Alberta's Future Leaders

The Alberta’s Future Leaders (AFL) program provides leadership development and recreational opportunities to youth living in Indigenous communities.

Through the AFL program, youth are engaged through sport, arts, recreation, leadership and cultural activities facilitated by mentors living and working in each participating community. Host communities share their unique cultures and histories with mentors to guide the development of relevant and meaningful experiences for their youth.

How the AFA supports AFL

The AFA provides funding to the AFL program to support arts programming for participating First Nation and Métis communities.

The AFL program was suspended for the summer of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and limited annual programming has been slowly relaunched in subsequent years. The AFA has continued to provide support to the program for arts-related programming.

Artist workshops

An integral component of arts programming is contracting Indigenous artists to offer workshops in participating communities.

The Indigenous artists hired are important role models for participating youth. They inspire confidence, skill building and an appreciation for the arts. 

Arts Week

Leadership through the Arts Week is a week-long retreat held in Edmonton that includes arts workshops, presentations, and a curated “Evening of the Arts” showcase of visual and performing arts coordinated by the youth and mentors.

Arts Week has not yet relaunched since the pandemic.

Who is involved?

The AFL program is delivered by the Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Branch of Alberta Tourism and Sport, in partnership with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Learn more about Government of Alberta support for the AFL program on Alberta.ca.

Read more about AFA's history in supporting AFL.