1 week Ago By By Michele McDougall
There were 22 new faces around the debate table in Brandon City Council Chambers on Thursday — students from Prairie Hope High School. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! To continue reading, please subscribe: *$1 will be added to your next bill. After your 4 weeks access is complete your rate will increase by $4.99 a X percent off the regular rate.
There were 22 new faces around the debate table in Brandon City Council Chambers on Thursday — students from Prairie Hope High School. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? There were 22 new faces around the debate table in Brandon City Council Chambers on Thursday — students from Prairie Hope High School. The school provides an alternative to what regular programming might look like in a traditional high school.
The teachers “meet students where they are,” said educator Kelly Fehr. Fehr said she couldn’t think of a better place or a better way to teach her students social studies, so she organized a tour of city hall, which was conducted by Mayor Jeff Fawcett and Coun. Shaun Cameron (Ward 4).
Twenty-two students from Prairie Hope High School, two teachers and a substitute educational assistant pose for a photo in Brandon City Council Chambers on Thursday after a tour of city hall, led by Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett and Coun. Shaun Cameron (Ward 4). (Michele McDougall/The Brandon Sun) “When they’re learning about different levels of government, it’s nice for them to see government at work,” Fehr said.
“And this has been a prime year for teaching a social studies course because we have a federal election next week, and all of my students can tell you who the people and the parties are, and what the job of government is,” she said. The tour started with a welcome and introduction in the main atrium, a walk through the IT department, a peek inside the mayor’s office and the finale in council chambers. More than half of Prairie Hope School’s students come from refugee backgrounds, Fehr said, and through classroom instruction and interaction they’ve learned about community, but she wanted to expand the lesson a bit further.
“We want our students to be contributing members of society, so they don’t feel like visitors — that they feel like this is their home, because when a place is your home, you look after it,” she said. “And all of them, not just one or two, are looking to become citizens so they can give back to the community.” Tolsan Osman Kafal, 20, is from Somalia and has been in Brandon for about a year.
She said she credits Prairie Hope with refining her English and communication skills. Thursday’s tour only boosted her interest in politics. “I would like to be — not the next mayor, but the next-next mayor of Brandon,” Osman told the Sun after the tour.
Coun. Shaun Cameron (Ward 4) has a chuckle as Mayor Jeff Fawcett speaks to students during their tour of city hall on Thursday. (Michele McDougall/The Brandon Sun) And as she looked around the council chambers, she marvelled at how many times she’s walked past city hall, not knowing what happens inside.
“This is the first time I’ve come here, and the first time I’ve seen the mayor,” Osman said. “I just had a lot of experiences learning what goes on in this beautiful building, and I appreciate that. Now I know.
” The students had the opportunity to ask the mayor a variety of questions, including how the city helps people who are homeless and about job opportunities for newcomers who are motivated to work in local government. Faiz Mohammadi, a 19-year-old refugee from Afghanistan, asked the mayor about how many police officers are employed in the city, since that’s what he wants to be someday. “I came to Canada and now I am in city hall,” he said as he laughed.
“I always wondered what was going on in this building, and now I know that and understand more about the city.” Cameron said it was important for him and the mayor to let the students know that “this is their building; this is their city hall.” Young people are “really interested,” he said, and engaged in how they can make improvements in their communities.
“If we had one or two people that walked away here today with a better knowledge of what the city does and what they can do to make their city better, I think we’re in a good place.” Students from Prairie Hope High School participate in a question-and-answer period in council chambers during Thursday’s tour of city hall. (Michele McDougall/The Brandon Sun) Besides teaching her students about federal and municipal politics, Fehr said they also learn about what it means to be a member of the community by giving back.
“Our students volunteer twice a week at Helping Hands Soup Kitchen because they need to realize that Canada is a place that welcomes them, but Canada is also a place that expects you to work hard and give back,” she said. “So, I hope that people know that the students really, really want to be here, that they want to work and be part of the community.” » mmcdougall@brandonsun.
com » enviromichele.bsky.social Advertisement Advertisement.
