Osoyoos Elementary School Grade 3 teacher Richard Bayliss is in Vancouver this week along with 18 students from the school to participate in We Day celebrations with 20,000 other young students at the Rogers Arena in downtown Vancouver. (Keith Lacey photo)
In his first decade of teaching, Richard Bayliss says there is no other event he can think of that comes close to matching the impact of We Day celebrations on his students.
Bayliss, a Grade 3 teacher at Osoyoos Elementary School, was in Vancouver on Wednesday (October 22), along with 18 students and vice-principal Jason McAllister, to participate in the annual We Day celebration along with more than 20,000 other students at Rogers Arena.
We Day is a celebration of youth empowerment where young people gather to be inspired and commit to returning to their communities to make positive change.
This is the third consecutive year that students from Osoyoos Elementary School have participated in We Day.
We Day was started many years ago by Save the Children founders Craig and Marc Keilburger.
“I’ve been to many rock concerts and can honestly say this is more powerful than even a great rock concert,” said Bayliss. “There is usually a disconnect between the audience and performer at a concert, but at We Day the connection between the kids in the audience is something that is palpable and you can feel.
“The reaction from almost every student I have witnessed is almost overwhelming. They are blown away and they can’t wait to get back home to start working on projects to try and change lives and make their community a better place to live.”
More than 40 students from Grade 4 to 7 applied to attend this year’s We Day event, but that had to be reduced to 18 students and it has proven very difficult to tell youngsters they can’t go, said Bayliss.
“It’s very difficult … and you end up with many students who are very disappointed,” he said. “That’s the hard part.”
Those who are selected have to file a formal application detailing their participating in socially responsible activities in their community, their commitment to engaging in further socially responsible actions and what benefit they believe they would attain by attending We Day, said Bayliss.
Pop superstar Selena Gomez and hip hop artist McLemore were scheduled speakers at this year’s event, along with education activist Dr. Ken Robinson.
Past speakers in Vancouver have included Bishop Desmond Tutu, Martin Luther King Jr. and United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Students from different grades are selected because it’s important for older students to become community leaders and to mentor younger students who might not appreciate the full impact of being involved in socially responsible activities, said Bayliss.
The most powerful message presented at We Day is that young people have the power to make positive change in the world and in their community, said Bayliss.
The trip to Vancouver also includes a trip to Science World and tour of one of Canada’s most beautiful cities, he said.
Town council recently voted to donate the town’s community bus and provide $500 in additional funding so Osoyoos students could attend We Day and that kind of support is crucial to ensuring local students will be able to be involved in this memorable event for years to come, said Bayliss.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
