Grade 12 Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI) student LJ Sayson will head to Canada's largest city next month to represent the Portage Learning and Literacy Centre (PLLC.)

Sayson will pack her bags and participate in a Youth Lab called: "Building Capacity & Collaboration Among Today's Anti-Racist Leaders." Which is hosted by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF), a Federal Crown Corporation and Charity with a mission to facilitate knowledge and expertise that contributes to eliminating racism in Canada.

The soon-to-be PCI graduate, who the PLLC told to apply for the event, is one of just 30 cultural representatives aged 18-30 from across Canada selected to attend.

According to a press release obtained by PortageOnline regarding the event, it is intended to allow young leaders to build skills that improve their capacity to sustain or scale their anti-racism initiatives through workshops and conferences.

"I'm hoping to take out some advice and tips from different views and organizations that advocate anti-racism, " says Sayson. "And experience a new environment and talk about my opinions."

Sayson adds that as a newcomer and immigrant to Canada, she has experienced racism firsthand.

"It is one of the problems here in Portage, in Canada, and even around the world," she continues. "Even small changes will help deduct racism or decrease racism around the world."

She notes that her goal is to bring back as much knowledge as possible from the three-day lab to share with the Portage community.

Sayson will head to Toronto, Ontario, on March 24 and stay until March 26, when the event wraps up.