I have had some pret-ty incredible mentors along the way, including Lynn Crosbie, Anne Michaels, and I’m currently writing a grant for a much larger mentorship-based project.

And since 2010, I’ve had the privilege of being a mentor for youth up in the north through DreamCatcher Mentoring. DCM is an e-mentoring and leadership program that connects high school students in Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut with Canadian mentors who work in the students’ aspired career-of-choice.  I’ve chatted with students about my time as a contemporary dancer, about writing, about community arts work. It’s so much fun (and so awesome to learn about the experience of growing up in the far north!)

The idea behind DCM was to address declining number of students that enter and graduate from high school in northern Canada. The DCM founders believe that an empowering and high-quality one-to-one mentorship will give students the confidence, leadership, and skills they need to create attainable goals, complete their education, and work towards their dreams and aspirations. (More on DCM here!)

AND, I’ve been asked to head up to Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Fort Smith (NWT) for their annual mentor tour (funded in part by the Canada Council for the Arts!).

In addition to chatting about my professional work with students at five different high schools, I’ll be bringing The Love Lettering Project and asking students and teachers to write love letters to their communities. I can’t wait to go!

And according to this handy chart, there will be 16 (!!) hours of sunlight in May! Bring it!!

2014 DCM Mentor + Love Lettering Project tour

May 5-6, 2014: Whitehorse, YK: Vanier Catholic Secondary and Porter Creek Secondary.

May 8, 2014: Yellowknife, NWT: Ecole St. Patrick’s High School

May 9, 2014: Fort Smith, NWT: Paul William Kaeser High School