Young political enthusiasts spend a week in Edmonton

Times Reporter  

 

Getting youth more involved and interested in politics is a part of the goal behind the Forum for Young Albertans. The forum offers a non-partisan political learning opportunity to senior high school students. 

Forum participants had the chance to watch politicians debate over a number of different topics.  Students then also got to job-shadow and learn what it is our politicians are doing from a first-hand perspective. 

“From the trip I learned a great deal about the careers one can follow in politics and the jobs that come with being a civil servant, and it is a very taxing job. I would eventually love to pursue a political career but it will have to come after I am through university and have a bit of experience under my belt,” said Keean Bexte, who attended.

“It was an experience you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else, the forum allows you to learn and be part of the politics in our province,” said Rachel Rogers who also spent the week in Edmonton. 

“The forum stood out to me because of the opportunities it presented. It allowed me to look very closely into the daily life of civil service from all aspects. The forum has very good connections to civil servants and this made it very easy to meet MLA’s and party leaders,” said Braden Muenchrath.

The students aren’t just busy working the whole time; they also get a chance to meet other young Albertans who share some of their interests. The four from the Strathmore-Brooks Constituency all heard about the opportunity in different ways, but all shared a desire to learn more about what it is like to be an MLA and what exactly the political process entails. 

“Last year my teacher thought it would be a great opportunity for me to go to The Forum for Young Albertans, I looked it up and agreed right away, it seemed like something I’d be very interested in. The program was cancelled due to the election last spring and they invited me again and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity,” said Rogers, who plans to obtain a Political Science degree.

“What stands out about the forum was that unlike other political conferences, it brought together a group of politically aware youth where we could learn about the different perspectives and cultures of average Albertans. Personally I have a huge interest in politics and I believe that it is tremendously important to be informed about our systems of government and it’s activities,” said Bexte.

Muenchrath has also always had an interest in politics and he found the forum helped him learn a lot about how things work in Alberta. 

“I plan on going to university to take either political science or sociology. I plan on a career in civil service,” said Muenchrath. 

The trip helped flame their passion for politics and each of the students feels fortunate to have been chosen to be a part of the forum.