Last fall, the MGEU
spread the word that we were looking for a member, 18 to 32 years old, who was interested
in learning about how to bring progressive change to their community. Gary McLeod
answered the call, and MGEU president Michelle Gawronsky was on hand this week
to celebrate his achievement at the “Next Up” graduation ceremony on May 24,
2016.
“Next Up” was created by a community of people from the non-profit, labour, business and public sectors who wanted to help create a network of social change leaders across Canada. Over seven months, the intense program dives into a number of topics and disciplines, combining theory, practice, deep thinking, and hard skills like media relations and fundraising. Program participants look at some of the most pressing Canadian policy issues facing the country and how change is made in society.
“Gary is a Correctional Officer at Headingly, a husband and a dad, a proud Metis, a healthy lifestyle advocate ? all these varied roles made him such a great fit for this program,” said Gawronsky.
Each region of “Next Up” has its own Advisory Committee made up of people in that community who are working to create a better world. Advisory Committee members come from community organizations, the public and private sectors, and labour.
McLeod said the more he learned in the program the more he realized he didn't know.
"And I think that is a very good thing!" he added. "Next Up exposed me to major deficits in our society and gave me some tools to help fix them. I am excited to make this world better for everyone."