For 75 years, young people from Halifax have been given an opportunity to travel to our nation's capital, meet students from across Canada, and discover what it means to be an engaged citizen.
That tradition began with the Rotary Club of Halifax in 1951 and continues today through its successor, the Rotary Club of Halifax Harbour.
This year, we were delighted to sponsor Daniel, a student at Citadel High School, to participate in the Rotary Adventure in Citizenship Program in Ottawa. Daniel recently joined us at a club meeting to share some of the experiences, friendships, and lessons he brought home.
Discovering Canada — and Each Other
Organized by the Rotary Club of Ottawa since 1951, the Rotary Adventure in Citizenship (AIC) Program brings together approximately 150 to 200 young people from across Canada for four days of learning about Canadian democracy, diversity, citizenship, and civic responsibility.
For Daniel, one of the most memorable parts of the experience began almost immediately: meeting other young people.
Students were deliberately mixed with participants from other provinces for roommates, activities, and small groups. Daniel described how quickly friendships formed, even though he would normally expect it to take some time to get comfortable with a new group of people.
His roommate was from Ontario, his activity group brought together students with different experiences and perspectives, and by the end of the program, conversations and connections had become just as important as the scheduled activities.
Citizenship in Action
The students also had plenty to keep them busy.
Daniel's four days included a tour of Ottawa, a visit to Parliament Hill, conversations with Members of Parliament, a presentation from the Speaker of the House of Commons, and an introduction to the Parliamentary Page Program.
There was also an opportunity to cross the Ottawa River into Quebec for a visit to a traditional sugar shack — complete with maple syrup, food, and traditional dancing.
But AIC isn't simply a sightseeing trip.
Students participated in sessions exploring advocacy and how they can identify problems in their communities, communicate effectively, and turn ideas into action.
One activity challenged Daniel's group to identify a real-world problem and propose a solution. Inspired by the experience of one of the students in his group, they developed an idea addressing the lack of supports that can face people with special needs after they leave the school system.
Their proposal won the activity, but Daniel said something more important came from the discussion: recognizing that there are problems in our communities that still don't have the solutions they need.
The program concluded with another particularly meaningful experience — attending a Canadian citizenship ceremony.
An Experience That Makes a Difference
At the end of his presentation, Daniel reflected on what the experience had meant to him.
“It kind of opened my eyes to how things are and how people can make a change if they really want to — and how you can get involved in that.”
That may be one of the best descriptions of why Adventures in Citizenship has endured for 75 years.
The program teaches young people about Canadian institutions and democracy, but it also gives them something much harder to teach in a classroom: an opportunity to meet people from different parts of the country, hear different perspectives, discover issues that matter to them, and recognize their own ability to contribute.
A Halifax Rotary Tradition Since 1951
There is another part of this story of which our club is particularly proud.
When the Rotary Club of Ottawa launched Adventures in Citizenship in 1951, the Rotary Club of Halifax began sending a student to participate. That commitment has continued through the evolution of our club into today's Rotary Club of Halifax Harbour.
Seventy-five years later, we're still doing it.
Generations of young people from our community have travelled from Halifax to Ottawa through this program, returning home with new friendships, new perspectives, and a better understanding of their country and their role within it.
Daniel is now part of that remarkable tradition.
We're grateful to him for returning to share his experience with us — and we're proud to continue investing in opportunities that help young people discover the difference they can make in their communities and beyond.