Through community-driven initiatives, Cuso International is collaboratively fostering resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities by centering Indigenous knowledge and self-determination. Programs focus on supporting Indigenous youth, reconciliation, gender equality and social inclusion, improving economic resilience through sustainable development, advancing climate change, and cultural preservation.
Impact and goals
Engage 11 Indigenous communities, with 72 volunteers placed in
Canada’s Northern Territories
- Support Indigenous Peoples: Provide resources and support for Indigenous-led initiatives focused on gender equality, economic resilience, climate action, and cultural preservation.
- Strengthen Community Connections: Foster meaningful relationships between Indigenous Nations, communities, and Cuso to support existing initiatives and priorities.
- Promote Cultural Sensitivity and Trauma-Informed Practice: Ensure all Cuso staff members, particularly those based in Canada, receive training on Indigenous cultural sensitivity and trauma-informed practices.
- Support Indigenous Engagement: Facilitate opportunities for Indigenous youth to engage in volunteerism, internship, employment and entrepreneurship within their communities and neighboring regions.
- Establish an Indigenous Advisory Circle: Create an Indigenous Advisory Circle to provide guidance and recommendations for the Canadian Program, as well as advise Cuso’s Board and staff on organizational changes to better align with Indigenous values and priorities
Key Activities
Working with Friendship Centers, Indigenous-led organization, youth groups, and collectives, Cuso International will implement three key projects:
- Northern Indigenous Program: Supports youth-led initiatives addressing local needs. This includes community dialogues with Indigenous youth and community leaders; providing micro-grants of $5,000 to Indigenous organizations and youth groups, as well as recruiting Indigenous youth to support them; and cultural and land-based activities to promote knowledge sharing, such as cultural exchanges, storytelling, hunting.
- FLINT Project: Fostering and Integrating Local Indigenous Knowledge from Northern Territories. This project engages Indigenous youth in sustainable development through community dialogues and youth-led projects. This will include exchange visits and Virtual Storytelling Nights, intergenerational activities for Elders to share Indigenous knowledge, educational resources, public awareness-raising activities, and support for Indigenous-led organizations
- Northern Distance Learning: Since 2016, volunteers have been working with Beaufort Delta Council and South Slave Divisional Education Council to provide cultural exchange opportunities and work in partnership with communities and volunteers to improve educational supports in the Northwest Territories.
- GLINT Project: Growing Youth Leadership in Indigenous Northern Territories. The GLINT project focuses on empowering Indigenous youth in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and the Yukon. Its goal is to foster reconciliation, inclusion, environmental protection, and economic resilience by enabling youth-led projects through micro-grants.
Reconciliation: We aim to be a supportive ally to Indigenous-led organizations and a facilitator for non-Indigenous organizations seeking to engage in the Reconciliation process in Canada. By working collaboratively, we foster meaningful dialogue and actions that contribute to healing, understanding, and justice.
Building Positive Partnerships: Through a robust engagement strategy, we actively seek partnerships with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis organizations and communities. By cultivating strong relationships, Cuso International ensures that we are in the best position to build mutually beneficial and impactful partnerships that advance the well-being and aspirations of Indigenous communities.
Empower Your Community with Cuso Micro-Grants
Are You an Indigenous Youth Leader or Part of a Local Youth Group?
Do you have a vision to uplift your community through meaningful projects? Cuso International’s Micro-Grant Program is here to support your ideas and help them flourish.
WHAT WE OFFER
- Funding for Your Community Project: Receive grants to support initiatives that address your community priorities such as mental health, cultural preservation, environmental sustainability, reconciliation, entrepreneurship, and social inclusion.
- Skill-Building and Mentorship: Access mentorship, training, and tools to strengthen your skills in project design, planning, and implementation.
- Indigenous Youth Supporting Indigenous Youth: Your community, your vision. Our grants back projects developed by and for Indigenous youth, honoring your culture, knowledge, and traditions.
- Simplified Administrative Support: Focus on bringing your project to life while we assist with necessary reporting and compliance tasks.
HOW IT WORKS
- Share Your Vision: Submit your project idea and describe how it will benefit your community.
- Build Your Capacity: Participate in Indigenous-led workshops that strengthen your project management skills through culturally informed, hands-on learning experiences.
- Take Action: Implement your project with ongoing guidance and mentorship from our team.
- Celebrate and Share: Highlight your project’s impact through storytelling, videos, and social media.
Application Form
Financial Budget Templates
NORTHERN INDIGENOUS PROGRAM STORIES
Supporting education in Canada’s Northwest Territories
In Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories, educational challenges are nothing new. Schools in the community often see low attendance rates and a lack of motivation among students.
Supporting students’ education in the Northwest Territories
More familiar with the bustling city life of Toronto, Margot Ferguson is becoming accustomed to the quiet in Hay River, Northwest Territories. The Northern community offers a different landscape, different sociology, even a different winter.
Supporting students’ education and success
In the quiet hamlet of Paulatuk, N.W.T., Patrick Woodcock has become used to, and enjoys, the wind and cold, and the dark, long days of winter. Grizzly bears circle the small community in the summer, and wolves appear in the winter. Overlooking Darnley Bay in the Beaufort Sea, he can often see spotted seals on his walk to school.