CWY in Revelstoke

The following is an article I wrote for the local newspaper, reflecting on my past experience with CWY and encouraging local community members to get involved:

Canada World Youth’s Impact: On an Individual & Community Level
By: Laura Roberts

Six years ago when I left my hometown of Edmonton, Alberta to participate in a Canada World Youth Exchange that took me to Truro, Nova Scotia and Slavsk, Russia I really had no idea what I was getting myself into, nor how much impact such an experience would have on my life. In fact, I think I only really figured that out after I finished the program and had time to process the unique experience I had gone through, where for six months of my life I shared a room with Olga- my Russian counterpart- where I lived and learned from two uniquely different host families in Russia and Canada – and where I worked four days a week for a variety of different social service type organizations. I came away from that asking myself - really - where else can someone get such an amazing educational experience?

The experience made me hungry for more, and to fill this yearning I did a degree in political science and finished with a specialization in globalization and international relations. That is not where the impact of the program stopped; it didn’t just affect my studies and future career goals, but my overall understanding of community and active citizenship. Theses elements motivated me to contribute many volunteer hours sitting on non-profit boards, organizing committees, and student government positions at university. It’s interesting to look back on what I’ve done since in my program as I think Canada World Youth instilled in me its mission and mandate – to engage youth and help them develop as true global citizens.

Today, six years later, I find myself in a new leadership role working for Canada World Youth as project supervisor, preparing the community of Revelstoke to host a new group of youth through that same journey I took with Canada World Youth a few short years ago. The program is a little different than mine was in that it involves three countries creating a trilateral exchange, with six participants arriving from Mozambique, Namibia and Canada, respectively. The participants will be working in different areas of the community under a job description that has a direct eco-leadership focus - a new perspective for Canada World Youth that aims to explore and strengthen the participants understanding of environmental sustainability.

As I prepare the community for the group’s arrival in the fall I am meeting with the people of Revelstoke, hoping to learn about their issues, needs, and sense of community. It is primarily through the community that the group will gain the best experience, emphasizing community-based learning -the educational approach exemplified by Canada World Youth which depends on the support of numerous community members and organizations.

One of the program’s main objectives is to help the participants gain an increased understanding of what Revelstoke has to offer and to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of community- how it is fostered, developed and maintained. It is through this deepened understanding that Canada World Youth facilitates the development of active citizens who are ready to take on challenges and different tasks which will contribute to better overall global understanding, cooperation, and unity of purpose.

Therefore, we are looking for volunteer work placements and host families to accommodate a cadre of African and Canadian youth arriving in September. The experience benefits the overall community involved, enriching lives in ways that are often described as once in a life time.