The Youth Ambassador Experience
Lorraine Fabre '18 had an incredible summer experience, being selected to attend a national forum for Youth Ambassadors put on by French for the Future.
Often, it’s hard to know exactly what you’re in for when you sign up for something. Although I knew the National Youth Ambassador Forum organized by French for the Future would be a memorable experience, I was far from knowing just how memorable it would be as I boarded my seven a.m. flight to Toronto on a dreary August morning.
I had never heard of French for the Future before Ms. Chies mentioned it during a French class a few months ago. When I applied to be an ambassador for them, I didn’t expect to be chosen (I was facing some stiff competition: over one hundred applicants across Canada and just over twenty would be chosen!). But to my delight, I received an email mid May, telling me that I was now a French for the Future Youth Ambassador and was going to Toronto in less than three months for their National Youth Ambassador Forum, which assembles the other ambassadors chosen from across Canada. I didn’t even fully realize what my role would be as an Ambassador. What I did know, however, is that bilingualism was something I was passionate about and would willingly promote, having two French parents and received a francophone elementary education.
As it turned out, I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. On my way out in the escalator, I met my first fellow Ambassador, a girl my age from White Rock. We ‘clicked’ immediately, and the same thing happened with every other ambassador. It was incredible: all of us were on the same wavelength. We all agreed that some form of action had to be taken to encourage and promote bilingualism in the English-speaking parts of Canada. One of the biggest problems with bilingual youth enrolled in francophone or French immersion schools in Canada is that a majority of them are convinced that French is ‘uncool’. For some reason, this belief is very popular among bilingual youth in Canada, and it does not encourage them to speak French or immerse themselves in Francophone culture outside of class. As ambassadors, we had our work cut out for us: to change this popular but untrue belief.
Right from the get-go, I could tell it was going to be a jam-packed week, and I wasn’t disappointed! Our days started at 7:30 and ended after 11 p.m. In between there was scarcely any free time, but none of us minded because what we were doing was positively enthralling. During this week, I met some of the best guest speakers I have ever heard. What differentiates an amazing speaker from a good one, I realized, was passion and authenticity. I heard from some people who had dedicated their entire lives to the same cause as us, and voiced my exact opinions and thoughts on bilingualism. I had tears in my eyes more than once, and so did the other ambassadors. We usually had a few workshops each day, focusing on areas including project management and leadership, and I took something away from each one.
Of course, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit Toronto! Although at first I was a little disoriented because there were no mountains in sight (not even a hill!) I quickly grew to love the multicultural and vibrant city in which the forum took place. We were staying at a university residence on the University of Toronto’s campus, which was a prime location for seeing the sights. Among them were the Toronto Islands, the Art Gallery of Toronto, a haunted walk of Toronto on the first night, and a boat cruise on Lake Superior on the last. These fun activities were the perfect opportunity for us to get to know one another and were nothing short of laughs and burgeoning friendships. I hadn’t realized the sheer diversity that Canada contained before meeting my fellow ambassadors, who came from everywhere across the country.
Interestingly enough, one of the questions I was repeatedly asked after my trip was, “Did you speak English with the other ambassadors?” The answer is no! The idea of even starting a conversation with one of them in English is strange and never crossed my mind. And this, I believe, is what makes us such enthusiastic and passionate ambassadors. For us to promote bilingualism and show youth that French is cool and totally worth speaking, we first had to believe this ourselves, which we did. What we were missing were the tools to achieve our goals, which we were given during this amazing week in Toronto.
Before coming to Toronto, I certainly considered myself Francophone. The difference is that now, I am able to transform others into Francophones, which is a priceless gift. Thank you to Mme Chies and French for the Future for giving me this opportunity. I could go on forever about what this experience has given me!
Back
I had never heard of French for the Future before Ms. Chies mentioned it during a French class a few months ago. When I applied to be an ambassador for them, I didn’t expect to be chosen (I was facing some stiff competition: over one hundred applicants across Canada and just over twenty would be chosen!). But to my delight, I received an email mid May, telling me that I was now a French for the Future Youth Ambassador and was going to Toronto in less than three months for their National Youth Ambassador Forum, which assembles the other ambassadors chosen from across Canada. I didn’t even fully realize what my role would be as an Ambassador. What I did know, however, is that bilingualism was something I was passionate about and would willingly promote, having two French parents and received a francophone elementary education.
As it turned out, I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. On my way out in the escalator, I met my first fellow Ambassador, a girl my age from White Rock. We ‘clicked’ immediately, and the same thing happened with every other ambassador. It was incredible: all of us were on the same wavelength. We all agreed that some form of action had to be taken to encourage and promote bilingualism in the English-speaking parts of Canada. One of the biggest problems with bilingual youth enrolled in francophone or French immersion schools in Canada is that a majority of them are convinced that French is ‘uncool’. For some reason, this belief is very popular among bilingual youth in Canada, and it does not encourage them to speak French or immerse themselves in Francophone culture outside of class. As ambassadors, we had our work cut out for us: to change this popular but untrue belief.
Right from the get-go, I could tell it was going to be a jam-packed week, and I wasn’t disappointed! Our days started at 7:30 and ended after 11 p.m. In between there was scarcely any free time, but none of us minded because what we were doing was positively enthralling. During this week, I met some of the best guest speakers I have ever heard. What differentiates an amazing speaker from a good one, I realized, was passion and authenticity. I heard from some people who had dedicated their entire lives to the same cause as us, and voiced my exact opinions and thoughts on bilingualism. I had tears in my eyes more than once, and so did the other ambassadors. We usually had a few workshops each day, focusing on areas including project management and leadership, and I took something away from each one.
Of course, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit Toronto! Although at first I was a little disoriented because there were no mountains in sight (not even a hill!) I quickly grew to love the multicultural and vibrant city in which the forum took place. We were staying at a university residence on the University of Toronto’s campus, which was a prime location for seeing the sights. Among them were the Toronto Islands, the Art Gallery of Toronto, a haunted walk of Toronto on the first night, and a boat cruise on Lake Superior on the last. These fun activities were the perfect opportunity for us to get to know one another and were nothing short of laughs and burgeoning friendships. I hadn’t realized the sheer diversity that Canada contained before meeting my fellow ambassadors, who came from everywhere across the country.
Interestingly enough, one of the questions I was repeatedly asked after my trip was, “Did you speak English with the other ambassadors?” The answer is no! The idea of even starting a conversation with one of them in English is strange and never crossed my mind. And this, I believe, is what makes us such enthusiastic and passionate ambassadors. For us to promote bilingualism and show youth that French is cool and totally worth speaking, we first had to believe this ourselves, which we did. What we were missing were the tools to achieve our goals, which we were given during this amazing week in Toronto.
Before coming to Toronto, I certainly considered myself Francophone. The difference is that now, I am able to transform others into Francophones, which is a priceless gift. Thank you to Mme Chies and French for the Future for giving me this opportunity. I could go on forever about what this experience has given me!
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