The City’s Committee on Student Needs is considering proposing an expansion to the UPass program.
Currently, the pass gives students at CNC and UNBC affordable access to public transit and the City’s pools.
“There’s been some expression in terms of expanding that option to high school students, as well as expanding the amenities that are associated with the pass,” says Jillian Merrick, who heads the committee. “So can we add public skate, art galleries, museum, regional heritage attractions to the pass?”
Merrick says Prince George high school students are already prolific transit users.
“There’s a ton of high school students who are already buying monthly passes. Trips to and from the mall and the park and pool are all very busy with high school students so something that we can provide them more affordable and wide-reaching access to the city’s best amenities would be great.”
She points to other programs that prioritize access for teens, like the YMCA offering free teen passes this summer, as an example of what can be done to make the city more engaging for young people.
But she says expanding the program could have benefits for participating organizations as well.
“It’s a great benefit for any heritage, recreation or cultural facility – you potentially have around 5,000 students who will suddenly become members of your organization. But for the students, it’s really about making that extremely cost-efficient. It’s up to the organization to determine – to grow our membership by this much would be a huge benefit how low can we go in terms of an admission price for that.”
The proposal is still a ways away from being presented to Council.
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