Foothills student needs your vote for national competition

 A Foothills student is putting Alberta in the national spotlight.

The Young Citizens awards program, run by Canada's History, has youth submit projects about Canadian history and heritage for a nationwide competition.

Heritage Heights ninth-grade student Lauryn Visser is highlighting Banff National Park with her video submission.

"I go into the tourism of the park, some wildlife and ecology because that's a big part of the park as well, and some conservation efforts," said Visser.

"It really provides the public with a bit more insight into the national park that I'm sure we've all visited, we've all heard of. It's a really beautiful place that we're very lucky to have here in Canada."

Her video, titled Discover Banff: A Journey Through History, Wildlife, and Scenic Wonders, can be viewed on YouTube.

"The main thing I'm hoping people take away from my video is just the importance of preserving and keeping a respectful manner when inside of the park," she added. "It's a very fragile ecosystem and since lots of people visit every year, it's really important that everyone in the park always maintains a respectful manner."

Beyond her interest in Banff's history and present-day conservation efforts, the national park holds a special place in her heart.

"The thing is, throughout different points of the year, my sister goes away for amounts of time, my dad works away, so during the summer when we're all home, we make a point of going out to Banff and just going on a nice hike or exploring the town," she said.

"We've gone for hikes or just to go out for birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, things like that, so it's just a time where I'm able to spend nice quality time with my family and just really take in the natural environment and all that it has to offer."

This year's competition has 81 contestants across Canada, with 6 in Alberta. 

Voting opened on June 10 and closes on July 2. 

"I really invested these past couple months into really fully researching the topic," said Visser. "I think just putting that onto a video and putting all these past couple months of research into just a four minute clip was a hard thing to do, but I'm really grateful for the experience. I'm just hoping that something great comes of it either way, win or not."

To vote for her, go to Lauryn Visser's Young Citizen profile and submit a vote. No registration is required.

Four winners will be announced in fall 2024 and each receive $500 in RESP funding.

Learn more about the Young Citizens program on the Canada's History website.