The pandemic has exposed how quality education does not always fit a traditional education model. From peer-to-peer and hands-on learning to emphasizing traditional knowledge and lived experiences: the possibilities are endless when youth voices are amplified to reimagine education. Join ACIC youth participants, from past and current programs, as they discuss the role youth voices play in reimagining education and share their experiences, visions, and hopes.

Moderator: Jordan Smith, Program Officer (ACIC)

Jordan Smith is a Mi’kmaw Woman from Glooscap First Nation, who was born and raised in her traditional and ancestral territory of Mi’kma’ki. After graduating from Acadia University (Class of 2014), Jordan began working for the Mi’kmaw Physical Activity Leadership (MPAL) program, where she developed her passion for Indigenous Community Development. Using Two-Eyed Seeing as her guiding principle, her work is focused on engaging diverse cultures, and building strong relationships, and youth leadership to create thriving Indigenous communities.

Youth Panelists:

• Chantel Peng
  Chantal Peng (she/her) is a senior at Acadia University completing a Bachelor of Music. Chantal is actively involved in school and community serving as a teaching assistant, as Acadia Women’s Centre Coordinator, and as a Kings-Hants Youth Councilor. ACIC has been an integral part of Chantal's activism journey by first introducing her to IDW and the UN SDGs as the Nova Scotia ACT 4 Global Change Ambassador (2016-2017). In 2018, she was the ACIC Youth Volunteer and met stakeholders from throughout the region. She has performed piano for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and loves to play fiddle for senior homes. Photography has also become a medium to further storytelling for Chantal. She has had the privilege of sharing her photography as part of ACIC's International Volunteer Day Photography celebration in 2019 and 2020 where she showcased her learnings about Ghanaian health care systems and virtual congregating for church choirs, respectively. Chantal is excited to support ACIC and IDW to empower youth voices.
   
• Caleigh Wong 
  Caleigh Wong (she/her) is in her last year of her concurrent degrees program at Dalhousie studying engineering and International Development Studies. Outside of school she works as a reservist in the Canadian Army and has focused much of her advocacy work on creating a more equitable military. She has previously worked with ACIC as a program associate and is excited to a panelist at this years IDW Youth Panel.  
  Caleigh was a Program Support Assistant at ACIC in 2021.
   
• Mick Jefferies 
  Mick is a second-year law student at the University of New Brunswick. Having grown up in Labrador, Mick is familiar with the importance of highlighting Indigenous voices and perspectives in his work. Being of Inuit heritage, Mick has first-hand experience of the importance of SDG's. With a background in policy experience in bringing ideas to real life, Mick is excited to highlight small activities youth can do to contribute to the overall goal of sustainability in all areas. 
  Mick was an ACIC Youth Ambassador in 2015 and a member of the 2021 ACIC Youth Advisory Council.