News Release
6/14/2017
Aurora, ON – A York Region District School Board student has been selected as a finalist for the national Young Citizens award. Rachel Gallagher, from Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School in Aurora, is one of 200 students from across Canada who is participating in the Young Citizens program.
The Young Citizens program focuses on citizenship and is a complementary component to Heritage Fairs, annual events where students present the results of their research on Canadian heroes, legends and key events in Canadian history.
Participants in the Young Citizens program make a short video submission about their Heritage Fair topic. Members of the public are invited to view the submissions online and vote to help choose the winner. The online vote will close at midnight on July 7, 2017.
“My project consists of a video showcasing the lives of members of my family and the eye opening events that they faced in international societies as well as on Canadian soil,” said Rachel. “Throughout my story, I incorporate historical thinking concepts into my work, which aid in the understanding of the contrasts in global society and culture throughout the Second World War era and the present.”
Rachel competed in the York Region District School Board Heritage Fair and won the Ontario Genealogical Society Award at the regional Fair. She was selected by a panel of judges to attend the Ontario Provincial Heritage Fair as the Young Citizen representative. Rachel’s video and details about her ancestors’ experiences during World War II are available online.
The top 26 Young Citizen students from across Canada will receive a trip to Ottawa in the fall where they will attend the Canada's History Youth Forum.
Voting and contest details are available online.
For more information contact: