THUNDER BAY – On Monday, May 6, 1,400 students from six secondary schools in the city and numerous elementary and regional schools will be standing up against bullying, racism, social injustice and world hunger at the We Stand Up student conference at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. Through an energetic and exciting line up, We Stand Up will engage, empower and encourage the attending students to make positive change in their schools and the community.

We Stand Up 

We Stand Up began to take shape in the Winnipeg Airport last October. Four students from each Lakehead Public Schools secondary schools were funded to attend the Free the Children’s We Day in Winnipeg. In order to attend, the students had to pledge to make a difference when they returned to school. During an eight hour wait for their flight home and truly inspired by the outstanding program presented that day, the students began to make plans for a very special event. The committee membership later expanded to include students from the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board and We Stand Up was created.

“After attending We Day in Winnipeg, we learned that youth can and do make significant differences through their actions locally and around the world,” says Logan Turner, We Stand Up Co-Chair and Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate and Vocational Institute Student. “Our goal is to inspire an even larger and more diverse group of students to begin addressing issues to help make our community better and stronger. We feel that through our incredible lineup and the messages that will be delivered, we will engage, empower and encourage all students to make a difference.”

The We Stand Up Organizing Committee is pleased to announce that Marc Keilburger, will be the keynote speaker for the event. According to the Me to We website, “Marc, with his brother Craig, is the co-founder of Free the Children, an international charity that empowers youth to be positive agents of change.