Mayors' Showcase

This afternoon, I had the pleasure of attending the Mayors' Showcase and Celebration of Citizenship held at Stampede Park in Calgary.  The Mayors' showcase was started a few years ago to celebrate projects done by students in and around Calgary.

Previous celebrations were held at the Palliser Hotel, but this year,the Boyce Theater at Stampede Park was the venue! AMP Radio morning DJs Ryan & Katie were our emcees. 

Host mayor Naheed Nenshi of Calgary, along with the mayors of Olds, Longview, Beiseker (that's me!), and Strathmore were there to cheer on students from various schools in and around Calgary.  Here's some of the featured projects of these students;

• Students in grades 7 to 9 at Wilma Hansen School in Calgary were recognized for their horticultural project in and around their school.
• The students of Father Lacombe High School in Calgary focussed their goal on helping people like themselves internationally. Their project was called Father Lacombe Social Justice Club.
• Olds High School students helped those in the community in need by working with a local group called Christmas Angels.
• The students of Longview School in Longview saw the need for reducing the amount of garbage shipped out of the community. They focused on the creation of a comprehensive composting program. Their compost will be placed in the beds of the Memorial Garden to help support its continued growth.
• Westmount Elementary School in Strathmore developed a Youth Leadership Challenge program concentrating on awareness of community, citizenship and culture.  They also developed a reduce , reuse, recycle program in their school.
• Banded Peak School in Bragg Creek, Langdon School in Langdon, Muriel Clayton Middle School in Airdrie and Springbank Middle School in Springbank worked on a Eco-Inquiry project. They researched the relationships and interdependence between communities and their natural environments.

Each and all schools were recognized for their contribution and their students hailed as leaders of the future! 

All in all it was a very uplifting afternoon.  I enjoyed watching the young people celebrate their success, and start planning for future projects.    After the speeches and presentations, the students were treated to popcorn,  fruit punch, and other "kid-friendly" goodies. 

Overall, the celebration was far less formal than it would be in the Palliser - and I think it was much more enjoyed by those we were celebrating; the kids!

The Showcase is a part of the program operated by the Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation with its major sponsor the Building Trades of Alberta.   Well done - Great job!