My One Day Experience at a Research Forum

I had the opportunity to attend the Saskatchewan Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (SK-NEIHR) Research Engagement Day in Prince Albert on  May 7, 2026. Eager to come to the event, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the presentations. Overall, I found each individual presentation was very informative and beneficial to society. By showcasing statistics and speaking on topics such as Indigenous mental health and rapid wildfire response, many people, including myself, left more aware and educated. We also had lots of opportunities to talk with and learn from people attending the Research Day.   

One presentation that stood out to me was the Virtual Interventions and Community Connections for Indigenous Youth (VICCIY) Provincial Youth Wellness Summit, presented by Lindsey Boechler. (Editor’s note: Dr. Boechler and her team received research support funding of $10,000 from SK-NEIHR for this summit, and were presenting on it at this Research Engagement Day. This is an expectation for receiving SK-NEIHR funding: that recipients report back to the community).

Hosted in Saskatoon, the 2nd annual VICCIY Provincial Youth Wellness Summit for Indigenous Youth proved to be a major success. With 63 high school students and 18  chaperones in attendance, this event was beneficial for people from various communities across Saskatchewan.

Over the course of two days, the youth participated in numerous activities to explore and analyze mental health and wellness while connecting adults and youth through creativity, culture, and community. Through these activities, participants were able to build meaningful relationships while learning important lessons about wellness and prevention.

With the use of engaging and fun methods, the adolescents were fully submerged in the essence of the event and actively involved in discussions and activities. Activities ranged from healing circles to discussions on the impacts of alcoholism, and facilitators reported strong engagement throughout each activity.

One participant stated, “My favorite activity was probably that [Youth Action for Prevention] one, where you talk about alcoholism and the impacts. That’s probably my favorite one, and I’ll definitely be taking that home and using it in real life.”  This quote demonstrates that when youth are taught in meaningful and engaging ways, they are more open to applying encouraging and positive messages into their everyday lives.

With an exceptionally positive impact on Indigenous youth in Saskatchewan the VICCIY initiative is truly remarkable and should continue for years to come. By creating opportunities for learning, cultural connection, and open discussion, the summit helped promote wellness while encouraging youth to bring important lessons back to their communities.

In conclusion, involving high school students in Saskatchewan NEIHR and research opportunities in general is incredibly beneficial for the students, the program, and the community. By participating in research, students can develop important skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication, which will help them during school and in their future endeavours.

 In addition, it gives them confidence and independence as they contribute to real-world projects. At the same time, research programs benefit from students’ fresh ideas and open minds, helping to build stronger connections with local communities. When students are properly supported with mentorship, training, and ethical guidance, they will play a meaningful role in research.

Overall, involving high school students in research not only helps them grow as learners, but also strengthens the future of research and innovation in Saskatchewan.

I would like to thank Saskatchewan NEIHR for providing me with the opportunity to learn about Indigenous health research with communities for this introduction was truly remarkable.

Davina Akinjobi is a bright grade 11 student living in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Aside from writing, she is passionate about her education, sports, and music. While she dedicates lots of time to her studies, she spends most of her free time playing basketball, with hopes of playing in college. With Davina playing piano and French horn, music is also a huge and important aspect of her life. She loves learning new things and strives to improve in something new every day!

Davina approached staff at Saskatchewan NEIHR as she was interested in learning more about health research. She attended our Research Engagement Day in Prince Albert on May 7, 2026, and wrote this article about her experience. You can read more of writing here: https://blog.ripplefoundation.ca/finding-myself-beyond-the-court/ and in the book she published, Soaring Thoughts (available on Amazon, with a preview available here).