Colchester Christian Academy student selected for national youth forum
A Colchester County student has been selected to participate in the Forum for Young Canadians in Ottawa.
Rachel Pring, 17, of East Mountain, a Grade 12 student at Colchester Christian Academy (CCA) in Truro, is one of 100 students from across Canada who will be participating in a weeklong youth forum in the national capital in late January.
“I’m interested in politics and the main reason I’m really excited about going, I want to see the background workings of how the country is run,” Pring said.
“Besides the experience, I’m very excited to be meeting all of these people from all over Canada.”
The Forum for Young Canadians is a non-partisan program for youth aged 15 to 19, which was founded by the Foundation for the Study of Processes of Government in Canada. The program is held three times a year with 100 students selected for each rotation.
And as far as she is aware, Pring is the only student from Nova Scotia who was selected.
“We’re’ going to be doing a bunch of political simulations,” Pring said, as well as learning about the electoral voting process and other things related to politics and public affairs.
Pring, who is also a member of the army reserves in Truro, said she applied to the program after seeing it advertised on a wall at her school.
“I saw the poster for this and I’m like, ‘huh, that’s interesting.’ And I mean it’s Grade 12 so, you know, might as well go out with a bang,” she said, smiling broadly.
CCA principal Dr. Betty Johnson described Pring as “an excellent student” and said others at the school are proud she was selected for the program.
“We think that’s pretty special that she took the initiative,” she said.
The cost of the trip is $895, which the students are responsible for providing.
Pring will be departing Nova Scotia on Jan. 28 and returning on Feb. 3.
And while she is fully looking forward to meeting new people and checking out all that Parliament Hill has to offer, there is one aspect of the experience that gives her some pause for concern.
“I’m just excited,” she said. “It’s going to be a little bit nerve wracking going on a plane by myself but that’s the only thing I’m nervous about.”