Growing Future Leaders Program

Learning Goals:

• Understand the roles of the mayor, councillors, and municipal staff.
• Identify who makes decisions in their community.
• Recognize how those decisions affect daily life.

Activities (choose one):

• Story Time: In person visit/reading with the mayor, council, or municipal staff.
• Draw a Leader: Participants draw themselves as a community leader and write one thing they'd change or improve about their community.

Learning Goals:

• Identify services provided by local government (e.g. parks, roads, waste collection).
• Connect those services to their own experiences.
• Understand how taxes and staff help keep the community running.

Activities (choose one):

• • Match-Up Game: Match pictures of services (e.g. garbage truck, park) to the local government role that provides them.
  • Budget game: set Squirrelville's budget based on priorities!
  • Map Design: identify 3 favourite spots in South Huron and 1 new bright idea to make our community even better!

Learning Goals:

• Learn how voting works in municipal elections.
• Understand why participation matters.
• Practice decision-making and respectful debate.

Activities (choose one):

• Mock Election: Hold a vote on a fun topic using ballots and voting stations.
• Decision Circle: Small groups discuss a simple issue, debate pros and cons, and vote on a group choice.