Youth from all over Canada participate in annual RCMP Youth Leadership Workshop

The workshops include interactive sessions with the RCMP, different speakers and other special guests. (Angela Stewart / CTV News)

Thirteen youth from every corner in Canada gathered on Saturday for the last day of this year’s annual RCMP Youth Leadership Workshop.

Once a year, the RCMP will host youth to take part in workshops at Depot Division. They also get a tour of the division.

The workshops include interactive sessions with the RCMP, different speakers and other special guests.

The youth are tasked with coming up with an action plan to help address different issues within their respective communities.

The goal is for the youth to build leadership skills and raise awareness about different issues they might face in the community.

Ana Popa, who is the Lower Mainland in B.C said the program has taught her about great leadership skills.

“For leadership skills or knowledge about the academy. I would like to become a RCMP officer after graduation,” she said.

She said it was an old mentor who inspired her to pursue policing after school.

“One liaison officer in mission inspired me when I was 11 to become a police officer to help people. I’m a really active teenager. I’m an athlete. I can maybe use that and also by the way, I want to help people,” she said.

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Constable Sirak Gebresellasie with the Ridge Meadows RCMP Detachment was Popa’s mentor during the workshops.

“I’m very lucky I get to partner up with her. I’m going to do everything in my power to kind of help her. Push her into whatever she wants to do, whether it’s policing. Although I think she could probably help the world. She loves it here,” he said.

It’s the first time he has been a mentor during the workshops.

“First time I’ve actually heard about it. I’m very positive with the youth as it’s one of the reasons why I actually wanted to become a police officer, amongst all the other fun stuff you can do.”

The youth who were involved are all either junior high or high school students.

The RCMP have been putting on the workshop since 2011.