Curtis Malainey can’t wait to start working on his latest school project, which isn’t exactly typical for a 16-year-old high school student.
That’s because his work, when complete, will be showcased to an audience of a few thousand people, rather than staying within the confines of a classroom.
In the upcoming year, Malainey, along with a couple of other students from the communications technology class at Bellerose Composite High School, will add their youthful ideas to the website for the 2011 55 Plus Winter Games in St. Albert.
It’s a project Malainey has already started brainstorming for to enlighten his audience.
“I am looking forward to it because I can actually do stuff that will be produced on a mass scale compared to just building a website and having nobody look at it,” said Malainey, who has a few ideas for adding video and images to the site.
According to Tracy Annicchiarcio, promotions director for the games, one of the main objectives of the organizing committee is to adopt multi-generational and cross-cultural events that unite the community.
Annicchiarcio would like nothing more than to get youth involved in the games to find creative ways to promote the event and encourage volunteerism and general participation.
The goal, she said, is to have the students try to find innovative ways to help tell the games story and add interest to the website through social media.
So far the students involve seem are an enthusiastic bunch that are full of great ideas, which won’t be revealed until they appear online.
“It’s a great thing for the games because it fits into their mandate, but it’s also great for the school because it gives them a hands-on experience,” said Annicchiarcio.
Teacher Jeff Beaton said the project will show the students how to implement their ideas technically to a website, and further their Internet skills beyond the social media sites like MySpace and Facebook.
“It shows them it has a potential for future jobs and numerous other things they wouldn’t see otherwise,” said Beaton.
The 55 Plus Winter Games will take place from Feb. 24 to 27 in 2011, and will kick off St. Albert’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
The event will draw to the region more than 1,100 participants and spectators from throughout the province.
For more information about the games visit www.st-albert55plusgames.ca.
