A group of Grade 12 students in Guelph is organizing an internationally-themed multicultural event for the new year.
All of the planning and organizing necessary to put on the event is the responsibility of 43 students in the Beyond Borders program with the Upper Grand District School Board, a business leadership program in which students get hands on experience in the community.
“Since we are [at the Guelph Youth Music Centre], central downtown, sometimes we’ll just show up to school and then our teachers will be like, ‘okay we’re doing something in the community,’” explained 17-year-old Kirsten Donaldson.
“So it’s just really easy for us to get out there because that’s a big thing about our program, community involvement and leadership.”
Along with a business leadership credit and an international business credit, students in the Beyond Borders program have the opportunity to earn an English and math credit as well.
The environment is similar to that of a real workplace.
“In the mornings … up here you should see it, it’s crazy,” Donaldson said. “There’s tables everywhere, there’s so much hustle and bustle it just feels like a legitimate workplace … like all the networking. I just find it cool, find it fun coming to school when we have to do this every morning.”
Students in the program come from John F. Ross Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute, Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute and Wellington Catholic District School Board high schools (because the program is not advertised in the Catholic board those schools aren’t as thoroughly represented).
For one semester students in the program meet at the Guelph Youth Music Centre and work on various projects and assignments.
In mid-November students began work on their final project. The class was split into roles necessary to put on a charity event. Donaldson is on the out-of-house marketing team along with Tiana Bozic, Danielle O’Connell and Aimee McCurdy.
The event is called “One” and the slogan is “Go beyond, come together.”
“It’s kind of showing how you can explore all the boundaries that you want to go across … and explore the world but … in the end you can also bring everyone together to experience all those things,” Bozic explained.
“One” will take place on Jan. 16 at the River Run Centre in Guelph. The doors will open at 6pm and in the atrium guests will be able to sample various appetizers from around the world, including French, Mexican, Indian, American and Canadian food to name a few.
At about 7pm the entertainment will begin in the theatre and guests will experience different multicultural performances including a mariachi band, Bollywood dancers, an accordion player, a Syrian composer and throat singers. Headlining the evening will be Andrew Craig and Juno nominee Alysha Brilla. The evening will also include a live and silent auction.
All proceeds will go towards research into twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a syndrome that takes place while identical twins are in utero and sharing a placenta, at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.
“It’s when one twin gets more fluid and more blood and nutrients than the other one,” Bozic explained. “If the mother goes into labour too early there’s less of a chance of the twins surviving it, if they do survive it there’s a high risk of mental disorders, physical disorders and … malnutrition and things like that.”
Mount Sinai doctor Gregory Ryan will also offer an information session about TTTS.
The class learned that a hospital benefactor would match any proceeds donated to the hospital by Dec. 17 and by then it had raised about $15,000 from donations and sponsorships. With the benefactor’s generosity, Beyond Borders has already contributed about $30,000 for TTTS this year.
“Originally we set our goal to raise $28,000 and we’ve already raised more than that before the Christmas break,” Bozic said.
Along with being proud of their fundraising efforts, the students are also proud of the work they’ve done.
“I can’t believe we’re able to do this and … I think we’re doing a really good job,” McCurdy said.
Donaldson said one of her goals is to show the community just what high school students can really do.
“We’re high school students so … a lot of people, when we’re asking for this ticket money … they just picture something because they know it’s run by a bunch of teenagers and … it’s almost like they’re not believing in us,” she said. “We’re kind of showing how students our age are able to do something with such leadership in the community.”
Tickets for the “One” event can be purchased at http://riverrun.ca/whats-on/one/ and cost between $65 and $75. For more information visit http://www.oneevent.xyz.
