History Matters
Young Citizens are at the vanguard of an informed and engaged new generation of Canadians.
In January, history enthusiasts gathered in Ottawa for the History Makers gala to recognize the 2018 recipients of the Governor General’s History Awards.
These national storytellers explore how our past can be used to build richer and deeper connections among all Canadians and how we can encourage students to become engaged, empathetic citizens.
One of those students is Basel Al Rashdan — a 2018 winner of our Young Citizens program — who, at the gala, offered a toast to Canada’s innovators. The twelve-year-old, who has spoken at the United Nations about his experience as a Syrian refugee, introduced himself that evening as a student “at Queen Charlotte Intermediate School in Canada’s great
est province, Prince Edward Island!” It was certainly a provocative statement to make to a national audience, and it immediately sparked conversation and debate.
The Young Citizens program, which boasts nearly one thousand alumni, is a national competition that sees students like Basel create videos about moments in Canadian history.
Each year our Young Citizens website showcases these digital stories — attracting 220,000 page views, and engaging more than 50,000 Canadians in an online vote. Along the way, the videos inspire countless conversations about Canada’s rich and diverse past.
The initiative fosters a new approach to history education, encouraging a fresh crop of storytellers to share ideas and voices, while strengthening communication skills in research, writing, interviewing, and public speaking.
Young Citizens are the leaders of tomorrow — future policy-makers and voters, educators and lifelong learners, risk takers and innovators. Studious, articulate, engaging, and increasingly multilingual, these students offer unique perspectives about who we are as Canadians.
With the help of teachers and parents, the students thrive as critical thinkers and are energized with interest in the future of their communities.
Let’s all toast to a country whose citizens listen and explore the views of others, strengthening the common bond of the Canadian experience.
We invite you to watch the toasts online at: CanadasHistory.ca/Toasts.