“BluePrintForLife has now delivered over 120 projects in over 50 communities receiving national and international awards and recognition as a healing program. We have some exciting news ! Blueprint has developed a new mental health program to re-engage communities we have visited in the past, and engage youth who were to young to attend our program previously.

We will still deliver our flagship week intensive where we become the replacement school for a week, but we will not only employ traditional cultural elements but we will be designing a full community show incorporating, dance, stomping and drumming.

We are excited to highlight Troy Sexton who has toured the world in the musical Stomp and is currently the official bucket drummer for the Toronto Raptors basketball team. We will be creating a customized community show that represents elements reflective of each unique community we visit. We will be asking communities to lend things like oil drums, snowmobiles, canoes, kayaks, Kamitiks etc which will all help create the unique stage design the youth will be interacting with.

When we need a break from stomping, drumming and cultural activities we will be engaging the youth on topics that you want Blueprint to address such as bullying, drugs and alcohol, abuse, suicide, managing anger and healing paths. We will also be introducing meditation, journaling, and spoken word during the week.

Teachers, social workers, police, elders, recreation coordinators, and school counselors are strongly encouraged to attend as this is guaranteed to be amazing professional development and training for them, creating deeper relationships within the community.

All of this will be filmed and a short video produced of the week and final show so the community can relive the pride, passion and hope. This program typically takes place from 9 am to 5 pm each day from Monday to Friday with the final night show being Friday evening.

Blueprint is looking at numerous funding opportunities to help subsidize our new program so that communities will not need to bear all of the cost. We are asking communities to send us a simple one page letter stating you are excited to look at Blueprint returning and engaging your youth on a range of mental health issues with this unique healing program. We will use these letters to assist in our search for funding.

Email Steve@blueprintforlife.ca if you are interested in having “Community Heartbeat“ come to your community. Mental Health letters of recommendation are available upon request.
We look forward to returning to your community, seeing old friends, and creating new ones.”

-submitted by BluePrintForLife