The National Student Commonwealth Forum, formerly the Student Commonwealth Conference, has been able to continue annually since 1973 due to its unique structure and great value for the development of capable and inspired youth leaders who live in all corners of Canada. In fact, despite being entirely volunteer-driven and in majority youth-led (with oversight from the RCS Ottawa Branch), not one year has gone by since its inception that there has not been a Forum!
There are three core principles that give the NSCF great value and staying power:
- Youth led with a youth focus
- Staying true to the values of the Commonwealth
- Inspiring involvement and leadership
The NSCF is not simply a forum for high school and post secondary students to passively attend.
Youth-Led with a Youth Focus
There are four levels of youth involvement in NSCF:
FIRST, students attend as delegates during late high school or the beginning of their university studies. The Forum opens their eyes to domestic and international affairs, it teaches them about the Commonwealth model of consensus building and allows them to explore the issues of democracy, diversity, and development both within Canada and throughout the Commonwealth through practical exercises.
SECOND, Alumni of the Forum can return for multiple years to volunteer as Planning Team members to help plan, organize and manage the following year’s NSCF. At this stage, youth learn how to work collaboratively to recruit delegates, plan events and workshops for the Forum, motivate each other and act as mentors for the delegates during the Forum week.
THIRD, experienced Planning Team members can develop their project management leadership skills by applying to the NSCF Steering Committee to become Chair or Co-Chair of the Forum, which is a year-long voluntary commitment. The youth Chair or Co-Chair, is responsible to draft project proposals and final reports; to manage budgets and timelines; and to resolve the day-to-day operational crises that arise. The Chair’s leadership and mentoring skills are challenged by the fact that their pan-Canadian Planning Team is a group of youth volunteers with differing skills, experience and levels of commitment. For the NSCF program to be educational, efficient and fun, the Chairs must organize, motivate and manage the Planning Team volunteers in order to successfully deliver on everything from the high-profile to mundane tasks that make up the NSCF program.
FOURTH, a former Co-Chair is appointed Youth Program Advisor for the NSCF by the RCS Ottawa Board to help shape the direction of the overall program and oversee the annual event. The Program Advisor is responsible for establishing the vision and operational innovations of the program, its guidelines and documentation, and for mentoring the new Co-Chairs each year.
These four levels of involvement show a unique organizational structure of constant collaboration, learning and leadership development, from youth delegate through to Program Advisor.
FIRST, students attend as delegates during late high school or the beginning of their university studies. The Forum opens their eyes to domestic and international affairs, it teaches them about the Commonwealth model of consensus building and allows them to explore the issues of democracy, diversity, and development both within Canada and throughout the Commonwealth through practical exercises.
SECOND, Alumni of the Forum can return for multiple years to volunteer as Planning Team members to help plan, organize and manage the following year’s NSCF. At this stage, youth learn how to work collaboratively to recruit delegates, plan events and workshops for the Forum, motivate each other and act as mentors for the delegates during the Forum week.
THIRD, experienced Planning Team members can develop their project management leadership skills by applying to the NSCF Steering Committee to become Chair or Co-Chair of the Forum, which is a year-long voluntary commitment. The youth Chair or Co-Chair, is responsible to draft project proposals and final reports; to manage budgets and timelines; and to resolve the day-to-day operational crises that arise. The Chair’s leadership and mentoring skills are challenged by the fact that their pan-Canadian Planning Team is a group of youth volunteers with differing skills, experience and levels of commitment. For the NSCF program to be educational, efficient and fun, the Chairs must organize, motivate and manage the Planning Team volunteers in order to successfully deliver on everything from the high-profile to mundane tasks that make up the NSCF program.
FOURTH, a former Co-Chair is appointed Youth Program Advisor for the NSCF by the RCS Ottawa Board to help shape the direction of the overall program and oversee the annual event. The Program Advisor is responsible for establishing the vision and operational innovations of the program, its guidelines and documentation, and for mentoring the new Co-Chairs each year.
These four levels of involvement show a unique organizational structure of constant collaboration, learning and leadership development, from youth delegate through to Program Advisor.
Staying true to Commonwealth values
All activities of the Forum program are designed to explore, through practical exercises, the issues of democracy, diversity, and development throughout the Commonwealth through a process that values discussion, rather than debate, and consensus building, as opposed to veto decision-powers. The ability to understand different points of view without initiating conflict is prevalent within the Commonwealth model, but is often an overlooked skill. Students introduced to this alternate mind-set can benefit in their daily interactions and become better leaders as a result.
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The NSCF may be an educational forum, but, at its heart, it is a venue that allows Canadian youth to come together once a year, to discuss their ideas on their own terms, and to have a voice in how to their local communities, country and the Commonwealth might develop. Students leaving the Forum often form life-long friendships that span the country. These connections, along with the new leadership and consensus-based skills learned over the week, make them very eager to continue being leaders in their own home communities. These dynamic leaders often seek change themselves, or are offered many opportunities to be leaders throughout the Commonwealth community.
In addition, some Alumni go on to be Planning Team members or Chairs of NSCF in future years, or, they may be excellent candidates to participate in international Commonwealth initiatives where they can represent the views of Canadian youth. |
INSPIRING INVOLVEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
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