Boule Presents Findings at Health Psychology Conference…

Kelsey Boule, graduate student in Master’s of Environmental Science, and Courtney Mason, Associate Professor, went to St. John’s Newfoundland to present at the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology (SCAPPS) conference this October. Kelsey presented on the project she has been a Research Assistant on for the past two years which looked at rethinking positive youth development and barriers to physical activity programs for urban Indigenous youth. This research focused on the barriers to and facilitators of physical activity for urban Indigenous youth in Kamloops. Privileging the perspective of Indigenous youth, the findings work towards implementing strategies that help overcome these barriers to increase their overall participation and access. Her talk was part of a larger seminar which discussed topics on sport and physical activity in Indigenous communities where she was able to reflect on similar studies that have been conducted across Canada. The conference was a great opportunity for Kelsey to meet and engage with academics and students from across the country to discuss further research opportunities.

Kelsey Boule pictured at Signal Hill in St. John’s.

Nickolas Kosmenko, Kelsey Boule, Leisha Strachan, Tara-Leigh McHugh and Courtney W. Mason. “Relevance of an Existing Knowledge-To-Action Model to Research with Indigenous Youth.” Paper presented at the 48th Annual Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology (SCAPPS), St. John’s, NL, October 13, 2017.

Kelsey Boule, Courtney W. Mason, Tara-Leigh McHugh and Leisha Strachan. “Rethinking positive youth development and barriers to physical activity programs for urban Indigenous youth.” Paper presented at the 48th Annual Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology (SCAPPS), St. John’s, NL, October 13, 2017.

Indigenous Youth Outdoor Skills Day (Oct 21st, 2017)

On October 21st, TRU Adventure Programming students, Ella Roles and Monica Dufresne, lead a group of youth from the White Buffalo Aboriginal and Metis Health Society up to Isobel Lake, in the Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area, for a day filled with paddling, fishing, bonfires, drumming, storytelling and snow(person) building.
Pate Neumann, a Master’s of Environmental Science graduate student, and Courtney Mason, Associate Professor, went along to assist Ella and Monica with the days activities. They were also supported by three White Buffalo staff members and two volunteers from Secwepemc Fisheries. The day began with a “learn to paddle” session on the lake followed by a delicious lunch. In the afternoon there was a “learn to fish session” which was supported by Secwepemc Fisheries staff who spoke about traditional First Nations fishing methods and tools. This was followed by some singing, drumming, storytelling and brief Secwepemc history lessons. Everyone bundled up and headed back onto the water to try their hand at fly fishing and spin casting. By this point, the snow had begun to fall, creating some spectacularly calm and scenic paddling on the lake.
After some significant fishing effort, the group came back in to warm up by the fire and then packed up to return to town. It was quite a fun day, filled with lots of learning and some new experiences for all. It was nice to see TRU students, learning, playing and interacting along side local Indigenous youth. There is no better way to get to know people in your community then to bundle up and spend a day on the water with them!
We are looking forward to the next opportunity to get out with White Buffalo and local Indigenous youth to spend more time learning from each other in the beautiful natural environment that surrounds Kamloops.

Boule presents as President’s Reception

On September 19th, Kelsey Boule represented graduate students at the President’s Reception at TRU by giving a brief presentation. This event is held annually to recognize the students at the university who were awarded scholarships. President, Dr. Allan Shaver,  Provost and VP Academic,  Dr. Christine Bovis-Cnossen, as well as various Deans at TRU were in attendance to celebrate the hard work of the students. Kelsey spoke of her experiences at TRU including her time as an undergraduate student, her transition to graduate school, awards received, and research conducted through the university. It was an honor for her to be asked to represent graduate students as she was the recipient of both undergrad and graduate scholarships as well as the prestigious CIHR grant.  She hoped her story could inspire hard working students while acknowledging the faculty, staff, and peers who supported her throughout her education.

Kelsey Boule pictured with the Provost and VP Academic,  Dr. Christine Bovis-Cnossen, at the President’s Reception.