Joe is a distinquished leader in the field of youth development. He has been committed for over three decades providing marginalized youth in Edmonton with the tools and resources they need to break the cycle of poverty and dependence that often dominates their lives.
Joe founded this association recognizing the need for such from earlier work that he had done with marginalized youth. The association through the youth development arm reaches out to Edmonton’s marginalized Indigenous and other urban youth with tools and opportunities to break the cycle of poverty, desperation, and dependence that dominates their lives. This help ranges from programs of basic living skills, basic literacy, counselling, meals, and emergency supports such as bus tickets, food, interim shelter, addiction and legal supports.
The Inner City High School program provides the youth with a solid academic and arts based education, one that provides the students with the opportunities, skills and resources to become contributing members of society.
The program has enabled over 3,500 urban indigenous and other youth to leave street life behind and experience a degree of success in their lives looking towards a more hopeful future.
The association strives to respond to the needs of the students with respect and hope and provide the youth with the resources, tools and attitudes to stabilize their lives. The values of trust, respect, co-operation and non violence permeate the social services support and the academic program. Joe has initiated, championed and nurtured this initiative since the beginning. He was the principal and then superintendent from 1993 to 2018. For the past five years Joe has been the Chief Operating Officer of the association reporting directly to the board along with the person who has been appointed principal, an indication of planning for the ongoing viability of the association.
Mr. Cloutier is very humble and his approach to leadership is guided by the principles of Rotary. He meets the 4-way test, treating all faculty, staff and students with fairness and integrating all at Inner City High School. He also involves elders to help students through smudging and other indigenous cultural activities.
Investing his life’s work in something that clearly fulfills a need for the individual youth as well as the community as whole, Joe certainly exemplifies the principles and values of Rotary. He is a great example of Service Above Self.
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