Several hundred high school students in Waterloo Region will participate in Canada's longest-running simulated federal-provincial conference.
WATERLOO, Ont., (Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011) - Several hundred high school students in Waterloo Region will participate in Canada's longest-running simulated federal-provincial conference at the University of Waterloo next Tuesday (Dec. 7) and Wednesday (Dec. 8).
The annual event, organized by Waterloo's political science department and the regional history heads association, has been held at the university for last 46 years. A total of 370 students will attend the conference.
"The Federal-Provincial Government Conference Simulation, which is popularly known as Fed-Prov, is unique in Canada," said John Jaworsky, a professor of political science at Waterloo. "The conference is an excellent opportunity for students to become interested and engaged in politics while in high school."
This year, Valeria Michailovich, of Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School (SJAM), will handle the role of Canada's prime minister. Her SJAM colleagues will serve as federal ministers. Students from other schools will chair meetings of provincial and territorial ministers.
In addition to first ministers meetings, ministerial delegations will participate in committees dealing with financial, justice, health, environmental, agricultural, economic, immigration and aboriginal affairs. One special interest group, the Council of Canadians, will be represented this year.
Two schools - Huron Heights Secondary School and Bluevale Collegiate Institute - will produce newspapers during the conference to provide information and spark debate. One of the schools will be the recipient of the Waterloo Region Record's federal provincial conference press award.
The John Boulden Award, named after one of the founders of the conference simulation, will be given to one of the student first ministers based on a vote by all participants.
Working sessions take place in the Arts Lecture Hall, J. G. Hagey Hall of the Humanities and the Modern Languages building on Tuesday and Wednesday. The concluding plenary session will be held in the Theatre of the Arts, Modern Languages building, on Wednesday, from 1:45 to 3 p.m.
About the University of Waterloo
In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's Technology Triangle, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with close to 34,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, visit www.uwaterloo.ca.
Contacts:
John Jaworsky, professor, political science, 519-888-4567, ext. 36566 or jjaworsky@uwaterloo.ca
John Morris, Waterloo media relations, 519-888-4435 or john.morris@waterloo.ca
Waterloo news release no. 72
