth to be in the program they must be in grade 10 or higher and have danced on stage with Outside Looking In at least one time. Youth must be willing to: commit additional time for learning and rehearsing challenging choreography, stay on top of their academic work, have good attendance, assume a leadership and mentorship role for younger Outside Looking In participants and organize a fundraising activity alone or with peers to raise the $100 Future Leaders’ program fee.
To remain in the program youth must meet the following criteria:
• 80% attendance in school
• 65% average in academic classes
• Successful completion of Future Leaders assignments and exemplary behaviour
• A “green” status in the regular Outside Looking In program (excellent attendance, behavior and knowledge/execution of choreography)
Laura MacKinnon, Future Leaders Program Manager , Outside Looking In
(647) 350-5450 ext. 222
lmackinnon@olishow.com
70 Peter Street, Suite B07, Toronto, ON M5V 2G5
Initiative Impact
Total # of youth in Future Leaders program in 2018/2019: 19
Total participants who have completed the program (2012-present): 55
# working or in post-secondary: 12
Percentage of Future Leaders eligible to graduate who have completed high school: 92.6%
- Funding is an on-going challenge, given the cost of travel for students to attend Future Leaders events from remote communities across Canada
- It is difficult for the general public to understand the profound qualitative impact this program has on the youth and their communities. Many funding bodies still look at quantitative data as their main source of determining program impact. While Outside Looking In has these numbers, they do not fully depict program outcomes related to youth’s education; health and well-being; and social connections.
- Communication with program participants is done through online means and there are sometimes challenges for youth around internet/device access in their home communities. We over come these challenges through collaboration between program managers travelling to the communities (and seeing the youth face to face), allowing flexibility in how work is completed (on a laptop or pen and paper) and providing a laptop for the Future Leaders to access if they don’t own their own device.
- Youth will rise to the expectations you place in front of them. If you set and maintain high expectations and standards in your programming, youth will rise to meet and exceed them.
- The mentor-mentee relationship is powerful for the youth. Having another responsible adult in their life that isn’t a direct family member, teacher or friend is an incredible support, ally and sounding board for the youth. It isn’t necessarily important that the mentors “match” with the youth’s future career or education goals, but rather show a deep interest in supporting the youth on their chosen path.
- Consistent and meaningful feedback on work, leadership skill development, participation and overall growth leads to greater skill development and improvements for youth in this program. Feedback is given through a variety of ways: informal assessment, formal evaluation, check-in conversations, self-assessment and reflection and through the mentor-mentee relationship.
- community buy-in, shared ownership and support of youth is essential to youth experiencing success
“Throughout the program, I learned to be more confident in myself, it has taught me to be more outgoing and more talkative. I learned that I could be productive. Without OLI, I wouldn’t be the person who I am today.”
– Solomon Harper, OLI Future Leader 2017/18,
St. Theresa Point First Nation
Incorporation of Essential Skills
The Essential Skills are integrated throughout the leadership program and performance of dance. Students learn to work as a team; communicate with peers, mentors and their audiences.
The activities (see program components) throughout the Future Leaders program address all the ES as well as career planning competencies and employability skills.
Academic criterion ensures that participating Outside Looking In students are also addressing ES such as Reading, Writing, Numeracy and Computer Skills through their school curriculum.
During the program Future Leader participants make decisions; set goals, and do action planning to achieve goals. Curriculum expectations are addressed through weekly writing and reflection tasks, in addition to selected readings and application of skills. They demonstrate mastery of challenging levels of dance performance including choreographing, teaching and performing dance routines.
Outside Looking In and school staff assess participant progress regularly over the semester. Youth receive regular feedback and suggestions for next steps. The culminating activity takes place at the leadership camp and focuses on demonstration and application of leadership strategies.
Project Components
Storytelling, performance and self- expression through dance is a tradition in Indigenous culture. We are building on that tradition. Also programming is taking place in the participants’ home communities so students are surrounded by their culture, their families and their peers. In addition Future Leader participants are giving back to their communities by mentoring younger Outside Looking In participants and doing volunteer services in their community.
Outside Looking In staff and community volunteers: Energy, open and sensitivity to Indigenous culture, willingness to learn, understand realities of participating communities and youth; adaptability, knowledge of the education system; ability to build trusting relationships with youth, partners and host communities.
Mentors involved with the Future Leaders program are volunteers who share Outside Looking In’s passion for developing leaders within Indigenous youth.
- Host Communities, organizations and schools
- Mentors
- Tim Horton Children’s Foundation
- Sony Centre for the Performing Arts