PRESS RELEASE
OTTAWA, August 16, 2021 – The Forum national des jeunes ambassadeurs (National Ambassador Youth Forum) was held online for the second time and it was a great success. 25 teenagers from 6 provinces in 4 regions of Canada participated in this training and entertainment program from August 6 to 12, which helped them discover their unique strengths, forge friendships and become French for the Future’s new ambassador team. Together, throughout the school year 2021-2022, they will carry the banner of French language learning, of Canadian Francophonie and of official bilingualism.
“Everyone at French for the Future is happy to have experienced the evolution of these young people with them; to have witnessed their confidence and awareness of the Francophonie, leadership and project management. We know that they now feel more agile and ready to start projects in their schools and communities through the tools they discovered, as well as the friendship and support networks they created,” explains Geneviève Gobeil, program coordinator at French for the Future.
A solid leadership and project management foundation
This year’s cohort of ambassadors was quite a shy one earlier this week, but each and everyone of the teens quietly pulled out of their cocoon to reveal their colors through a series of leadership and project management workshops. They gained from it: language security, communication tips and tricks, event planning steps, funding perspectives, discovery of diverse leadership styles, volunteer recruitment ideas, problem solving tips and much more. Working as a team, the members of the group showed themselves to be ambitious, pragmatic and ready to face any challenge together.
Entertainment every day
The FNJA 2021 was an opportunity to learn first and foremost, but also an opportunity to have fun in French. Everyday, even during the most serious and demanding workshops, our facilitators took the time to make the teens laugh with jokes and games, which helped with fighting visual fatigue. The ambassadors also attended several evening cultural activities, such as board games, an interactive comedy routine by Acadian comedian Marie-Line Pitre and an intimate music show by Fransaskois rapper Shawn Jobin.
Organize your interviews!
Starting today, the members of French for the Future’s new ambassador team are ready to answer your questions in an interview. These young people will be able to tell you about their experience at FNJA 2021, as well as pass on their passion for the French language and for French-speaking cultures, but also give you a sneak peek at the projects they and they would like to start at home over the course of the next school year.
Take the time to visit the FNJA 2021 page on our website for a list of our ambassadors from across Canada and to get to know them. Keep an eye open and a strained out-stretched, because throughout the coming school year you may see and hear about the involvement of this awesome youth cohort in your province or even in your city.
We are very excited to find out what our ambassadors have us in store!
Here are some words that the teens chose to describe the FNJA 2021 and some quotes from the ambassadors taken from the closing ceremony:
Joyce Guo (Surrey, B.C.) – “Thank you for providing a safe space. What I love about the FNJA is that there is no judgement. I feel comfortable talking and sharing my story. Because of this, I want to do many more things in French from now on.”
Agam Arora (Calgary, Alta.) – “The FNJA is a great experience to live because it encourages young people to use their creativity and enthusiasm to launch positive change initiatives in their communities. The adventure continues.”
Sam El-Kadi (Hamilton, Ont.) – “I’ve done a lot of leadership programs and stuff but the FNJA is the only one that really pushes me to make a difference in my community. I believe that every ambassador and ambassador will make a difference back home in the future.”
Haarini Suntharalingam (Markham, Ont.) – “This was the first experience that allowed me to meet so many people who speak French. I learned a lot of new words and expressions in French. Thanks to the FNJA I really grew as a person.”
Mankiran Dillon (Brampton, Ont.) – “Thank you to the facilitators and ambassadors for this amazing experience. I’m happy to use the skills I learned during the FNJA to promote francophone cultures.”
Sydontae Mazni (Pickering, Ont.) – “Thank you to all the ambassadors and facilitators who worked very hard to create this unforgettable experience. Every single one of them was so warm and kind. I will always appreciate what they did to make this program possible.”
Patricia Tagliapetra (Dartmouth, N.S.) – “The FNJA is really a good experience, because it’s not often that you can meet other young people who experience the same situation as you, speaking French in a minority setting, and who can relate with it.”
-30-
