Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

SCHOOL DISTRICT 73

Sahali Secondary honoured with UNESCO designation

Oct 1, 2019 | 5:20 PM

KAMLOOPS — A short ceremony was held Tuesday afternoon, to recognize one Kamloops high school’s exceptional international achievement.

Sahali Secondary becomes only the third school in BC and first high school to achieve the UNESCO Associated Schools Network (UNESCO ASP-net) designation. This allows students at Sahali to connect and collaborate with other UNESCO schools across the country and around the world.

The designation has taken five long years of work by staff and students. That’s one reason program coordinator Cecille McVittie felt emotional as she finally saw the UNESCO flag being raised during the event.

“It almost brought me to tears, seeing that flag go up,” McVittie told CFJC Today. “It has been a journey to get here, but it’s really exciting and very rewarding to see the students participate the way they have in a number of really interesting activities.”

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According to the students who have worked hard to help achieve this designation, those activities have been numerous and diverse.

“We’ve participated in a number of web conferences with a number of schools from all across Canada that had the UNESCO designation,” Mitra Morgan explained. “We participated in writing two national youth-led papers on the future of water that were later presented to the Canadian Senate in Ottawa.”

UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Social, and Cultural Organization. While the students took some time to enjoy their accomplishment, they plan to keep working with other UNESCO schools, focusing on the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development goals.

“It’s amazing,” Amanda To said. “It’s really cool to see all our hard work paid off. There’s a lot more to do after this, but it’s really cool to have this day and celebrate what’s happened before all this.”