Becky Hudson, Dylon Martin and Patricia Nordstrom, all students from R.D. Parker Collegiate in Thompson, are heading to Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 19 for a week-long forum for youth.
The Forum for Young Canadians was created by the Foundation for the Study of Processes of Government in Canada, a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1975 with the goal of educating young Canadians about the three levels of democratic government in Canada.
Up to 125 students aged 15 to 19 participate in the forum each session and are chosen based on sound academic performance, social and leadership skills, participation in extra curricular activities and interest in current, national and community affairs.
Hudson, Martin and Nordstrom were chosen because of their grades and participation in their school and community - Hudson and Nordstrom are part of R.D. Parker's Youth Aboriginal Council (YAC) and Martin is involved in Power of Youth at the school.
The students have a full set of activities planned for them, including taking a tour of Parliament, visiting the National Press Building and the Prime Minister's Office and the Privy Council Office, meeting parliamentary media and committees, visiting Elections Canada headquarters and attending press conferences. There will also be youth engagement sessions, sessions on aboriginal people in Canada, observing the House of Commons, learning about the Supreme Court, taking part in an MP's dinner, attending a minister's conference and more.
"I'm very excited," Nordstrom says. "I want to learn a lot about Parliament and just the city in Ottawa as a whole."
Martin says he can't wait to see NDP MP for Churchill Niki Ashton in her element.
"I want to see what her job is, to see the mechanics of it - how she gets everything done in her position as an opposition MP," he explains. "I want to see her squeaking the wheels of the machine."
Marie Highway, aboriginal student advisor at R. D. Parker Collegiate, is also the students' chaperone for the trip. She says she's so happy the young people have this opportunity.
"They're going to be able to learn more about how to develop their leadership skills, and they get to learn how the government works. That's the nation's capitol, so maybe in the future they'll be the leaders there!" she exclaims. "It'll be a very memorable experience, a very educational experience."
