On November 15, 2012 the Calgary Science School grade 9 students, along with the grade 8 ‘Me to We’ elective students, were invited to participate in the National Philanthropy Day Youth Forum in the Palomino Room at Stampede Park. This generous invitation was extended by the Association of Professional Fundraisers who also organized a simultaneous luncheon for Calgary’s philanthropic community to highlight and celebrate the generosity of our city’s many benefactors.
The Youth Forum consisted of five workshops that students rotated through in groups to explore issues related to philanthropy and community service. When each group completed a station they were given a bicycle part (frame, pedals, handlebars, etc…) until they had accumulated the essential components of a bike. Under the direction of volunteer bicycle mechanics, the student groups assembled the bikes that were then donated to pre-selected charities that have indicated a need for donations of this kind to assist families in their care.
Throughout the day grade 8 students in the ‘Me to We’ elective filmed the workshops and bicycle construction while interviewing student participants. Following the event they will edit and produce a video that will be used by Youth Calgary in future forums and workshops. We also assigned 2 students to be embedded Twitter reporters using the hashtag #npdyyc.