Partial references below

Full letters available upon request

We can also put you in touch directly with elders and school principals who have had our projects in their communities. Email us for info .

As we have said before, the whole project was a bursting success. Thx to all of you who provided another healthy alternative for our kids to focus their energies and talent into. Every day at recess
and lunch times, about 15 of our students/ dancers assemble in the hallways here and dance until the bell rings.

They have there own little dance groups and are putting together some great routines. Even during some gym classes, some dancers (mainly girls actually) choose to practice their moves on the stage while the rest of the class plays soccer. As long as they are active, positive and helping out each other- as a staff, we encourage it! Just to let you all know that your work, time and commitment to our youth is more far-reaching than we can ever imagine. We thank you. Keep it up!!!!

Wende Tulk
Student Support Teacher
Inuksuk High School

From what the youth themselves are saying, this workshop was not only about learning new skills and making new friends, but it was really about creating positive change in their lives. More than a month after the project ended, we see the community carrying the lessons forward: teachers see students dancing in the hallways, more experienced dancers volunteer to teach others, five local breakdancing crews have been formed and are invited to give performances at community events.

From project conception, to proposal writing, pilot testing, promotion, workshop leadership and evaluation, Stephen Leafloor was an excellent partner, always staying true to project objectives.  In the weeks after the event, he and his crew have demonstrated their commitment to the youth by staying in touch and supporting them through a website message board.

I really enjoyed working with Stephen on this project. His nature and involvement in Hip Hop makes it easy for him to reach youth. His training as a social worker makes him a safe person to lead discussions on serious issues and his leadership ability and follow-through ensure the project stays on target.  From our experience, I can say that he delivered above our expectations, and the project had an impact on youth that was beyond our hopes.

Gillian Corless   

Nunavut’s Promise to Children and Youth - Coordinator

This is a letter to express full support for the “CanadianFloor Masters” unique and creative approach to reaching youth through integrating street dancing and social work. The Nunavut Sivuniksavut training program in Ottawa served as a pilot group to test “Canadian Floor Masters” method of joining youth , and doing something fun, creative, and in the end self esteem building.

It is without hesitation that I would recommend this workshop to be supported for further funding and support. There is nothing more important than youth feeling good about themselves.  If there are creative ways out there of doing this, I believe this should definitely be encouraged.

Beth Williamson

Student support Worker

Nunavut Sivuniksavut

When I first visited the workshops I was impressed with how dedicated the youth were to learning as much as they could from the Canadian Floor Masters. It soon became apparent that this was due to the approach of the Floor Masters. Their enthusiasm was contagious. The respectful way they treated each other, the youth and the community was not lost on the youth who quickly started emulating not only the “styles” of the Floor Masters but also their positive attitudes.  Their mix of music and hip-hop principals all seemed to lead back to respect for others and yourself, striving to achieve your dreams and being a good community citizen. The effect was noticeable immediately. I saw several unlikely groups made up of youth with well known differences between them helping each other, practicing together and just talking.

Letisha Eastwood

Youth worker at the Isummaqsunngittuk Young Offender’s Centre

On behalf of Ilisaqsivik Society, I want to thank you for all the hard work you did in organizing and facilitating the Hip Hop workshop in Clyde River.  The workshop was a huge success and has left a lasting impression on our youth and on our community.  Since you left, over 60 youth have been consistently meeting twice per week at the community hall to practice Hip Hop. These youth have organized several performances for the community and everyone is enjoying the progress they are making.

I would like to encourage you to keep delivering your program to communities and youth in Nunavut. The creative mix of dance and physical activity, music, Hip Hop culture and social work provides youth with a safe and accepting space to express themselves and it allows them to find common bonds with other youth.  The exposure to the authentic side of Hip Hop and information about its real roots is important for youth whose only source of knowledge is usually cable TV and the Internet.

I would encourage any interested community to work with you in providing a Hip Hop workshop to their local youth. Your willingness to incorporate local culture, language and traditions into the workshop means that any community can tailor the experience so that all community members, not just youth, can benefit from the experience you bring. Our Elders had a great experience participating in the workshop from dancing to Djing, and the youth were thrilled to see how throat singing, drum dancing and traditional games can all have a place in Hip Hop. Any community would enjoy this opportunity to bring youth and Elders together and provide kids with the confidence boost they need to feel accepted among their peers and their elders.

Jakob Gearheard

Executive Director

Ilisaqsivik Society

Hoping you all are catching up to your rest and recuperating from the trip. I have received a letter from our MLA, Peter Kilabuk who wrote a letter to all the MLA’s for Nunavut and forwarding that to all of you so you all know what you have done to our youth. I don’t’ know how else to Thank you for touching our youth deeply here and very impressed beyond words. (Margaret Nakashuk)

Peter writes

Colleagues,

 I would just like to share with you some personal observations and sense of pride I saw in our youth /students who took part in the Hip Hop project this past week. As you probably know there were about a hundred or more so students that took part in the project with 10 great Hip Hop instructors who came in to Pang. There were also alot of local supporters who contributed to the success of this project either through financial contribution, volunteerism, support and/or participation. It has been amazing to see what the students have learnt in just 5 days and the sense of community togetherness this has brought. I probably would have been skeptical if somebody told me Hip Hop can really support our traditional values had I not seen it for > myself! Well, believe me, it did and has with flying colors. On Thursday evening the community was treated to some incredible dancing and entertainment with throat singing/dancing and combination of Throat singing with southern hip Hop singing. It was again amazing to see what can be produced when 2 foundations work side by side to support each other. All barriers of race, distance, culture are set aside to make a new opportunity a success,,,, providing a new beginning for the students! This was specially hi-lighted at the dance off where the community came out to watch and support their kids be the best they can be through positive show of support. As all the students were divided into 2 groups for the dance off, individual students would do hip hop dancing trying to out do the other side making them perform to the best of their abilities. Knowing their team was supporting them do the best they could . Sometimes there were groups dancing off against each other with some very creative dances. And of course there were special moments with kids that were known to be generally very shy, but not this night! With the support of the community, they were stars amongst stars of students performing to the many community members who came out. The organizers also said that this was the largest audience they had seen which also was a very positive indicator of how much the residents of Pang support their youth/students. It was truly a night of proud  moments and times of personal defeat of shyness and hesitation for the students. Every dance was received with loud clapping and cheers from the crowd in a way I guess was magical in a sense because of the realization of how much the students had learned and effort they put in which made this a great success.They made this a very good night for everybody. I think everybody walked out with a lot of pride for the youth and the students went home feeling like stars that they truly were this night. During the lessons that were given to the students, they were also taught about respect for oneself and of others which made this a great success. It taught them alot about being better to themselves and others around them. It also taught them a great deal about teamwork and reminded them of the support they have behind them.

 Thanks, Proud MLA for Pang, Peter.

On Behalf of the Tlicho community Services agency and the community of Behchoko I would like to thank you for the delivery of a truly amazing program to the youth of the Tlicho region.

Of tremendous importance in the delivery of the program was the inclusion of traditional drummers to the event.  It remains extremely important to the Tlicho people that their ties to a traditional way of life not be lost. The Tlicho people have a saying that captures this cross-cultural blending beautifully: “Strong like two people”. The workshop participants demonstrated this guiding principle brilliantly in their blending of Hiphop and traditional drumming.

This program is of tremendous value as a youth centered training and education opportunity. I believe the caliber of the trainers that comprise the Canadian Floor Masters team is outstanding. I would highly recommend this program and Blue Print For Life consulting to any organization interested in contracting these services.

Denise Neumann-Fuhr

Coordinator

Tlicho Healing Wind Strategy

From the onset and under the strong leadership of Stephen Leafloor, the crew engaged the students enthusiastic participation not only in the dancing, but in discussion groups relevant to the social issues facing our youth. Soon it became evident that we would surpass our expectations for we had not anticipated the kind of bond that was to develop between the students and the workshop instructors. Furthermore a sense of kinship strengthened amongst our youngsters as they helped each other work to achieve a common goal. Finally the students painted a mural that creatively captured the theme of the workshop “Respect each other”. This artistic manifestation constituted a beautiful backdrop the last night of the event when our students proudly presented a show to the whole community. More important still, the effects of the workshop are still very present in Kuujjuaraapik. A month after the completion of the workshop, for example, the students who participated took the time to teach our younger ones many steps and directed original choreographies for the Christmas concert.. Just a few weeks ago I signed a project proposal presented by one of our teachers that aims to buy equipment that would facilitate the continuation of HipHop in our community as an after school activity. And another one informed me that when he takes his students on a tour south, he will include a visit to Ottawa where his pupils will have a chance to visit with their mentors.

Its is this very positive experience that leads me to recommend this workshop without reservations and I sincerely hope that many other communities will benefit from it.

Eliana Manrique

Principal

Asimauttaq School.

I had originally heard of this program through the media and our recreation coordinator had very much wanted this group to travel to Rankin Inlet. After seeing the program myself , I highly recommend BluePrint For Life to any interested parties.. The Rankin Inlet youth were very happy to be a part of this program and they demonstrated this excitement in the final competition. There is a after school program here now for Hiphop , so the youth can continue their efforts and hopefully retain some of the much needed social work speeches that were a valuable part of this program. We are hoping to be able to BluePrint for Life travel to Rankin Inlet again in 2008. As a parent , as well, I greatly appreciated the learning that was achieved from this program.

Sincerely

Charlotte Hickes

Community Economic Development Officer

Hamlet of Rankin Inlet

I am writing to express my deep admiration and appreciation for the recent Hip Hop project. As Inuit youth constitute the majority of my clinical practice, I am very familiar with how challenging it can be to engage youth in activities that build positive self esteem and resiliency.

Having attended part of each day of the week long project, I was genuinely amazed at the changes I observed in dozens of the participants. This growth, from initially being shy and unsure of themselves, to dancing in front of hundreds of people and writing heart felt verse that therapeutically externalized inner hurts in a supportive and professional setting, was nothing short of profound. I cannot think of a youth project that has had more of a positive impact on building positive self feelings as well as critical cooperation and team work skills.

Thank you for supporting such a deep reaching and important project!

Sincerely,

Matthew Corless

Regional Psychologist

Health and Social Services

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