​​A Grade 12 student at Leo Hayes High School has been named a 2020 Canadian Youth Ambassador.

Carrie Pelkey will be among 30 Canadian youth travelling to Panama in April to participate in an EF Service Learning tour. The ambassadors will work alongside community members on a sustainable development project to support local needs. They will reconvene in Ottawa in May to meet with Members of Parliament and Senators to present their action plans.

"I am interested in the youth ambassador program because I will have the opportunity to learn from other cultures," Pelkey said. "I will get to create new relationships and bonds with other passionate youth, share my ideas and become more of a global citizen."

During the outreach trip to Central America, Pelkey said she hopes to learn what inspires people from different countries to travel and come together to work toward a common goal regardless of their country of origin. Her interests at school include theatre, softball and swimming.

The EF Canadian Youth Ambassador program is a five-year initiative launched in 2016 to provide mentorship and travel opportunities to a total of 150 Canadian youth representing every province and territory. The objectives of the program are developing global citizenship, creating social change, and fostering passion. 

EF is an international education company focused on language, academics, educational travel, and culture experience. It currently operates more than 600 schools and offices in over 50 countries to fulfill one global mission: opening the world through education. In Canada, EF has helped educators foster global citizenship through experiential learning since 1984.