St. Gregory Students Bring Innovative Food and Housing Ideas to County Council

Date: May 26, 2023

Two St. Gregory Catholic School students are proving that young voices can play a meaningful role in addressing community challenges.

At Thursday’s Prince Edward County council committee of the whole meeting, Grade 7 and 8 students Violet Dickie and Paulina Mayall presented thoughtful, research-based proposals focused on food insecurity and affordable housing in the county.

The presentation was part of the school board’s Curiosity Creates Change (C3) initiative, a STEM-focused inquiry program that encourages intermediate students to explore real-world issues and propose practical solutions. Since February, students in the two classes have been researching local concerns and developing ideas aimed at creating long-term community impact.

“Learning about the housing crisis in Prince Edward County helped me understand how important it is to look closely at issues in our community,” said Paulina Mayall, a Grade 8 student. “Youth deserve a voice, and we have meaningful ideas that can help bring about change.”

Among the students’ recommendations were:

• Expanding community gardens

• Strengthening food banks and farmers’ markets

• Creating sustainable approaches to affordable housing in rural areas

• Requiring new subdivisions to include tiny homes to increase affordability and housing diversity

Councillors responded positively to the presentation and encouraged the students along with their classmates to return in the future to share additional research and ideas on housing and other community priorities.

The project took shape after Prince Edward County Director of Housing, Charles Dowdall, visited the classes in February to speak about local housing challenges.

“Our intermediate students are deeply connected to Prince Edward County and genuinely care about its future,” said Nick DiTomaso, the Grade 7/8 teacher at St. Gregory. “Once they understood the realities of the housing crisis, they began asking powerful questions and working collaboratively on solutions.”

DiTomaso noted that Dowdall’s involvement helped guide and inspire the students as they examined what they value most about PEC, while also identifying areas that need improvement.

For Violet Dickie, the experience reinforced the power of teamwork and problem-solving. “Working together to find solutions motivates me to want to make a difference in the future,” she said.

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