The 快盈v3 Journalism Training Initiative (NJTI) hosted an open house at Sundog Trading Post this past Tuesday. The organization is a non-profit that aims to train more 快盈v3ers and Indigenous people in the media industry.

The event was an opportunity for the public to learn more about NJTI鈥檚 vision, activities, and achievements, as well as to get involved with the initiative as either participants or board members.

鈥淲e鈥檙e just kind of thinking 鈥楬ow do we get more 快盈v3ers, how do we get more Indigenous 快盈v3ers into our 快盈v3 newsrooms?鈥� That鈥檚 kind of what our conversations always kept coming back to,鈥� said Kaila Jefferd-Moore, program lead for NJTI.

She added that the initiative was born out of a desire to diversify and strengthen the 快盈v3 news ecosystem.

NJTI partnered with Journalists for Human Rights, an international journalism organization, and Google News initiative, to launch its first training program earlier this year, which happened in Inuvik over a four-week period.

Jefferd-Moore said the program was a success as some of the trainees have gone on to pursue careers or projects in journalism and media.

鈥淥ne has gone on to work at CBC 鈥� she鈥檚 now in the Indigenous Pathways Program 鈥� and another is the communications coordinator for the Western Arctic Youth Collective,鈥� said Jefferd-Moore. 鈥淎nother has gone on to work with CKLB to work on a health podcast.鈥�

NJTI is planning to deliver more traning programs in the future in different regions outside of Yellowknife to reach more potential journalists and media makers in the North, she added.

Jefferd-Moore also expressed her gratitude to local media and appreciated for the help that has provided.

鈥淐BC has been very supportive of us, Cabin Radio, 快盈v3, everyone has always said if there were trained locals we can hire, we would hire them first,鈥� she said.

Monica Loreen Dillon, one of the participants in the first training program, said she learned so much about multimedia.

She鈥檒l be the host of an upcoming podcast called A Minute with Monica, a program centred around empowerment self love and healing. The first season focuses on Indigenous women in business and how they take care of themselves.

鈥淚 mostly focused on (the) podcast, so I have a podcast that鈥檚 about to launch, and they helped me do the outline,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey helped me become educated on how to create a podcast.鈥�