​A commitment to raising awareness of environmental and sustainability issues has been put into action by students who are part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme at Bedford Road Collegiate.

The IB students partnered with the YMCA Community Action Network (YCAN), a national program that aims to engage young people to get involved in their local community by implementing a youth-led service project that address specific needs in their community.

Beginning last November, the students engaged in community assessments and planning to develop a project that would address issues surrounding the environment. The mission was to prioritize sustainability and health by through environmentally friendly goals while creating a societal impact and raising awareness on how to integrate environmental initiative into daily city life.

The YCAN-IB cohort's project is composed of environmentally friendly workshops, a pilot composting program within the school, and a school-wide litter cleanup of the surrounding community to show that Bedford Road students are environmentally conscious neighbours.

In March, four Bedford Road students participated in the YCAN national conference. The event was an opportunity to meet peers, discuss and learn about local/national initiatives and gain a new perspective to bring back to their home community.

One of those students, Abdullah Qureshi, will attend the first-ever Canada Youth Summit being held May 2-3 in Ottawa. The conference will bring together 300 youth to share experiences, learn from each other, and engage on the issues most important to them. 

"Youth are underrepresented; thus, the conference is an opportunity for youth's voice to be heard by discussing policies to help inform the government of what youth want," Qureshi said. "The prime minister is expected to be in attendance, along with the 300-plus youth who will all be shining light on the policies and expectations the youth have about Canada moving forward.

"My hope is to encourage the power of one which promotes little changes in habit to help impact a much bigger issue of climate change. I want to increase awareness and improve the environmental impact in Saskatoon by sowing the seeds of environmental sustainability within the students of Bedford."

The IB program, which is offered at both Bedford Road and Aden Bowman collegiates, is for Grade 11 and 12 students who are academically motivated and desire the rigorous curriculum often as a preparation for post-secondary study. The IB philosophy promotes the development of a well-rounded, service-oriented citizen of the world and the program is committed to service, youth development, experiential learning and social responsibility.