Tyler’s international experiential learning experience is funded by the Queen Elizabeth Scholars (QES) Program. This collaborative initiative is made possible through the leadership of the Rideau Hall Foundation, in collaboration with Community Foundations of Canada, Universities Canada, and Canadian universities. Through its promotion of international student exchange and civic engagement, the QES program is helping to grow young Canadians into global citizens while promoting Canada as a destination for the world’s top talent and attracting top talent and international research leaders to Canada.
Written by: Tyler Powell, Canadian SportWORKS Officer – Trinidad & Tobago
I have been in Trinidad and Tobago for over two months now and I am acclimitazing to the lifestyle and culture here. June was a busy month for me with lots of travel around Trinidad promoting the Commonwealth Youth Games and exploring what Trinidad has to offer.
In June I travelled to four schools on the Caravan primary school tour to promote the Games and educate youth about the Commonwealth. On these school tours, each school learns about one country in the Commonwealth. Each school will act as an ambassador to the country they learned about for the Commonwealth Youth Games.
I have also been working on accrediting 36 countries prior to their arrival for the Games. This is a lofty task that is essential to ensuring the safety of the Games. Zone controls need to be set up in hotels, venues and within transportation systems so that everything runs smooth. Over the past three weeks our team has met with all 71 countries competing in the Games to make sure they are prepared from an administrative end to compete in the Games.
At the beginning of June I participated in the annual Hikeathon which is 28 kilometers along the Northern Coast of Trinidad. I could barely walk for two days after the hike but I am glad that I still took part. It took me 11 hours to finish the entire hike. It was a great opportunity to meet new people and see a part of Trinidad that many people that live here don’t even get a chance to see.
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Tyler Powell