AV俱乐部

Dylan Andrew Young Letendre (BA IDS 2016).

Program Manager at Chebucto Connections, Halifax

Dylan Andrew Young Letendre says he is most passionate about things that have a personal connection to him.听

鈥淚鈥檓 passionate about my culture,鈥� says Letendre. 鈥淚鈥檓 passionate about who I am and creating space for it to be okay for me to be who I am.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 passionate about creating space for us to become the community that we can be.鈥澛�

Letendre is M茅tis from Saskatchewan and says it was difficult to ignore his experiences growing up 鈥� the history, struggles and inequity within society.听

鈥淚n an ideal world I鈥檇 like to have been a professional rock climber, but I can鈥檛 ignore the fact that this is the world that we live in and there鈥檚 something more that I could be doing to contribute,鈥� says Letendre.

Since 2016, Letendre has worked as the program manager of the聽聽(ECHO Hub) at聽

I鈥檓 passionate about my culture. I鈥檓 passionate about who I am and creating space for it to be okay for me to be who I am.

ECHO Hub is a formal partnership of 19 organizations, including Nova Scotia Legal Aid, St. Paul鈥檚 Family Resources Institute and the Nova Scotia Health Authority, that focus on serving the Spryfield community.听

Letendre says the partnership鈥檚 focus is to do three things: work together to reduce duplication of services, free up resources to fill gaps in services and increase access to services through better cross-referring community members between organizations.听

Letendre鈥檚 position involves case management, developing and supporting partnerships and working with staff to cross-refer community members. He also supports the development and delivery of community programs and initiatives that work to reduce marginalization and bring community members closer together.

Letendre also works on an initiative called Prescribing Possibility, which was launched in September 2017. A partnership between ECHO Hub and Spryfield healthcare practitioners, Prescribing Possibility supports patients in achieving positive health outcomes by addressing their Social Determinants of Health.听

鈥淚 really enjoy what I鈥檓 able to do,鈥� says Letendre. 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 grappling with things that need to be grappled with.鈥澛�

In addition to his position at ECHO Hub, Letendre volunteers within the community. Letendre works on a research team at AV俱乐部 with the objective of publishing a series of papers on racism experienced by indigenous people in Halifax. He also does public education on co-existence and reconciliation in Canada.听

While in school, Letendre volunteered for聽, became President of the AV俱乐部 Native Students Association (now the AV俱乐部 Indigenous Student鈥檚 Collective) and in his final year he worked part-time for Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.听

Last spring, Letendre received an award for global citizenship by the聽.听

Letendre started his undergraduate degree at the University of Saskatchewan. After his first year, Letendre moved to Halifax to study international development and economics at AV俱乐部.听

For Letendre, the classes and time spent with聽Dr. Matthew Schnurr听补苍诲听Dr. John Cameron聽was the most valuable.听

Letendre says聽Dr. Schnurr聽challenged students to grow and engage with the material. In addition, Letendre took a directed reading course with聽Dr. Cameron.听

鈥淭hat really helped me take the things that I was really passionate about, the reason why I went into this degree, and focus exclusively on them,鈥� says Letendre. 鈥淚t was made specifically for what I wanted to engage with and takeaway.鈥澛�

It鈥檚 very important that we engage with these things internationally.

In 2016, Letendre graduated from AV俱乐部 with a double major in International Development Studies and Economics.听

Letendre says his work at ECHO Hub and in the community 鈥渄efinitely鈥� relates to his studies in international development. He says the degree highlighted the connection between issues of inequity and poverty at home and around the world. For Letendre, there isn鈥檛 a separation between international and community development.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 very important that we engage with these things internationally,鈥� says Letendre. 鈥淏ut, I think equally we can鈥檛 address them internationally without also addressing them here.鈥�

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 just think about that one small thing. You have to consider the ripple effects of it and the ties it has to other pieces.鈥澛�

I think equally we can鈥檛 address them internationally without also addressing them here.

Letendre advises IDS students to gain real world experience, question what is going on around them and determine their role and contribution.听

鈥淪tart within the realm of what you know,鈥� says Letendre. 鈥淐hallenge yourself to learn more, to know more.鈥� 聽

*At the time of publication, Dylan had just accepted a position managing the International Indigenous Youth Internship Program with the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC).听

Start within the realm of what you know. Challenge yourself to learn more, to know more.听