The Vimy Foundation has announced the 20 youth recipients who will participate in the 2024 Vimy Pilgrimage Award, including one winner from Cambridge.
High school student Muhammad Ali Naseer was chosen to participate in the prestigious educational program, the Vimy Foundation said in a news release.
The experiential program provides youth, ages 14 to 17, from across Canada the opportunity to explore historic sites and participate in the annual Vimy Pilgrimage which sees Canadians travel to France to pay their respects at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.
With 19 other students from across Canada, Muhammad will travel across France and Belgium from April 3 to 10.
The eight-day program includes daily visits to important sites, museums, cemeteries and historic battlefields from the First World War. Students will immerse themselves in history and better understand the impact that continues to resonate today, the foundation said.
"The experience will provide students with transferable skills and unique perspectives from the past, and will allow them to connect with peers, fellow leaders of tomorrow," the foundation said.
The Vimy Foundation was established in 2006 and is a charity focused on raising awareness of the role Canada played in the First World War. In 2022, it amalgamated with the Canadian Centre for the Great War.
The First World War victory at Vimy Ridge in April 1917 was a milestone where Canada came of age and was recognized on the world stage.
The Vimy Foundation acknowledged the Jon and Nancy Love Fund at the Toronto Foundation for their support in making the program possible along with other major donors and also thanked partners the Randhawa Group and Ellison Travel & Tours.
