Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools involves high school students in elections

Apr 9, 2023 | 12:00 PM

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) is being praised for their innovative approach involving the student community in the upcoming election process.

The District will be hosting a Student Election Forum on Tuesday, May 2 at École Secondaire Notre Dame High School (50 Lees St) from 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. The non-partisan election forum will give candidates the opportunity to respond to questions generated by high school students from the Social Studies 30 program.

At their March 24 meeting, the Board of Trustees approved the project, proposed by Superintendent Kathleen Finnigan.

The project stemmed from their February 28 meeting when the Board tasked administration to generate ideas on how to involve RDCRS high schools in the upcoming provincial election process.

The District contacted the Alberta School Boards Association Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Vivian Abboud, to learn about the logistics and processes RDCRS would need to follow for such an event. They were cautioned that many candidates had yet to announce their candidacy and that during an election process, candidates’ time commitment can be limited.

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The Board ensured equal opportunity for participation will be provided to all local candidates in the authentic learning opportunity, modeling civic engagement for students.

(Supplied)

Some of the candidates to date include:

Innisfail-Sylvan Lake:
- UCP: Devin Dreeshen
- NDP: Jason Heistad
Lacombe-Ponoka:
- UCP: Jennifer Johnson
- NDP: Dave Dale
Old-Didsbury-Three Hills:
- UCP: Nathan Cooper
- NDP: Cheryl Hunter Loewen
Red Deer-North:
- UCP: Adriana LaGrange
- NDP: Jaelene Tweedle
Red Deer-South:
- UCP: Jason Stephan
- NDP: Michelle Baer
Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre:
- UCP: Jason Nixon
- NDP: Vance Buchwald
- Tim Hoven (Independent)

Social Studies 30 students from all three RDCRS high schools, all political candidates within the region of RDCRS, and RDCRS Trustees are being invited to attend.

Participants are being asked to register by April 17 by emailing maria.stpierre@rdcrs.ca.

For more information about the Student Election Forum, click here.

by rdnewsNOW Staff

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools involves high school students in elections

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