On Monday (February 5), applications opened for the 2018-19 Minister's Youth Council.

The council is a group of 32 junior and senior high school students that will meet with Education Minister David Eggen three times next school year, starting in September, to discuss their educational priorities and issues.

Dave Morris, Associate Superintendent of Learning for Rocky View Schools, explained that Minister Eggen has made it clear that hearing student voices is important to him, and this is one avenue to do that. Morris guessed most educators, including himself, support having a way to give students a voice in their education.

"We hope we're teaching our students to be critical thinkers and problem solvers, and I think this is an opportunity for some students - not very many but some students - to really have a voice about some of the things they experience in public education."

There are currently no Rocky View students on this year's Minister's Youth Council. Morris said the division does some innovative things when it comes to education, and having a student on the council could help shine a light at the provincial level on the unique educational experience offered in Rocky View.

"If they were from Rocky View they would certainly learn from other boards as well, but certainly some of the things that we do here are unique to Rocky View's context and it would be nice if they were able to take that voice forward to a provincial level."

Morris said it would also be a great opportunity for a Rocky View student to not only have a voice in their education but also to get a behind the scenes look at decision making by the government.

"For them to have the opportunity to go to something like the Minister's council, see what goes on at that level of government, meet other youth from across the province, and to talk about what they feel they need in public education moving forward would be a really good experience."

The deadline to apply for the Minister's Youth Council is March 30.

 

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