Students at 25 schools across British Columbia will be getting a visit from a leadership speaker who seeks to deliver his message with a musical focus.
Canadian rapper Duane (D.O.) Gibson, an Ontario-based motivational speaker and artist, will be embarking on the In The Zone 25-date British Columbia school tour. Each show is a one-hour assembly that combines speaking with live performances to engage the audience while delivering a solid message.
READ MORE: Students united in stance against bullying
The program focuses on leadership and character education, the importance of peer support and role models for young people. He uses his own experiences as examples, explaining how figures such as Will Smith inspired him from a young age. He illustrates the personal power that can be gained through reading, creative writing and speech. The program is interactive as D.O. seeks to gets all of the students involved through call and response rapping.
D.O is an active Hip-Hop artist, a Guinness World Record setting rapper (longest freestyle rap of eight hours and 45 minutes) and author, and has been working to motivate students with music and life lessons since 2001.
READ MORE: Planning for the future of the planet
In addition to his career as an artist, he is also the driving force behind Northern Power Summit, an emerging music conference in Canada. Gibson is currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on his upcoming album Second Home, to be released in April.
The school performances will hit towns and cities across the province, starting in the beginning of April. A full list of performances in the province can be found below.
April 2 Salmon Arm, BC Salmon Arm Secondary (Jackson Campus)
April 2 Salmon Arm, BC Salmon Arm Secondary (Sullivan Campus)
April 2 Clearwater, BC Raft River Elementary
April 3 Armstrong, BC Pleasant Valley Secondary (Morning appearance)
April 3 Kamloops, BC Pacific Way Elementary
April 4 Kamloops, BC Robert L Clemitson Elementary (Morning appearance)
April 4 Barriere, BC Barriere Elementary
April 5 Enderby, BC A L Fortune Secondary (Morning appearance)
April 5 Sicamous, BC Eagle River Secondary
April 8 Madeira Park, BC Pender Harbour Elem-Secondary
April 9 Gibsons, BC Elphinstone Secondary (Morning appearance)
April 9 Sechelt, BC Chatelech Secondary
April 10 Surrey, BC Dogwood Elementary (Morning appearance)
April 10 Aldergrove, BC Parkside Centennial Elementary
April 11 Langley, BC Dorothy Peacock Elementary (Morning appearance)
April 11 Surrey, BC Newton Elementary
April 12 Surrey, BC Rosemary Heights Elementary (Morning appearance)
April 12 West Vancouver, BC Caulfield Elementary
April 29 McBride, BC McBride Secondary (Morning appearance)
April 29 Valemount, BC Valemount Secondary
April 30 Prince George, BC Van Blen Elementary (Morning appearance)
April 30 Prince George, BC Lac des Bois
May 1 Prince George, BC Buckhorn Elementary (Morning appearance)
May 1 Prince George, BC Pinewood Elementary
May 2 Abbotsford, BC Clayburn Middle School
May 2 Surrey, BC Riverdale Elementary
