Students from nine different schools across Canada are joining together in a virtual classroom to discuss the meaning of reconciliation—and to learn how to advocate for equity and justice.

The National Youth Dialogue project, based in the Centre for Global Citizenship Education and Research (CGCER) at the University of Alberta, will bring together approximately 700 Grade 9 students from coast to coast to practice a crucial aspect of citizenship they might not learn otherwise.

Reconciliation—coming to terms with Canada’s colonial roots and making room for other stories and perspectives in understanding our shared history—is a daunting process to undertake for many Canadians. A graduate student in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education is hoping that a unique dance performance by a group of Alberta high school students might inspire audiences to see reconciliation in a new way.