Funded By:
Manitoba Agriculture and the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the University of the Arctic
What We Learned:
Participatory arts, climate entrepreneurship, creative leadership, youth participatory action research
Year
2024
This project supported relationship development, consultation, and engagement activities with the University of the Arctic (UArctic). It explored participatory arts-based food security, northern supply chain research, and entrepreneurship training/mentorship opportunities. The youth-led initiative engaged the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, University of Victoria and the UArctic Thematic Network on Local-Scale Planning, Climate Change, and Resilience.
This project was successfully completed in June 2024.
Project Description
The project studied the impact of mentorship programs pairing experienced Nutrition North Canada and Manitoba food sector entrepreneurs with urban and newly-urban Indigenous youth. The initiative aimed to help youth gain valuable entrepreneurial skills and insights while addressing northern food insecurity. The project facilitated the creation of a supportive network connecting participants with mentors and expert researchers in agriculture and food security, promoting knowledge sharing and skill development.
Insights from consultations helped assess the effectiveness of entrepreneurship training programs tailored to the needs of northern Indigenous communities with involvement from Nutrition North Canada suppliers. The project also aimed to identify opportunities for regulatory changes or policy support. Its broader goal was to advance economic reconciliation by fostering Indigenous youth and community participation in agriculture and agri-food sector development, training, and research creation.
Project Impacts
The project’s impact strengthened collaborative networks between academic researchers, non-profit organizations, Indigenous-owned businesses, emerging youth food sector entrepreneurs, and community-based research projects in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It informed long-term planning for scaling up the program as a food security and cultural entrepreneurship initiative.
Community engagement began in July 2023 and continued throughout the project. The team used participatory and co-designed approaches to consult and engage experts, including Highly Qualified Personnel (HQPs) from university entrepreneurship, economics, and supply chain management programs, graduate students, technology entrepreneurs, northern community researchers, Manitoba Agriculture staff, and policy specialists. In-depth meetings, roundtable discussions, and informal consultation sessions were conducted to gather insights and ensure that the goals and outcomes were realistic and achievable, aligned with Nutrition North Canada’s social programming components.
Project Outcomes
- Inclusive Partnerships Supporting Formal and Informal Adult Education
The project helped establish collaborative partnerships between Indigenous community-based research, local organizations, academic researchers, and government agencies, creating the conditions for establishing a UNESCO CBR Chair Knowledge for Change Hub for Winnipeg and Manitoba. - Community Empowerment and Social Cohesion
Through active engagement in agriculture and agri-food research, creative entrepreneurship, and sectoral development activities, Indigenous individuals and communities experienced empowerment, social cohesion, and cultural pride. This fostered a stronger sense of community, self-determination, resilience, and economic reconciliation. - Expanded Formal and Informal Educational and Food Sector Training Opportunities
Collaboration with educational institutions and industry partners led to the development of tailored training, curriculum, and educational programming that provided urban and newly-urban Indigenous youth and community members with agricultural and sector-related knowledge. This also deepened their understanding of arts-based, community-based research (CBR), and other participatory research methodologies.
Project Next Steps
The next steps involved identifying lessons learned, best practices, and resources needed to continue local educational and outreach efforts. This contributed to developing a long-term research plan to sustain research activities beyond the project’s initial timeframe. The project’s core focus was on building local capacity and preparing for the establishment of a project hub while supporting relationship development with UArctic academics.
Post-engagement feedback was collected to measure the project’s impact on economic, cultural, and social factors in the community. This also informed additional skills development and capacity-building programs, particularly in food sector entrepreneurship, business development, and leadership skills.
