A St. Albert teacher hopes a new running group will help Indigenous youths reconnect with their roots.
St. Albert Public teacher Jarod Letendre and the St. Albert–Sturgeon county Métis Local 1904 launched the Windbreakers Indigenous Youth Running Program this week. The club, which is backed by a $150,000 grant from the province’s Bridging Classrooms to Communities project, aims to give youths in Grades 7 to 12 free training in long-distance running and education on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit traditions.
“The goal of the program is to help Indigenous youth have a greater appreciation for culture,” Letendre said, and to instill in them a sense of pride and empowerment.
Letendre said Métis local vice-president Vernon Hagen came up with the club’s name, which references the difficulty of running into a headwind and invokes the image of a buffalo running into a storm.
Letendre said club members will train twice a week, working with volunteer and professional coaches to set goals and improve their physical and scholastic skills. The focus will be on running races of at least five kilometres. Club members will get to participate in various races and potentially compete in the Alberta Indigenous Games. Youths will also learn about First Nations, Métis, and Inuit culture from St. Albert-area elders and knowledge keepers.
Letendre said the club’s grant will cover the cost of equipment, coaching, transportation, and entry fees for club members and compensate cultural experts for their efforts.
Letendre said he hopes to enrol about 40 youths in the club, which will run from April to June and September to October. The club has enough funding to run for three years, and could continue beyond then if it can muster support from local businesses.
Questions on the group should go to [email protected].
