2021 ICYDA February Update

Now Eleven Months of Pandemic

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Staff preparing a lunch delivery in December.

Eleven months have passed from the start of the pandemic. Almost a year later, we are still here, adjusting to delivering services for marginalized urban Indigenous and other youth within the new framework of COVID-19. While we had prepared for many contingencies, a global pandemic was not something we had ever thought we would face. Safety and flexibility have been at the center of our decisions and processes. We are not operating like normal, but we’re ‘more normal’ than we were last spring.

Staff dropping off food and homework and providing informal counselling in parking lot.

Last March we quickly took our whole operation online, with a small core of administrative and support staff maintaining outreach operations on site. Some youth worked online; others did not have the necessary technology. For those students, paper assignments were delivered. Social workers dropped off lunches to students and provided informal counselling in hallways and doorsteps across Edmonton. Often extra meals were provided for other family members.

We delivered and picked up paper assignments along with a hot meal, and often sent extra meals for other family members.

In September, we resumed in-school services with a strengthened online school platform. Since then, we provide essential supports, such as informal counselling, a food bank, transportation help, and other youth support programming to youth both on and off-site. High school courses are part of this mix of services. Lunches and snacks are delivered to small cohorts throughout the building and to those off-site. Our wraparound services include an on-site Elder three days a week and other cultural supports. Throughout, we’ve adhered to and maintained strict COVID-19 health protocols.

We want to extend our sincere thanks to all our donors and supporters for your contributions and support. Your donations provide life-changing assistance to Edmonton’s marginalized urban Indigenous and other youth by way of our unique programming. 

If you haven’t followed us already, you can connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

Be safe and stay well,

Joe Cloutier,
Chief Operating Officer and Founder

Covid-19 Measures & Procedures

We reopened our school in August 2020 under the provincial government’s Scenario 1, which is near-normal daily operations with health measures. We are actively following Alberta Health Guidelines for the operation of our school.

The following measures apply to all staff, and visitors.

*Please do not come to school if you are feeling sick or showing symptoms of being sick and contact us for extra supports.

• Social Distancing — we’ve put caps on our classes so we stay socially distant in class. We have also limited movement within the building to reduce contacts.

• Screening — every person who comes into the school is asked fit for work/school screening questions. A temperature check is also required to enter and hand washing is required once inside.

• Masks — are required for entry.

• Cleaning/Sanitizing — we’ve increased cleaning and sanitizing in the school.

• Food — individually packaged lunch and snacks are distributed to classrooms to cut down on group situations.

• Remote Learning Access — we have remote learning in place for those unable to attend in person.

Alberta’s government has developed a re-entry tool kit to prepare parents and students for what to expect in the new school year. The tool kit includes videos for students explaining some of the health measures, a guide for parents, frequently asked questions, school posters, a self-screening questionnaire in multiple languages, and links to health guidelines.