Over the past six months, the NWT Literacy Council, Yukon Literacy Coalition and Ilitaqsiniq teamed up to create a hands-on social enterprise training program for Northerners across all three Territories.
Social enterprise training programs do more than just teach people how to make and sell products. Entrepreneurship is a topic rich in opportunities to engage every one of the Skills for Success in a practical way. At the same time, the program highlights the importance of community impact for a business and helps emerging artists enter the market. It provides a safe and supportive space to explore their creativity, experiment with new materials, and increase their entrepreneurial confidence. By the end of training, participants not only have a deeper understanding of their own talents and potential, but also new and meaningful connections with mentors and peers in their community.
Each Territory offered eight weeks of training focused on developing a variety of creative and artistic skills including sewing, beading, painting, and printmaking. Alongside the creative work, participants also learned practical business skills including how to price, market, and sell their goods.
From January 13 to March 7, eight participants from Yellowknife took part in the Northwest Territories cohort of this training program. Together, they formed Yellowknife Art Starts, a group of creative individuals making both Indigenous and non-Indigenous crafts, while learning the basics of how to start and run a small business together.
Throughout the program the group explored what it means to be a social enterprise. They made key decisions together including choosing a business name, structure, and logo; writing a mission statement; deciding how to divide and share their profits; and thinking about the kind of impact they want to have in their community. The profits they earned by selling at two public markets were divided among employee wages, the class business (consensus decisions on shared use/expenses), and fulfilling their social mission. As part of their commitment to giving back, participants chose to use a portion of their profits to purchase toys and games for the Foster Family Coalition.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who helped bring this training program to life: Makerspace YK for hosting and hands-on support; the guest speakers, facilitators, and local entrepreneurs who generously shared their time and knowledge; the artists who inspired us; and the community organizations who supported participant learning along the way. Most importantly, we give a huge thank you to the training participants for sharing their creativity, commitment, and collaborative spirit, which made this initiative a resounding success.
The training alone was quite an accomplishment, but it’s just the beginning! Unsold products created during the program are purchased from the artists and made available through the Shifting Ice Shop, an online marketplace connecting northern-made goods with a broader national audience. The products featured on this site reflect the creativity and learning through which they were crafted. All proceeds from the shop go directly back into supporting literacy and learning programs across the North, creating a cycle of education, empowerment, and community growth.
We are proud to announce the launch of the Shifting Ice Shop in June 2025. Follow our social media channels for the official launch date and be among the first to explore the wonderful products created by this cohort.
Nicole Sharp, Project Specialist, Three for Change
