Titans of community service

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This article was published 22/03/2017 (3404 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A group of students are spending their lunch hours working to make the Park City a better place.

The Titans for Tomorrow are a student committee at Transcona Collegiate Institute. The group meets every Monday at lunch to plan events and initiatives aimed at encouraging positive, sustainable change.

“We are driven to make any changes, even as small as possible, within our community,” Carmel Flores, a Grade 12 student and member of the group, explained.

“When I started this group up, the focus was helping out in the community,” added Megan Bédard, a French teacher at TCI who facilitates the Titans for Tomorrow student committee. “That’s sort of how we approach things, but it has taken on a sustainability piece.”

So far this year, the group has raised money for the United Way’s Koats for Kids drive by selling henna tattoos in the halls of TCI. They’ve also spent some time volunteering at the food bank at the Transcona Memorial United Church (209 Yale Ave. W).

“We met a lot of people whose alma mater was TCI,” Flores said. “We realized we can volunteer there anytime, not just through this. It’s a starting point to get more involved.”

The Titans are also planning a “stuff swap” when school resumes after spring break, so students can recycle their unwanted or unneeded goods. A used battery and electronics drive is an annual event that the group organizes.

“(The group) changes every year,” said Sheila Barnabe, a Grade 12 student who first got involved in Grade 11. “Last year, it was introductory for me. I was just getting used to what it was all about. This year, I’d say I’m more invested.”

Lily Huang, another Grade 12 member of the Titans for Tomorrow, said that while she joined the group after learning about climate change in school, she also enjoys the camaraderie.

“We’re all connected by friendship, and you do get to help the environment,” Huang said. “It’s kind of annoying to see people not recycle.”

While many of the group’s members are in their final year at TCI, the graduating students look to the younger members to keep the Titans of Tomorrow going strong.

“Hopefully, they’ll continue the work,” Flores said.

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