Northern Lights School Division sent a contingent of youths and teachers to participate in the huge youth event, We Day, in Vancouver on Oct. 15.
We Day included recognition of the special status of Northern Lights in the Free The Children Project when two Glendon students addressed the massive audience.
Glendon School was nominated by Omers Worldwide, a We Day Sponsor, as one of the most empowering schools in Canada. School staff chose Kenidy Aylesworth and Corrie Fritzler to represent the school from the stage.
Fritzler says she hopes We Day will help inspire more people to get involved to help make the world a better place.
It was awesome to be able to empower other students by doing something, she says after getting back from Vancouver. She says it was a little nerve-wracking being backstage with bands like Hedley and Barenaked Ladies, but she once she got on stage the nerves went away.
“It was really empowering knowing that you can get rewarded in such a way just for wanting to make a difference,” adds Aylesworth. “The aura was just so amazing.”
The Northern Lights group cheered for Aylesworth and Fritzler from nearby, providing a bit of extra support during the minute long presentation.
The students answered a question from etalk's Ben Mulroney on how their school has been so successful at fundraising for charities. They told the audience that teamwork played a big part in their school's success, and that they work with the other schools in the division instead of being competitive.
“It's an incredible honour to be asked to be able to represent our division,” says Karla Whittaker, a teacher from Cold Lake High School, who supervised the trip. “The point of We Day is to inspire youth to move forward in activism in their own life,”
A group of 65 students and supervisors went to We Day from Glendon, Bonnyville, Cold Lake, Lac La Biche, and Plamondon. The group left on Oct. 13 and came back four days later. Students raised funds to attend We Day, which was complemented by funds from the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement.
The division's schools raised over $100,000 last year for Free The Children and other charities. Glendon School raised money last year to build a school in Kenya.
The division stayed together in Vancouver. Glendon School's five students who attended got to do some touring in the city and visited Chinatown, the aquarium, and the Pacific Ocean.
Aylesworth and Fritzler are members of Glendon School's Children Helping Individuals Live with Dignity (CHILD). The group plans to help feed the homeless in Edmonton this year, as well as to build a water well in Kenya. CHILD will also be asking for food donations this Halloween, which it will distribute at Christmas.
Glendon School live-streamed the event in the gym online so students could watch Aylseworth and Fritzler give their speeches.
“They spoke very well, very eloquently. I was pretty proud,” said Principal Ken Pshyk.
Martin Sheen, Paralympian Rick Hansen, Al Gore, and Reverend Jesse Jackson shared stories for the 18,000 people in attendance at Rogers Place. We Day is supported by Free The Children, which promotes education, access to water, and international development.
