High school students across Canada have begun to take part in the 2014 Student Budget Consultation.
The Student Budget Consultation is a financial literacy and civic education program that engages students in a study of federal revenues and expenditures and inspires debate on major political issues.
Participating schools are provided with lessons, online videos, PowerPoints and worksheets to facilitate the Student Budget Consultation.
The project has four themes:
- Learn: Finance Minister Jim Flaherty leads a non-partisan video tutorial outlining the concepts of revenues, expenditures, debt and deficit.
- Debate: Professional host Hugues Beaudoin-Dumouchel leads a political panel with Tasha Kheiriddin, Simon Tremblay-Pepin, and Jean-Luc Landry in a debate on major political issues. This year’s consultation is focused on Jobs and the Economy, Energy and the Environment, Families and the anticipated Federal Surplus.
- Compare: Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, Green leader Elizabeth May and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance Andrew Saxton offer their partisan opinions on budget priorities.
- Consult: Students complete a survey conducted by Harris-Decima Interactive with results to be submitted to the Minister of Finance and shared with media and the public in early 2014.
More than 260 classes of high school students from all provinces have already registered to take part in the 2014 Student Budget Consultation that will run from now through to December 20th. Schools may still register to participate in this free educational program by contacting CIVIX.