Meeting BC Francophone Youth!

Again this year, the Conseil jeunesse francophone de la C.-B. (CJFCB) has undertaken a tour of secondary schools in BC. Here is an article on this subject, published in their latest newsletter.

Here we are back on the road in British Columbia for a new edition of our annual tour of Conseil scolaire francophone (CSF) secondary schools! Our suitcases are filled with activities and information about events for our dear BC Francophone youth. In between trips in cars, ferries, and planes, there's no time to be tourists, because we have a most important mission to accomplish. That mission is to inform ALL BC Francophone youth of our activities by and for young people, and all in French of course!

Show time!

The students are sitting quietly. Curtains. Lights. We throw ourselves into the arena. The show starts. We introduce our events, one after another, from the B.C. Francophone Youth Parliament to the Canadian Francophonie Games, between videos and announcements of registration dates. We're actively recruiting artists, sporting types, leaders.

Then comes the list of projects offered especially to young people in the CSF, which grows from year to year. The Improv League is back. The Réseau jeunesse (Youth Network) is actively seeking reps, and our youth radio La Boîte.FM will travel more than ever across the province. 

Two new projects are being implemented this year. First, the Empreintes project, because the well-being of our young people in school is dear to our hearts. And then there's Crescendo, a new provincial competition in the performing arts, where singers, dancers, dog trainers, and fire-eaters are all invited to dazzle us!

You can see reactions in the room. Young people love the arts, and new offerings. No questions? It's okay, we've prepared some ourselves! The team with hats goes against the team with glasses during an almost-too-easy quiz for the students, who have clearly been paying attention. There are final smiles and thank-yous as we give out our small surprise gifts in the CJFCB colours. How great our young people are!

The Diverse BC Francophone Community

The days go by, but they're not all the same. Some groups bombard us with questions, others are more timid. One thing's for sure, the Francophonie is alive and well among the young people of British Columbia. Scattered throughout the province, the Francophone community has a variety of wonderful different accents. It’s up to us to unite all those voices, and make French the language for leisure activities, sharing, and coming together!

Finally, many thanks to all of you who support us: curious young people, caring parents, motivated teachers, and dedicated school staff. Until next time!