As described on the TELUS Community webpage, the “TELUS Community Boards are an innovative and groundbreaking effort that puts decision-making in the hands of local leaders who know their communities best.” There are 11 community boards across Canada, with the largest being the TELUS Vancouver Community Board. This past September, I was honored to have been selected as the Youth Member on board.
Board members have the responsibility of allocating an annual budget of $800,000 to local community projects. We are also responsible for conducting cheque presentations for successful recipients. The board is composed of various sub-committees including Health and Well-Being, Arts and Culture, Sports, and Education. As a student, I was placed in the Education subcommittee and have had the opportunity to work with over 20 of Vancouver’s most reputable business professionals and community leaders.
This past month, I had the opportunity to conduct a presentation to the Surrey School District 36, for their Girls in Action program. The program empowers young girls through weekly activities such as music, drama, and karate classes and is aimed to help these young girls cope with the transition from elementary school to high school.
Following my presentation, I listened to some of the girls in the program speak in front of their peers, expressing their excitement in being involved in the Girls in Action Program. I was truly impressed with the confidence these young girls had to speak out in front of their peers and the project coordinators at such a young age. It was evident that these girls were going to be future community leaders, and it was an honor to know that the work of my subcommittee and the contributions from TELUS would assist in fostering their growth.
Students often interpret the Be Engaged facet of the Be More campaign as getting involved within the Beedie Community. I strongly believe in order to Be Engaged, students should also take the opportunity to give back to surrounding communities in any way they can, and I strongly encourage every Beedie student to do so.