Locally active, globally aware.
Columbia’s Junior Middle School students (JMS) and the JMS mentors had an experience of a lifetime yesterday as they joined thousands of students across Ontario to participate in Free the Children’s We Day.
We Day, a yearly event designed to inspire and empower youth, brings “young people together to celebrate the actions that they are taking in their local and global communities.” Students pledge to continue their roles as active global citizens and commit to bettering the world, shifting their views from ‘me’ to ‘we’.
Speakers and Performers
This year’s event was held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Government officials, humanitarians, singers, actors, social rights activists, and motivational speakers were among those who addressed the crowd of 20,000 youth. They included:
• Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan
• Big Sean
• Katie Couric
• Hedley
• Kweku Mandela
• Col. Chris Hadfield
• R5
• Jo Jonas
• Nelly Furtado
• Lights
• Craig & Marc Kielburger
• and many more.
We Day and Columbia
The JMS contribution to the We Act program is how they earned their tickets to attend this year’s event. Tickets were not sold to the public and were only given to students who are actively involved in serving the local or global community.
As part of the JMS social justice program, students participate in many of Free the Children’s initiatives including their Adopt-a-Village campaign, Walk 4 Water, and We Create Change.