Nyasha Kamera, Recreation Coordinator with the Hamlet of Pond Inlet, NU, was one of the ten participants to receive a Certificate in Northern Recreation Leadership. After participating in the training program pilot from October 2017 to May 2018, Nyasha shared a bit about his experience.
Recreation North’s training program was very beneficial to me. In September 2017, I was new to the field of recreation. I was trying to understand my role and come up with a system of delivering programs and services that worked for me and my new community of Pond Inlet.
I learnt the most from the conference calls and written exercises where we shared insights with fellow students of what was going on in our different communities. A lot of brilliant ideas and creativity was shared; most of our experiences were very similar even though we came from three different territories, namely the Northwest Territory, the Yukon Territory and Nunavut. I realized that most of the challenges I faced were also common to my colleagues. They shared possible solutions to their challenges which were a great benefit to me.
I also benefited a lot from the different teaching styles of our awesome instructors who were very patient, resourceful, available to answer questions, and considerate of our busy schedules. The online portal was very user-friendly and was updated frequently. The option to listen to a recorded teleconference, if you were not able to participate, was also very convenient.
The pilot took us through a marathon of very informative, relevant, and practical learning events which gave me a better understanding of how the whole Northern Recreation System works. The courses were very much tailored for the North and covered every important aspect including planning, finances, leadership strengths, getting to know your community, promotion of programs/events, proposal writing, and managing risk in remote situations.
By the time I had finished the training, I could carry out my responsibilities confidently and was well informed compared to when I began. In my community, I have recommended this training as a “must” for all future recreation leaders.