Red Deer teen spends day on Parliament Hill

RED DEER- Big Brothers Big Sisters and Boys and Girls Clubs from across Canada will spend a day of mentoring on Parliament Hill today.

Approximately 100 youth and MPs will spend the workday together as part of a joint initiative to inspire young people to become more engaged citizens by exposing them to politics and the democratic process in Canada.

Sixteen-year-old Pearl, will represent Big Brothers Big Sisters of Red Deer and District.

“This is a chance for me and other youth to dig into the parliament system, meet the people who have exceptional political power, and get our voice out there,” said Pearl. “I believe that youth are the future and this generation will make a lot of changes to society. I’m happy to be a part of a group of students who will ultimately alter the world for the better. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m so grateful to be included.”

Recent polling shows that a strong majority of Canadians believe that young people have too little influence on public policy in this country.

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Kris Fleckenstein, Board Chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Red Deer and District states, “We talk about making sure youth know all the options available to them. Yet, it isn’t often that youth get to voice their opinions on Parliament Hill. YOUth in Office is an excellent experience where they will see and hear first hand democracy in action. It will also stress how important it is to vote, when they are of voting age.”

For more information, visit www.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca/youth-in-office

(Gary McKinnon)