Sister Clare Fitzgerald in a recent talk to teachers said, "If Catholic schools are to endure in the public sphere, they must offer an alternative to secular culture" (Prairie Messenger, January 7, 2009). Sister Clare's view of the importance of demonstrating our distinctiveness is shared by Father Jim Mulligan and Thomas Groome who both emphasize the importance of Catholic Education being a humanizing education rooted in recognition of our shared responsibility for the common good and a caring and compassionate response to the needs of those around us.

In the Calgary Catholic School District, each day offers an opportunity for us to help our students understand their role as Catholics in a secular world. Helping students to discover coherence in living their faith and understanding their individual call from God can only be accomplished when faith permeates the daily life and activities of their school. Providing opportunities for dialogue are a critical component of the faith development of the children in our care.

One such opportunity is our annual Senior High Leadership Convention. This year's convention, scheduled for March 12th at the FCJ Centre, will bring together nine students from each District high school to explore the theme of Finding Acceptance and Justice for All. The convention, keynoted by Dr. Eva Olsson (Hon.), will focus on her story of peace and justice, and her journey to acceptance as a Holocaust survivor. Dr. Olsson's presentation, and the central theme for the day, will be facing the challenge of finding personal courage in our lives.

An interactive presentation geared to engage students in considering their beliefs about peace and justice, provided by the Canadian Centre for Diversity called Students Helping Others Understand Tolerance (SHOUT), will follow the keynote address. At the conclusion of the day, each school team will discuss their experiences and develop an action plan to take back to their school for implementation. The focus of the action plan, unique to each school usually includes components of building awareness as well as an initiative to motivate action and a service learning aspect.

Student Leadership Conventions provide students with the opportunity to share their voice and become a contributing factor in their own school communities. The day, modeled after the structure of a Teachers' Convention, allows students to attend sessions based upon the central theme. Calgary Catholic's Student Leadership Conventions closely reflects the mandate of District-wide Catholic Community of Caring (CCC) initiative.

CCC is a school-based approach that creates a strong, healthy school climate within each District school. In the context of the Catholic Community of Caring (CCC) program, teachers and district personnel, work together throughout the school year to support student faith formation. CCC's goal is to create safe, caring school environments that help students develop positive values and build relationships among students, between students and adults, and between teachers and parents.

As a Catholic education system, founded upon the beliefs, values and traditions of the Catholic Church, Calgary Catholic's goal is for students to see Jesus in all that we do. As a part of the District's Community of Caring program, annual student leadership conventions accomplish this. They successfully support students in understanding firsthand how their decisions and actions help to permeate their school environment with faith. Conventions provide a valuable avenue for students to grow into productive citizens who lead lives rooted in faithfulness.

Students, who have commented on previous convention experiences, highlight the success of this faith-based experience when they say:

During the convention, I learned we should never think we're too small or too young to make a difference in the world.
Don't feel small - stand up, speak, respect those who are different. Let values and beliefs define you.
We feel small sometimes but half of the world is under 25 years old. I am part of the biggest youth generation ever!