Nearly $200K for program to promote 'vibrant' French community on P.E.I.

A new program is teaching Francophone youth leadership skills with the aim of keeping their culture alive and vibrant on Prince Edward Island.

Faut que a grouille! waslaunched in June and got funding fromEmployment and Social Development Canada, which is contributing $191,805 through its Canada Service Corps.

Thirty participants between ages15 and 30 will attendsix weekend leadership camps throughout the year the first was held in June.

"The goal is really to get them involved in their community and making sure that we continue with the volunteer activities that people have been doing for so many years in their different French communities,"said Gilles Arsenault, project co-ordinator forRDE Prince Edward Island Inc.,P.E.I.'sFrancophone economic development council.

There are presentations on communications skills and finances, he said.

'We need tomove forward'

Arsenault saidto keep Francophone culture alive in the province, young people must be willing to lead.

"Some of us are getting older and maybe not as active as we would like to be in every affair of every community that we used to be, and I think it's nice to havesomeone coming up and making sure that the rest of our activities continue and to showthat there is an engagement," he said.

"It's also a citizen component to these camps that will show people that we need tomove forward and to make sure thatactivities anda vibrant community stayalive in Prince Edward Island."

The participants were chosen based on their interest in becoming involved in their community and leadership activities in which they had already been involved.

The program will wrap up in March 2020.

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