Stardale has twenty-three plus years of experience working specifically in the areas of violence and abuse prevention with Indigenous women and girls. In the past fourteen years in Calgary and area, Stardale has offered a holistic program Model and positively impacted the lives 1011 Indigenous girls who are at –risk. By addressing the risk factors such as abuse, addictions, and traumas within a holistic framework that includes art as the mechanism to teach and to heal, innovative group projects have been developed and shared in our communities.
Priority of Need: The COVID – 19 has inflicted confusion, grief and disruption to the day to day operations of Stardale, along with the cancellation of our May 14th gala, the Way out West collaboration / performance and the June 20 National Indigenous day event Stardale coordinated for Marlborough mall shoppers.
Stardale addresses the “Gap” in services for Indigenous girls in Calgary through continuing to offer educational classes, mentoring, recreational activities, and social engagements. Due to many constraints in the school systems, Stardale is an adjunct to assist the girl’s developmental processes in learning, as well as to help them understand their cultural identity.
What does the future look for Stardale Women’s Group, as we were forced to scale back our Model of delivering services and to re -mobilize our resources?
· To hold strategic planning sessions as to how we can recoup the losses from the 3 main events that would generate operational revenue into our coffers.
· To determine how we salvage the loss of 5 projects and the work that was already completed on these projects
· To hold a June graduation through social distancing / social media – unsure as to what this would look like
· To plan an online auction to raise funds, which is something we have not done prior
· To work with volunteers to make masks for all the girls and their families to enhance prevention of the virus
· To explore several options as to how we will implement the summer camp with established artist if the ban for groups is still on
· To adapt our programming model into splinter groups (clusters) with adult female group leaders
· To train women on how to facilitate the clusters
· To learn new technologies and to adapt them into our programming
· To teach the girls how to use new technologies and platforms, as well as supply them with tablets and phones with minutes
The major benefit of the Group based approach through the Stardale Model is that it not only provides girls with the opportunity to acquire knowledge and develop a wide range of skill sets, but it also provides them with an opportunity to gain experience and application to new settings, while the educational training is taking place. This is “discovery learning”, a form of learning that opens new opportunities and possibilities for these women. The girls learn from sharing their vastly similar experiences and realities. However, due to the disrupted education for the girls, we are concerned about the negative impacts this will have on the girl’s mental well being.
To hold workshops and activities online, that promote personal wellness and education through the arts and literacy
To identify further strategies based on combining evidence gathered from Stardale’s past programming Model that will stimulate online discussion and enhance the education, health, social well being around Indigenous girls.
To promote the Stardale programming to other communities, so that they may benefit from the knowledge transfer
To have the Major stakeholders of Stardale involvement come together to support in a different way that priorly
Please view the latest videos that capture the girl’s interviews.
Nicole’s https://youtu.be/fYnCeR2edTg
Aaliyah’s interview https://youtu.be/Of8c-HoNGm4
Eve’s Interview https://youtu.be/52kcacByTUE
As we serve a vulnerable population there has been requests from the families for food supplies and meals. Therefore, we are adapting our service capacity to somehow fill this need.
This has been a challenge! We need the support from Calgarians.