 I have always believed that elected officials have a responsibility to engage young people in the democratic process. That is why I speak to approximately 20-40 classes per year. Whether I speak to elementary schools or high school Civics and Careers classes, one thing is always the same: students get excited when they discover the power of one; when they learn the influence that every person can have simply by participating in community, by commenting in government processes and by voting. I bring a different approach to student engagement than some others might. I think it is important to treat students in a mature fashion and to let them know that, in addition to the power they can have by taking part in their community, they must also accept that democracy brings a set of obligations that they owe to their country and to their community. Real responsibility begins when people realize that politics is not simply a consumer good and that it is not somebody else’s responsibility to interest them in participating or in voting. I sometimes share the story of how I got involved in politics at a very early age, leading a province-wide group of high school students in a battle against the provincial government, taking it to the Supreme Court and becoming the youngest person elected in Ontario, along the way (on school board). Local government should be for, and by, all residents; and good democratic attitudes and habits can be formed at a young age. That is why I have always set aside a portion of my time and a small amount of my constituent service budget each year to make youth engagement a priority. Every year, I hear from young people who have become involved in the community, at least partially as a result of this kind of outreach, and each one makes it worth it.I have always believed that elected officials have a responsibility to engage young people in the democratic process. That is why I speak to approximately 20-40 classes per year. Whether I speak to elementary schools or high school Civics and Careers classes, one thing is always the same: students get excited when they discover the power of one; when they learn the influence that every person can have simply by participating in community, by commenting in government processes and by voting. I bring a different approach to student engagement than some others might. I think it is important to treat students in a mature fashion and to let them know that, in addition to the power they can have by taking part in their community, they must also accept that democracy brings a set of obligations that they owe to their country and to their community. Real responsibility begins when people realize that politics is not simply a consumer good and that it is not somebody else’s responsibility to interest them in participating or in voting. I sometimes share the story of how I got involved in politics at a very early age, leading a province-wide group of high school students in a battle against the provincial government, taking it to the Supreme Court and becoming the youngest person elected in Ontario, along the way (on school board). Local government should be for, and by, all residents; and good democratic attitudes and habits can be formed at a young age. That is why I have always set aside a portion of my time and a small amount of my constituent service budget each year to make youth engagement a priority. Every year, I hear from young people who have become involved in the community, at least partially as a result of this kind of outreach, and each one makes it worth it.
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