In British Columbia, the Board of Education of School District No. 46, called Sunshine Coast, created a permanent seat for a student trustee on the board in 2013.
District Student Leadership Team, or DSLT
Two senior students from each of the district’s high schools form a district student leadership team to support the student trustee.
Through a thoughtful consensus process, the team agreed that one of their number will be the Student Trustee for the 2013/ 2014 school year. They selected another student to be their Chair.
Meeting frequently, the DSLT helps the student trustee to understand issues that are relevant and important to the district’s student body and to provide a venue for student discussion and support. The team meets monthly with the district superintendent.
Silas White, chair of the Sunshine Coast school board, said in a local newspaper article,
“…We are making decisions that affect students all the time, yet with no direct connection to our students’ point of view…A student trustee will enrich our dialogue and decision-making with perspectives and first-hand knowledge which we, frankly, are decades removed from.”
More Info
- Students as Decision-Makers
- Students as Advisors
- Student Voice in Canadian Education Agency
- Canadian Directory of Student Voice
SoundOut Education Consulting 