April marked the transition from the planning phase to the realization of the Pijunnaqunga project. After several months of preparation, the project started to gain traction with the employment of a full-time team for Pijunnaqunga. The Pijunnaqunga team was established and began working together on April 10th at the Pijunnaqunga office in Montreal (Verdun), right next to the Ivirtvik Centre.
The team consists of:
Isabelle Picard – Project manager Reporting to the steering committee, the project manager is responsible for the coordination of activities and the seamless operation of Pijunnaqunga, working in close collaboration with the Kativik Regional Government (KRG) and PS Jeunesse.
Emily Sappa – Community Liaison Officer Reporting to the project manager, the community liaison officer participates in the promotion and the communication of Pijunnaqunga in Nunavik communities. Developing culturally adapted connections with community partners, participants and mentors is a priority within Pijunnaqunga.
Hugo Jourdain – Recruitment coordinator Reporting to the project manager, the recruitment coordinator is responsible for the identification, selection and training of candidates who demonstrate great potential to be the Pijunnaqunga interns.
Geneviève Pruneau-Brunet – Internship coordinator Reporting to the project manager, the internship coordinator is responsible for the successful execution of the internships and for offering continuous support to the Pijunnaqunga interns and mentors.
During this first month, effort has been focused on defining what Pijunnaqunga stands for (mission, vision, values, etc.) and on planning an initial timeline that contains the tasks (dates and duration) required to complete before the recruitment of participants, and subsequently, the realization of the internship.
The proposed launch date for Pijunnaqunga is August 2017, in which the program will be announced and open to the public for application.