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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, May 7, 2015 | 18 Students heading to Town Council Friday to be heard by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff A group of Oakville students will appear in Town council chambers tomorrow (Friday) to pitch ideas on how to improve Oakville. Mayor Rob Burton is hosting a "Bring it to council" competition for Grade 5 students. It will see up to 16 Halton District School Board schools in Oakville select a student to represent them at a mock council meeting. There, students present an idea intended to create a "more livable Oakville" and suggest how the Town could nance its implementation. Burton said the origin of the competition could be found in one of the regular visits made by elementary school classes to Town Hall to meet the mayor. "I welcomed one class of kids to council chambers and, on the spur of the moment, I asked if any of them could imagine themselves being members of council. None put their hands up," he said. "So I invited them to take turns sitting in the councillors' seats and the mayor's seat and try it on for size. This triggered questions and interest. They started asking how meetings go and really got engaged. At the end, I asked how many could imagine themselves on council and everybody could all of a sudden. I thought that was kind of beautiful." Burton's desire to get children to believe they have the potential to be future leaders grew into an idea to establish some kind of model council. Following consultations with the school boards and teachers, the Bring-it-to-council competition was born. When the Grade 5s arrive on Friday, they will have a minute or so to bring forward a motion to have their idea heard. They will then have four minutes to present to the other student councillors and Mayor Burton, followed by questions and debate. Student councillors will vote on their favourite and whoever earns the most votes, wins. That student will have their name, as well as their school's, inscribed on a newly-created Bring-it-to-council trophy. Besides possibly awakening a desire to be a leader, Burton hopes the students will feel empowered by their experience and understand they don't have to grow up to change things -- especially in Oakville. "The history in this town, and others, is Oakville Mayor Rob Burton that kids can and have gotten adults to make changes," said Burton. "It was kids who got Oakville to create its rst skate park. It was kids who got Oakville to create its rst teen drop-in centre. When I visit schools, I often ask if they know that kids have changed things in Oakville. It's usually a big eye-opener for them. They start thinking `Oh, maybe I can, too.' I think that is all for the good of public participation." Palermo Public School Grade 5 teacher Jennifer Moore, who assisted in the planning for the competition, said her students are excited and looking forward to participating. "This is an authentic learning opportunity. The kids love having a voice and they often don't get a voice in an adult-dominated world. The kids will actually be heard. Their ideas will be documented and recorded and taped and listened to by adults and especially, someone like the mayor," said Moore. So far, the Palermo Grade 5 students have come up with ideas like bettering Oakville by building more skate parks, opening more animal shelters, and creating better advertising for local food banks. Other students focused on traf c issues and what the Town might do to alleviate them. Moore said the school will select a student with the most promising idea, and a plan to nance that idea, to head to council Friday. The competition will be held in council chambers at Town Hall at 1:30 p.m. It is open to the public. Glen Abbey's Only Authentic british Pub! FRESHLY SQUEEZED 146 Lakeshore Rd.W. · Oakville 905.338.6333 Monday to Sunday : From 7:00 am to 3:00 pm ic liVe Musights n y saturda nday and su ns afternoo 481 North Service Rd. @ 4th Line Oakville 905-825-1109 Mention th is ad to get 10% off yo ur food order Visit www.abbeyarmspub.ca to see our menu DEALS YOU LOVE FOR LESS Leaky Basement? Call Us! · Crack Injection Repair Specialist · Wise Dry Interior Drain Systems · Lifetime Fully Transferrable Warranty · Sump Pump Renewal Installations WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Call Us... 905-510-9739 Start saving at WagJag.com Professional, Cost Effective Solutions for Wet wayne@wisecracks.com Basements w w w. H a l t o n Wi s e C ra c k s. co m