The Canadian Student Leadership Conference will be returning to Yorkton in the fall of 2020.
The conference was initially held in 1985 to develop leadership skills, tools, and abilities that will help them become tomorrow’s leaders, today, Mike Haczkewicz principal at Yorkton Regional High School told the regular meeting of Yorkton Council Monday. Yorkton was the host school for the inaugural event.
“In 1983, the students and staff of YRHS were invited to host the annual provincial student leadership conference of 1985. The Honorable Grant Devine challenged the Yorkton group to turn the 1985 provincial conference into a national conference as one of Saskatchewan’s contributions to the 1985 International Year of the Youth project.
“The challenge was accepted and on September 18-20, 1985, the first CSLC was held in Yorkton. Over 800 students and their advisors from across Canada and the United States (and even one delegate from Mexico) attended this conference. The theme of this conference was “Youth of today... Leaders of tomorrow”, and so, the Canadian Student Leadership Association was founded,” detailed a report circulated Monday.
The 10th anniversary of the conference was again held in Yorkton, and is poised to host the 36th edition in 2020.
The event brings together some 800 student delegates who “are the decision makers at their respective schools. Those selected to attend are generally the students responsible for booking entertainment for school events, ordering school clothing and accessories, and networking with local businesses to help promote school programs and events. They also promote engagement and participation within their schools and communities. They are the student leaders invested in making a difference in their schools and communities,” detailed the circulated material.
The event in 2020 has the theme ‘From the Roots Up.'
Haczkewicz said the budget for the event is set at $1 million, including such as expenditures as $100,000 for keynote speakers, $200,000 for meals, and $40,000 for rentals.
Three of the speakers have already been confirmed; Mark Scharenbroich who spoke at the first event in 1985, YRHS alumnus Alvin Law, and former Canadian Football League player JR LaRose from the One Arrow First Nation in Saskatchewan.
Events already being planned as part of the conference will be participants taking part in the local Terry Fox Run, hosting what might be the biggest supper in the field ever held with all participants involved, and incorporating the annual Friday Night Lights game into festivities.
While Haczkewicz said the presentation Monday was primarily to raise awareness, they did have a request of Yorkton Council.
The delegates will be housed with families, and those families will require a Criminal and Vulnerable Sector Check by the RCMP. The request was that those fees be waived for any of our households willing to take on billets.
Council was unanimous is granting the request.
