Bringing Democracy to Life at UTS: Student Vote Canada
The right to vote is a precious thing.
Next Monday, Canadians will cast their ballots in a pivotal election for our country at a time when politics and democracy matters more than ever, here and abroad. Most of our students are too young to vote in this election, with the exception of S6 students who have turned 18, but their lives and their futures will feel the impact of the results.
This federal election we will continue the UTS tradition of giving students the opportunity to experience the democratic process firsthand by taking part in Student Vote Canada. Students in elementary and high schools from coast to coast will mark their ballots for real candidates, voting in a mock election that mirrors the real one. Student Vote Canada brings democracy to life in our school, creating real-world learning and inspiring valuable conversations about the future of Canada. This exercise is part of our commitment to provide students with tools to analyze the vast amount of digital information around them, and to relate their curricular learning to real-life situations that shape their world.
Last week, our school community enjoyed a dynamic assembly, led by a team of four students and supported by our staff, which provided background on key election concepts, including ridings, voter turnout, political parties, elections and our constitution, and the importance of participating in the democratic process. Their passion for democracy and the political process was contagious.
As part of the assembly a group of six students, one from every year, took the stage to share how important it is to exercise your right to vote. One student said: “Voting is a way for regular people to make large amounts of change, because many issues like racial equality, access to active health care and environmental policy are all heavily influenced by government policy. And even if one vote might not seem very significant, if many people decide not to go out and vote, it impacts the results of the election.”
Another said: “Voting is an opportunity for people to have a stake in their future and change the status quo, whether that's if something is wrong or something to change.”
On election day, UTS students will volunteer to take on the roles of election workers, assisting in organizing and running the Student Vote process under staff supervision. This hands-on experience encourages civic engagement and fosters active citizenship. The national results will be tallied by Student Vote Canada to provide an understanding of where our country’s young people stand in this election.
Monday, April 28 is an important day for the future of our country and our students will be a part of it. Their vote may not count yet, but by taking part in the process, we hope they will gain an understanding and commitment to democracy that will carry forward into their future lives.
