Part 1: Learning outside the classroom
On Sunday, March 12, when I arrived at the Terry Fox Centre in Ottawa, I was more than a little overwhelmed.
The orange and turquoise walls of the centre, as well as the voices of dozens upon dozens of teenagers, made for an overall loud environment. As I scanned papers pinned on the wall, figuring out my bed assignment, in bewilderment I wondered just what I had signed myself up for.
The Canada wide program “Encounters with Canada” or “Rencontres du Canada” brings together typically about 100 teenagers from across the country every week in Ottawa. To some, a crowd of 100 teenagers might sound like a nightmare, but in reality Encounters with Canada is one of the most spectacular and beneficial opportunities out there for not just Canada’s youth, but every Canadian citizen as well. There are a variety of differently themed weeks to choose from, and I decided on the social media and communications week.
That first night in Ottawa, homesickness hit me hard. There I was, plopped into the middle of a crowd of strangers, not sure what tomorrow had in store, and it was altogether daunting. As the week officially kicked off, I found I had less and less time to miss home, too many new and exciting experiences were offered. I toured Parliament, as well as museums, memorials, and one of the most haunted buildings in North America. Almost every day, we had amazing guest speakers, there to talk about either something pertaining to our theme, or just life in general. Debates, presentations, videos, trips, group projects, modules, the whole week had a schedule that kept us pretty busy.
During it all, however, and in the back of my mind constantly, was what kind of story I would write about my week when I returned home. What could I write that could possibly encompass everything I felt needed to be said about Encounters with Canada? But by the time I was on my return flight home, I knew exactly what I wanted to say.
With the rise of social media, and some of the drastic cultural changes that are happening in recent years, there can sometimes be tension between different generations. I have heard opinions that today’s youth are lazy, overly sensitive, disrespectful, always on their phones, and don’t value what they should. Not everyone believes this, but I wish that I could show the people who do what happened over my week at Encounters with Canada.
“When I see the youth of Canada, the students that are young and energetic, I think the future of Canada is in really good hands,” said Dennis Moffat, a retired teacher and teacher monitor at Encounters, who recently received his pin for 15 years of working in the program.
When I sat down with Lauralee Edgell, another teacher monitor, she said something similar.
“I have never in my life experienced such amazing groups of youth. Each participant I meet and interact with is amazing. When I go back to my community, and someone badmouths teenagers, I go ‘No, you haven’t experienced teenagers.’ There are amazing people in this country, and our country is in good hands.”
Encounters truly is a program that allows you to experience Canada, not just historically, and culturally, but most importantly, socially. What really made my week so spectacular, and so life changing, were the people I met. What I learned from the bonds I made during Encounters, I could never learn in a classroom.