Who We Are
FOXY (Fostering Open eXpression among Youth) is a totally new way of talking with young people about sexual health, sexuality, and relationships. By putting the decision making back in their hands, no one is being told what to do, or what is right or wrong – everyone is being given the tools they need to make the best decisions for themselves.
FOXY uses traditional beading, theatre, digital storytelling, photography, and music to help teenage youth express their knowledge, opinions, and questions about health and love (and everything in between). With a strong focus on sexual health and empowered decision-making, young women and gender-diverse youth across the North get to know themselves a little bit better and learn through the arts with FOXY.
Since January 2012, FOXY has reached over 10,100 youth in more than 41 NWT, Nunavut, and Yukon communities through over 600 workshops and 31 Peer Leader Retreats that have brought together over 786 Northern and Indigenous young Peer Leaders.
FOXY’s mission is to enhance the knowledge, health, and well-being of Northern and Indigenous youth through the arts.
FOXY’s vision is that by 2028, FOXY is innovative, well-resourced, and adaptive to the needs of youth in the North. FOXY/SMASH youth are resilient, informed, and striving for healthy connections with self, community, and the Land.
Our core values are:
- Youth-centered
- Strengths-based, trauma-informed lens
- Northern-ness
- Rooted in Indigenous knowledge
- 2SLGBTQIPA+ Affirming
- Promotion of well-being
- Intergenerational sharing
- The Land
- Evidence informed
- Strengthening relationships
- Culturally inclusive
- The Arts
- Empowered decision making
- Rights-based
We will fulfill our vision by reaching 4 goals:
- Expand multi-stakeholder engagement and awareness.
- Build capacity for organizational sustainability.
- Expand within and into Northern communities.
- Enhance programming to adapt and respond to identified needs and research.
For more information, check out our Community Reach and the Frequently Asked Questions.
FOXY is a participatory action research project, which means youth are involved with all aspects of the project, from its development to its implementation and the evaluation. The research component of FOXY involves looking at the effectiveness of FOXY for empowering NWT youth and facilitating dialogue about sexual and mental health issues in the North. Please contact the Executive Director, Candice Lys, for more information about the research component of FOXY, and check out our published research!