Students from three Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) schools say they got to meet more than 2,000 of their peers at a conference in Niagara Falls.
Kids attending North Grenville District High School (NGDHS), South Grenville District High School (SGDHS), and Seaway District High School were invited to November’s Ontario Student Leadership Conference.
The annual event brings students and educators together in Niagara Falls to learn about leadership and management skills.
“For me, it was a huge learning curve and it got me out of my comfort zone,” says 12th-grade Seaway student Katie Wilson. “I’d never been on a sleep over or anything. It forced me out of my bubble, but now, I am more confident to start a conversation with someone new.”
NGDHS student Veronica Rusch was selected to be a “Spirit Leader” at the event, representing the UCDSB on stage and helping to coordinate group activities.
“I definitely stepped out of my comfort space and gained a lot of confidence in doing so,” Rusch says. “I was so happy to have the support of my friends from school as well. I will never forget the experience.”
SGDHS student council member Alexis Brewer says it was a valuable learning experience. “Students were really interested in and paying attention and not on their phones or talking,” she explains.
The coordinators from the three schools – Marla Campeau at NGDHS, Christine Sloan at SGDHS, and Carrie Gilmour at Seaway – say they’re already making plans for next year’s conference.
You can read more about it on the UCDSB’s website.