Julia Hardy

On the first day of grade nine when I started the ICE program, I had no idea what to expect. I knew from students in past years that there's a lot of field trips, and a billion projects that you had to do, but other than that, I didn't know much. However, after finishing the year, I have learned so much about myself and Canada, and what it means to be a good citizen.

For myself, this year definitely taught me that stepping out of my comfort zone isn't a bad thing, in fact usually it will turn out for the better. An example of this is when the grade went for a week-long camping trip in January, and to say that I wasn't excited about it would be an understatement. I never understood the point of camping, and the thought of spending 5 days out thee in the freezing cold definitely wasn't appealing. However, during my time in the wilderness I actually had a great time doing all the activities, and got to know people who in normal circumstances I wouldn't have made as much effort with. So, even if I'm still not extatic of the thought of sleeping in the woods, that experience taught me that good things can come even when you're not expecting them.

I also learned about myself as a Canadian, and how in such a big country, it is still a priority to include everyone. When we learned about residential school and how the first nations were (and still ARE) treated, I was shocked, because when I thought about Canada I wouldn't have suspected that not even 100 years ago people could have treated the first nation people as they did. It taught me about the history of our country, but also how we are taking steps to work past that period and how now, in the future, there has been change that will continue.