Youth political engagement in action
Do young people even care about what happens in politics? Two Grade 12 students from Nelson McIntyre Collegiate, Owen Coomber and Emerson McFadyen, decided to find out.
Through a survey and a mock election that engaged 90 students in their riding, they gave classmates the chance to experience the voting process and reflect on what issues matter most to them.
Their project was recognized with Outstanding Take Action Project Award from MCIC.
We interviewed Owen and Emerson to find out what the project meant to them:
What was your motivation for taking on this project?
Emerson: We wanted to encourage young people to vote at their first chance to do so because this is essential for a healthy democracy. It has been shown that people who vote at an early age are much more likely to become lifelong voters.
In addition to driving youth turnout, we hoped to gain a broader understanding of the concerns and issues young people have regarding politics. Knowing what issues matter to people our age would enable us to have more meaningful discussions and promote the kind of dialogue that is, again, important for a healthy democracy.
Sounds like a complex and interesting project! How did you carry it out?
Owen: We created a survey which asked respondents one question about which federal party they would vote for and seven optional questions about demographics and specific issues. Our principal agreed to send this survey to the six other high schools in our federal riding.
While responses from other schools were being collected, we set up a mock election in our own school. We prepared a voting booth, ballot box, and paper ballots, and we polled students who passed through the foyer over lunch.
Wow! Real voting boxes and ballots—students must have had fun with that. What was the biggest takeaway or impact for each of you?
Emerson: I enjoyed the experience of simulating an election and found sorting through the results fascinating. The project also gave me the chance to meet my MP and discuss a topic of importance with him. This is a meaningful part of engaged citizenship, and I am very glad that this project led to it. Finally, this project helped me to get even more involved in politics in my community. In April, I chose to volunteer in the federal election campaign for a local candidate. To my surprise, people there remembered our project and had told others about having liked it. Because of this, I was given the opportunity to be involved at a higher level in the campaign, which was a truly worthwhile experience.
Owen: At the start of our project, I was not invested in politics. Throughout the project, I felt myself getting more passionate about my political beliefs and figuring out what I value in politics. The whole experience of running the mock election was an amazing hands-on way to view the voting process. One of the most impactful moments for me was meeting with my MP and sharing our election results. It made me realize that, even as students, our voices matter.
Owen and Emerson’s project proved that young people do care about political issues — and that when given the opportunity, they can learn, reflect, and influence real conversations about the future of Canadian politics.
Have you taken action on something that matters to you? Students in Manitoba taking Global Issues 40S are encouraged to share their projects with MCIC to get recognized, but it’s not limited to this course! Whether it’s a project in your school or community, we’d love to hear about it. Email youth@mcic to share your story and be featured on our blog.
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