Bobcaygeon Public School (BPS) Junior and Intermediate classes recently participated in the Student Vote Canada initiative — an Elections Canada and CIVIX program that provides an experiential learning opportunity for students to help develop the habit of active and informed citizenship.
Led by Ms Dos Santos, the school’s Grade 5 students took an active role in educating their peers about the different political parties by visiting classrooms to provide informative sessions. Then, on April 24, the school transformed the library into a mock polling station, and the Grade 5 students acted as election officials, taking on responsibilities such as greeters, registration officers, and ballot clerks. All Grade 4 to 8 students were invited to participate and cast a vote.
“Through this immersive experience, students didn’t just learn about Canadian politics — they lived it. By stepping into the shoes of both voters and election staff, they developed a deeper understanding of civic responsibility, the importance of fair and transparent elections, and the power of every vote,” explain BPS principal, Andrea O’Leary.
“It was fun and sometimes challenging,” said Grade 5 student, Hailey. “I liked leading people and being in charge of the older kids. I liked setting up the mock election, ie. putting the boxes together and making signs.”
“It was interesting to do it for the first time, it felt like going to a real election,” said Grade 5 student, Oakleigh. “I enjoyed marking off the students’ names and giving them their voting cards. It was overall fun.”
All ballots have been submitted to Student Vote Canada for tabulation, where they will contribute to the national results, reflecting how students across the country would vote.
