Yukon First Nation Education Directorate

What Yukon First Nation Education Directorate does

The Yukon First Nation Education Directorate (YFNED) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 2020 by Chiefs at CYFN (Council of Yukon First Nations) leadership and directed by the Chiefs Committee on Education (CCOE). Headquartered at #300 204 Black Street, Whitehorse, Yukon, it operates as the unified body advancing First Nation self-determination over education in the Yukon Territory while delivering Jordan's Principle-funded wraparound supports to all Indigenous children and youth aged 0-18.

Its core service platform is built around four pillars: (1) direct student/family advocacy via the First Nation Education Advocates team and Junior Advocates; (2) allied health delivery via the Mobile Therapeutic Unit (occupational therapy, speech language pathology, counselling, behavioural consulting, education psychology, hearing/vision screening) and the Wellness Program (music production, visual arts, on-the-land programming); (3) nutrition and food security via in-school meals, food hampers, and family feasts delivered through school-based kitchens and a dedicated urban kitchen employing over 20 cooks; and (4) early childhood and academic support via the Early Years Program (home visits across ten communities) and the multi-year Numeracy Program (2022-2027). Digital products include the Grad App, Grad Planner, and Post-Secondary Planner. Cultural/land-based offerings include Moccasin Trailblazers (youth movement), Summer Leadership Program, summer camps (welding, cooking), Junior Golf Fest, and the Yukon First Nations K-12 Language Framework (October 2023).

YFNED is funded entirely by annual, proposal-based Government of Canada programs, primarily through Jordan's Principle and other federal Indigenous Services streams. All services are provided free of charge to Indigenous children, youth, and families. Distribution is community-led and direct: school-based programs, community locations, home visits, and Mobile Therapeutic Unit outreach serve both urban (Whitehorse) and rural Yukon communities. The organization also supports governance of the adjacent First Nation School Board (FNSB) and co-published the June 2025 report "For Our Children: A Review of Systemic Racism in Yukon Education."

Name

Yukon First Nation Education Directorate

Legal name

Yukon First Nation Education Directorate

Website

https://yfned.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

YFNED is a Yukon First Nations-led non-profit founded in 2020 that delivers free, Jordan's Principle-funded wraparound education, nutrition, allied health, and cultural programs to Indigenous children, youth, and families across the Yukon Territory under the direction of the Chiefs Committee on Education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Education and Wraparound Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Title I & Compensatory Education Programs (EDAJAGAJ), Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH), Homeless, Foster Care & Highly Mobile Youth Education Services (EDAJAEAG)

Keywords

• Indigenous education services
• Wraparound support programs
• School nutrition services
• Allied health services
• Culturally-grounded learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Whitehorse

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Government of Canada Funding: Funded by annual, proposal-based Government of Canada programs. Funding flows through Jordan's Principle and other federal Indigenous services programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

YFNED delivers Jordan's Principle wraparound supports to Indigenous children and youth (ages 0-18) across Yukon, including education advocacy, school nutrition programs, allied health services via the Mobile Therapeutic Unit, early childhood home visits, math/numeracy support, cultural and land-based programming, summer camps, and youth leadership development. All programs are provided free of charge to beneficiaries and are funded by annual, proposal-based Government of Canada programs.

Product overview

YFNED is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 2020 that delivers wraparound educational and support services to Yukon First Nations. The organization operates a multi-service model centered on Jordan's Principle funding, offering direct student and family support through the First Nation Education Advocates and Mobile Therapeutic Unit, nutrition services through its Nutrition Program, early childhood development via the Early Years Program, and academic support through the Numeracy Program. Additional programs include the Moccasin Trailblazers youth movement, various camps (welding, cooking), Summer Leadership Program, and Junior Golf Fest. The organization also provides digital educational tools including the Grad App, Grad Planner, and Post-Secondary Planner. The Wellness Program, a division of the MTU, offers music production, visual arts, and land-based programming to Indigenous youth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• First Nation Education Advocates: Team of First Nation Education Advocates, Elders/Knowledge Holders, Junior Advocates and specialists supporting individual students and families with Indigenous, wrap-around, holistic approach to education
• Mobile Therapeutic Unit (MTU)
• Early Years Program
• Numeracy Program
• Moccasin Trailblazers
• Summer Camps
• Junior Golf Fest

Products and services

• First Nation Education Advocates A team of First Nation Education Advocates, Elders/Knowledge Holders, Junior Advocates, and specialists who support individual Indigenous students and families using an Indigenous, wrap-around, holistic approach to education.
• Mobile Therapeutic Unit (MTU) A holistic allied health service for Indigenous youth aged 0 to 18 providing culturally appropriate care including occupational therapy, speech language pathology, counselling, behavioural consulting, education psychology, and hearing/vision screening delivered through community-based outreach across Yukon.
• Nutrition Program A Jordan's Principle-funded program providing equitable and healthy food to Indigenous children aged 0 to 18 in Yukon, including in-school meal services, food hampers, family feasts, and nutritional supports across urban and rural communities.
• Early Years Program A program delivered in partnership with the Martin Family Initiative (MFI) providing home visits and support to families of Indigenous children from 0 to 5 years old, including group gatherings, drop-in programming, sewing circles, and workshops across multiple Yukon communities.
• Numeracy Program A multi-year initiative aimed at improving math outcomes for Indigenous students through coaching teachers, tutoring, math camps, and developing culturally-relevant teaching resources.
• Moccasin Trailblazers An Indigenous youth-directed, culturally-grounded movement to connect, empower, and activate community-driven action and social change for youth aged 16-19.
• Summer Camps Free summer camps for Indigenous kids and youth including welding camps (delivered with Yukon University and the Canadian Welding Bureau Foundation) and cooking camps.
• Summer Leadership Program A leadership development program for Indigenous youth.
• Junior Golf Fest An annual Indigenous junior golf festival for youth.
• Grad App A web-based Choose-Your-Own-Adventure app for Yukon youth navigating secondary school, including a digitized Grad Planner.
• Grad Planner A planning booklet to help students navigate the secondary school system towards graduation, available in versions for students and for administrators/counsellors/teachers.
• Post-Secondary Planner A resource launched in January 2026 for learners considering post-secondary options with info, tools, and skills to discover pathways to post-secondary education.
• Wellness Program A division of the Mobile Therapeutic Unit providing holistic, comprehensive opportunities for youth including music production, visual arts, and on-the-land programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Indigenous kids are now fed 2 healthy meals at all schools
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• First Nations Education Commission (FNEC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025In June 2025, FNEC, YFNED, and the Yukon Child and Youth Advocate Office released the final report 'For Our Children: A Review of Systemic Racism in Yukon Education' with support from the Chiefs Committee on Education and Government of Yukon's Department of Education.
• Yukon Child and Youth Advocate Office (YCAO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-released the 'For Our Children' report on systemic racism in Yukon education with FNEC and YFNED.
• Lateral Kindness - Social Innovative ConsultingsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Facilitated the initial Moccasin Trailblazers gathering at Fish Lake in 2021, led by Marilyn Jensen and Thomas Shepherd. The consulting firm facilitated workshops on social innovation and youth empowerment.
• Yukon UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYFNED partnered with Yukon University and the Canadian Welding Bureau Foundation to provide a hands-on welding camp for Indigenous youth aged 13-18. The camp takes place at Yukon University's Welding Shop and is free for participants.
• Canadian Welding Bureau FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with YFNED and Yukon University to deliver welding camp for Indigenous youth. The foundation provides expertise and potentially funding for the hands-on welding program.
• Yukon Food for Learning AssociationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering with Yukon Food for Learning Association to expand food services. Through this partnership, YFNED is able to offer select food services to a small amount of non-Indigenous students requiring food support.
• Martin Family Initiative (MFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYFNED has partnered with the Martin Family Initiative (MFI) to provide support to families of Indigenous children from 0 to 5 years old through the Early Years program.
• Government of Yukon Department of EducationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with YFNED on the For Our Children systemic racism review and framework agreement negotiations for the First Nation School Board.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC): BC-based provincial Indigenous education organization representing First Nations on K-12 education policy, curriculum, and funding. Closest analog to YFNED in mandate and structure outside Yukon — both serve as unified education advocacy bodies for their member nations.
• Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre (MFNERC): Manitoba organization providing educational support services, resources, and capacity-building to First Nations schools. Comparable to YFNED in delivering wraparound educational programming under Indigenous governance.
• Conseil en Éducation des Premières Nations (CEPN): Quebec First Nations education commission coordinating educational services, resources, and policy for member communities. Functions as a parallel Indigenous-led education directorate to YFNED.
• First Nations Confederacy of Prince Edward Island: PEI-based Indigenous organization involved in education, cultural, and community programming for Mi'kmaq communities. Comparable as a smaller-jurisdiction Indigenous education and community service organization.

Broad incumbents

• Indigenous Services Canada (ISC): Federal department administering Jordan's Principle and other Indigenous program funding. Functions as YFNED's primary funder and policy counterpart, making it both a stakeholder and a comparator for service-delivery scope.

Emerging players

• First Nation School Board (FNSB): Yukon-based entity under YFNED's umbrella focused on governance and administration of First Nations schools. Distinct but adjacent to YFNED's service-delivery mandate, with overlapping leadership and beneficiary base.
• First Nations Education Commission (FNEC): Yukon-based First Nations education body that co-released the "For Our Children" systemic racism report with YFNED in June 2025. Operates in the same geographic and policy space with adjacent but distinct functions.

Others

• Martin Family Initiative (MFI): National Indigenous early childhood education organization partnering with YFNED to deliver the Early Years home-visit program (0-5). Adjacent enabling partner rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yukon-first-nation-education-directorate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yukon First Nation Education Directorate