Centennial High School was teaming with kids for the Alberta Student Leadership Conference, which brought in students from across the country to learn new skills and help others.
"We have about 950 kids and 150 teachers from all over Alberta, we also have a school here from Nunavut, we have a school from Yellowknife, we have a school from Manitoba and also from Saskatchewan,” said Brent Dickson, Student Leadership Department Head at Centennial High School.
The conference is held in a different Alberta city or town every year. Students take part in three days of seminars to build leadership skills that they can then take back to their own schools and communities. They are also learning how to give back to those in need.
“We’re actually doing a fundraiser for Fort Mac, we had two high schools in Fort Mac that had to cancel coming to the conference, there were about 40 kids that were going to be here, so they weren’t able to come, so we are actually doing raffles with all sorts of different baskets where we are hoping to raise money to send to those two schools,” said Dickson.
Students say the conference does a lot for them.
“The first one I went to, it changed my life, and I know that sounds corny,” said Kaley Juvonen, attendee.
“For some people, it brings them out of their shells, I know there were some people on day one that are super shy,” she said. “When they are around all these people yelling hey, come on, let’s stand on chairs and cheer for hours on end and lose your voices and stuff, you feel accepted, you have the ability and the courage to do stuff.”
The conference has been inspiring young people since it started in 1988.
