Yes! Our program materials and activities are created in collaboration with Indigenous storytellers from across Atlantic Canada with support from allied settlers working within the publishing, arts and media industries.

Depending on youth interest, workshop leaders may include Indigenous and/or allied authors, illustrators, editors, oral storytellers, performers, digital media specialists and more.

We are currently running our pilot initiative, a free professional development program bridging young storytellers to careers in book publishing. The program contains 3 units: a foundational unit, a professional development unit, and a practicum.

Foundational modules are focused on Elder-guided teachings and Indigenous storytelling of the past, present, and future. We explore how storytelling is the fabric of Indigenous identity and wholly enmeshed with community, culture, environment and worldviews. Other focus areas include the harms of eurocentrism in Canadian publishing as well as tools to support storytellers and publishers on the path of collaboration and the reclamation of Indigenous narratives.

Professional development modules are tailored to meet youth demand. In our first year they are focused on demystifying the publishing industry, editing, non-fiction and creative writing, and digital/multimedia storytelling.

Practicums will focus on applying skills through substantive editing work on provided manuscripts.

To ensure access from across the Atlantic region, our program activities are currently held online using the Ulnooweg Education Centre’s easily accessible learner portal. Once registered within a program, learners will receive an info package including login information for the Bridge to Publishing learning portal.

For our current initiatives, the program is open to all Indigenous youth living within Atlantic Canada.

We generally consider youth to be young people aged 18-35, however the program is flexible in accepting interested storytellers who fall outside of that age range and will review on a case-by-case basis.

If you or someone you know is interested and eager to take part, please contact us to inquire.

The Bridge to Publishing program’s current initiatives are 100% free thanks to the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ulnooweg Indigenous Communities Fund.

Bridge to Publishing pilot initiative is a casual program offered entirely online, which allows for flexibility and asynchronous learning. There are general completion milestones and we do suggest dedicating about 1hr/wk to the program, but there is no set schedule. As long as they meet their milestones, each learner can complete the program workshops in accordance with their unique schedule and learning needs.

Yes! In addition to our program practicum which will include the option to work on an Elder authored manuscript, Bridge to Publishing has established a select number of paid internships with partnering publishers and storytelling organizations in the region. Qualifying youth may apply upon successful completion of the program.