Coquitlam Heritage admits when it comes to sharing the views of all walks of life, exhibits of community diversity have historically been kept out of the public eye.
That is, until now.
The museum society is hoping local youth can step forward to help create stories and displays about their upbringing among minority groups to address the lack of representation.
More specifically, Coquitlam Heritage says it wants three high-school students who identify themselves as part of the BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, people of colour] and LGBTQ2S+ communities to put together mini-exhibits that tell their perspectives for all to see.
Called a mentorship program and set to be a paid internship as well, the society also wants to teach interested participants about how to work in a museum and explore history.
"Knowledge around historical education in our community has become a priority for many people especially relating to diverse stories," Coquitlam Heritage explains in a news release to the Tri-City News.
"Over the last few years, [we've] been focusing our programming to be inclusive and diverse. Through this program we are planning on continuing this trend.
"Through this program we hope these students will gain valuable experience that will help them further their careers, especially if they want to pursue opportunities in the museum arts sector."
Once the mini-exhibits are complete, they're set to be placed on display between February and April 2022 at the Coquitlam Public Library's Poirier Branch.
The internship itself is scheduled to run from mid-October to January. The deadline to apply is Monday (Sept. 27) at 5 p.m.
For more information about the youth mentorship program, you're encouraged to visit the Coquitlam Heritage website.
