Programs and Events

The NWT Seniors Society provides elder abuse prevention training and mentorship to facilitators from communities in the NWT.

Training Program

The NWT Seniors’ Society delivers a Train the Trainer, Elder Abuse Workshop annually. The purpose of the workshop is to support Indigenous Governments, community governments, and community organizations to deliver culturally safe and appropriate elder abuse workshops in their communities.

The Train-the-Trainer Workshop is three days in Yellowknife. Travel, accommodations and per-diems based on GNWT rates are provided by the NWT Seniors’ Society.

The workshop is participatory. Learners are introduced to adult education, facilitation, and adult learner characteristics. They practice several facilitation strategies throughout the workshop. Using expert information provided during the workshop on elder abuse, participants facilitate a lesson at the end of the workshop.

If all three days are completed and the participant delivers a lesson, they will receive a certificate.

Part of the commitment to participants, those who have completed become a member of the facilitators group. This means that they will be part of quarterly meetings to support facilitators and enhance knowledge. As well there are mentorship opportunities for new facilitators, where the Executive Director of the NWT Seniors’ Society will travel at the Society’s expense to the community to co-facilitate if requested, if the workshop is within the same funding year.

Criteria to attend the workshop includes:

  1. Participant must be employed by an Indigenous or community government or a community organization.
  2. They must complete all three days including the delivery of a lesson on the last day.
  3. They must deliver a workshop to their community within one year of receiving the training.

If your organization is interested in having someone trained to deliver elder abuse workshops, please contact the Executive Director at ed@seniorsnwt.ca or by phone at 867-920-7444.

Facilitator's Network

The NWT Seniors’ Society mentors’ facilitators who have completed the Train the Trainer Elder Abuse Prevention Workshop.  Mentorship includes:

  • Quarterly meetings with all facilitators who are part of the mentorship group to discuss promising practices, challenges and potential funding.
  • The instructor will go to the facilitator’s community and co-facilitate the first workshop or event after training is completed.
  • The instructor will work online to help the facilitator plan their events.
  • There may be other opportunities for training and mentorship depending on funding.

Senior Citizens' Month

Senior Citizens’ Month provides an opportunity for people of all ages to celebrate with our seniors and elders in the NWT. We celebrate their lives, accomplishments, wisdom and knowledge. We want to provide opportunities for them to pass this rich heritage on to families and communities. It can be an exciting time to get the family and community together and be active with our elders and older adults.
 
The primary purpose of this year’s Senior Citizens’ Month is to dedicate time to recognize the contribution seniors and elders make to the quality of life in the NWT. Objectives of the month are to:
  • Recognize, honor and respect older citizens in the NWT.
  • Promote opportunities for all generations to learn together and from each other.
  • Encourage mutual respect for elders and seniors among families and within the community; and
  • Encourage and promote partnerships and collaborative approaches to addressing issues that are of concern to seniors and elders at the community and territorial levels.
 
During this month let’s take extra time and care in honouring our senior citizens!